I was planning to build out my “Posting Calendar” of what I would write and when, but in Morning Prayer today, I kept hearing the Word ‘simplicity’, and decided to write about it, before I get into more of the Calendar. Let God move, and the Creative Flow have it’s way!
It’s so easy for us to complicate things–we all know this. We live in a complicated world. Hang around me long enough, and I will yell: “Why can’t things just be simple?” Not everything is simple. I am an accountant by day, so I know this. Finances are NOT simple.
But I complicate my Inner Life. Fretting about how I said something: was I sincere enough, did I spend too much time on this, was I mean, on and on. When you have OCD, these voices are incessant! Future posts will delve into my “Theory of the Realms”. But for now, the Inner Realm, of our soul, or inner thoughts and feelings, this is an area where I feel we complicate ourselves. We want to feel a certain way, or think our thoughts should be a certain way. If you are Christian–we can quickly “beat ourselves up” over what is going on between our ears!
So, some healthy thoughts, flowing from my reading and praying. Try to imagine that stream of feelings and thoughts, as that: a Stream of Thoughts and Feelings. Be standing on the shore, and develop some detachment to watch some of what goes by. My biggest issue is to get lost in all those thoughts and feelings, or begin to judge them, and over-moralize them. These thoughts and feelings are just that: thoughts and feelings. I do NOT have to fix them, necessarily. Other people, more learned then me, talk about mindfulness, and that is what is needed. Just observe what is going on in your head without all the judging.
Simplicity is not taking ourselves too seriously, having some lightness with how we approach things, and there is so much more to say on that! As Christians, I think we quickly over-judge ourselves if we are angry, or feel frustrated with someone else. If our thoughts are not “holy”, and we have our own definitions of that, we quickly feel “less than”.
The words of Psalm 46 from the Hebrew Scriptures ring true again: “Be Still, and know…”
Try today to be still among all the To-Do’s. Be simple. Breathe. Don’t try to fix every little thought and feeling. Instead, ask God to show you what He (She) may want to regarding those thoughts. Maybe more compassion is needed for a co-worker, child, or spouse. Maybe we over-booked our day, and are now feeling stressed-out at 9AM. Breathe. Be present to what is right in front of you. When I was in 12-Step Practice, I was asked: “Where are your feet, Eric?” And I would say, very annoyed: “Right here, on this floor.” Then that person would say: “So should the rest of you.”
So, be where you are, right now. Breathe. Do what is in front of you to do. If you follow Christian Practice, the Holy Spirit is in you and all around you, to remind, guide and direct you. Trust that! If that is not your Practice, be open to what I call: “The Great Flow” of the Universe, which is really the same thing, just said more expansively.
Enjoy your day. Remember: you can start your day over anytime.
-Eric, the Wordsmith
BP1