Simplicity...

Today's post is a reflection on becoming more simple. This is not a matter of me just aging and losing my mental faculties (though my teenaged children would tell you that I'm truly "simple") - rather it is a reality check for me in my continued search for wholeness. There are many euphemisms for simplicity nowadays: living off the grid, downsizing, right sizing, etc., but it is all essentially the same process of emptying the clutter.

The mistake that most people, including myself, make when trying to become more simple in their manner of living is that they get rid of things. While this unclutters some of their life, it really doesn't change anything. All the great spiritual teachers spoke of removing distractions that are barriers to a relationship with God. This simplification, or self-emptying, is more than divesting oneself of a few trinkets. It is the ongoing process of conciously identifying those behaviors, practices, work-life issues, mannerisms, beliefs, etc., that keep one from focusing on the spiritual life, and then repenting and removing those impediments. This is truly difficult not only in this day and age, but in all the ages past.

The struggle to become truly present to the moment and to live in concert with the world around one, is the goal of every major religion. Countless programs will be given this year focused on becoming more free to love, more free to give, more free to live in a way that honors the world around us and the Creator of it all. Like fad diets, however, the bloom fades quickly and the world once again takes over. Our anxiety over our impending deaths and not having enough "stuff" when we need it, wins out over our trust in the Other to provide all we need. We have been so long depending on ourselves both individually and corporately, that we have forgotten how to depend on a higher power.

So, I recommit myself to the pursuit of simplicity. I recommit myself to a prayer life that nourishes me and to a faith community that uplifts me, even as it struggles to figure out who it is, who it wants to follow and who it wants to become. I'll hold the tension of "what is" and "what might be" and try to be faithful to my pursuit of health, wellness and wholeness. I wish you well on your journey. If Possibilities Journey, Inc., (www.possjrny.org) can help, let us know.

Peace,
Dan