How Do You Keep it Simple?

[Candice Wilmore]

The complications that we bring into our lives—the good and the bad, right and the wrong, love and hate, doubt—are what make our lives so complicated. We all want simplicity. We have a relationship with joy, and simplicity has a unique way of bringing joy. The question is, how do we get it? Prem Rawat

Candice writes: I believe especially in the US, simplicity is difficult. I connect with it through my practice which takes me inside, but the distractions are thick and it's an effort each and every day.

Best to all...

[Lee]

For me it is a slow process of aligning with my inner self. In doing this I find myself needing very little to sustain, and as stated in the question the simpler my life gets the more joy I experience. The question as I have framed this response then becomes, how does one align with their inner self. In my case I am facing all of my insecurities head on, and finding them to be void of anything useful. To face them I ask what their source is, and the hard part is coming to terms with the fact that it is the system I was raised in, inclusive of family, school, religion, work and society at large. This is difficult because to really face the insecurities one must let go of everything they like about any or all of the aforementioned systems (especially the illusion of security), because the systems are the source of the insecurities. I have had to give up many comforts to release myself from the bondage of the systems I was raised in, and in the end every one of those comforts to date has been a complete illusion. Walk away from the things you think you need, and what you really need has room to enter.

[Jeanne]

Lee said:

Walk away from the things you think you need, and what you really need has room to enter.

Wow! Lee... you said it so well.
My most recent delusion to fall aside was regarding my car. I've always had a car and have always tried to be frugal with it... but still always found myself feeling guilty every time I drove to a gas pump. Well, a couple months ago, my car had the decency to die just as I pulled into the driveway. We called AAA and took it to our favorite mechanic... the engine had died. The question became... spend the money on a new engine, buy a different car or be carless... we've been carless now for months and as much a hassle it is to be without my trusty Subaru... I love the break from it.

Now we walk to the grocery store, each with our backpacks fully loaded on the return trip home. We make better purchases as a result and we have more money left after... from both not buying gas and making less frivolous purchases.

Time was... I couldn't imagine being carless. I would have thought it a deprivation. Now... its a liberation.