Simplicity: The Hidden Treasure
“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.”
~ Henry David Thoreau
The days of claiming to be a man of certain knowledge and expertise are in the past. I have no regret, shame, or hesitancy in stating this. It's genuinely expressed with a calm and solid sense of relief and liberation. A solidity arising from a connection deep in the recesses of my heart that has been my faithful companion through all the firestorms and calamities of life.
It is not a connection exclusive to my unique human character. We all have access to this inner presence that patiently waits for us while we are voraciously mesmerized by the play of life. A fascination that can be so intense and engaged that we obediently dance the tango of endless drama and pain while rarely questioning if the stage we move across is real or imagined.
It is not my intention to present a piece about the reality or non-reality of life. That discourse has gone on since the dawn of time. My true intention is to suggest that, regardless of one's belief about what life is all about, there is a treasure that opens the door to our core essence that resides hidden within the setting of earthbound existence. That treasure is simplicity.
I admit I have a strong bias here. That bias comes from direct experience. When I simplify my life, movement naturally follows. Whenever I have been seriously stuck in life, I can assure you I was overthinking, overreacting, or over-something-ing my life. The moment I simplified things, momentum returned without any planning, logic, or reason. It's like a fogged mirror in a bathroom. Once we open the door to let the cool fresh air in, the mirror becomes crystal clear.
This does not mean we should avoid complex opportunities and situations. Often that is where the juice of life carries us. What I offer up for consideration is that you prioritize the awareness of keeping things simple as the overriding energy for navigating those situations. In other words, if you want to see the clearest image in the mirror, keep the door open for the cool air to enter!
I choose not to lay out a formula for how you can discover your own simplicity pattern. To do so might rob you of that adventure. We came here to enjoy our uniqueness versus playing follow the leader. Only in the clarity of your own mirror lies all the answers to your life questions. What might be a simplified answer for you may be perceived as complex in my imagination.
Whatever simplicity looks and feels like in your life I hope you will explore it more so that it becomes a practical, effective, and powerful life tool and resource. How will you know when you hit upon it? You will feel a sense of relief that relaxes every cell of your body. When you look in the mirror you will smile and say, "There you are. I have been looking for you!"
With Love and Many Blessings ~ Tom
