Living Lighter
What is truly important to you? What couldn’t you live without? What could you get rid of that is causing unnecessary stress/clutter? How can you bring yourself to get rid of all these unwanted items, thoughts, or emotions? I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do know that there is a way to get yourself in a state of joy without succumbing to complexity and stress. You can live a simple, yet fulfilling life, filled with the people who care about you and the things you treasure most (e.g. my laptop). You can pretty much dump the rest. All the negative relationships, all the things you own that do not contribute to your goals or bring you joy, dump them. I believe everyone strives for happiness. In my world, happiness is abundant and I do not go looking for it. I possess the ability to access it from within and spread it out throughout the world. It is my gift to you.
We all possess this ability. I am just someone who found the access code in one of the file cabinets up in my brain. Soul searching is a very enlightening activity and you all need to realize that it is a choice to be happy. It is a choice to be depressed. These emotions do not rely on external circumstances. You can be flat broke and happy, or you can be a billionaire and sad. Or, if you are an idealist, you can be a happy billionaire (my personal choice). Part of being filled with unconditional joy is letting go of any attachments you have to anything. You need to acknowledge that everything, even your physical body, is temporary. Once you fully grasp that, once you really, really know it, you can show gratitude for everything you experience, but no longer be attached to it. You will no longer fear change because no matter what happens, you still retain joy. It is a remarkable state to be in.
When I started decluttering my home, I actually felt lighter and lighter each time I threw some unwanted item away. Same with my negative and limiting beliefs. Each belief thrown in the proverbial wastebasket allowed me to open up to more abundant happiness. I did some things I never thought I could do. I finally started to live freely, without limitation. The only limitation is your own mind. This is true on so many levels. There are no words to describe the feeling of lightness unless you experience it yourself, but once you do what it takes to get there, it will fill your days with joy. And it’s good on so many levels.
Spending time in nature really helps, too. Be amazed at the wonders of the forest, the desert, and the jungle. The ecosystems are so complex, so beautiful in their own rights that it saddens me how much we’ve destroyed them. I am grateful there is still some left and I strive to encourage others to live a simpler life, a life that does not damage the world, a life that is so fulfilling once you commit to it, there will be no going back. It’s the whole concept in rooting yourself in what is permanent, not what is temporary. All your material possessions will end up being dust. Your physical body will be dust. But your spirit, your marvelous and virtuous spirit is eternal. And raising the consciousness of that spirit, moving beyond unconscious consumerism and evolving to a state where you no longer look towards items to fill a void in your life because that void is already filled with unconditional love, joy, and acceptance.
I wrote something on a message board like this, “The lighter you are, the closer you are to ascending into the heavens.” I believe this rings true, at least in my life. I hate when I see people weighed down by debt, by personal problems, by bad situations. I can try and help, but some people are stubborn. They deny that there is anything wrong, they are attached to the very things they loathe. It gives them identity. It is part of their ego. Once you let go of the ego, let go of the past, let go of everything and embrace right now, really feel it, you can move into a whole other state of being. Your ego melts. Your problems go away. You are here and you are now. And allowing yourself to just allow the present to be and not letting past or future worries interfere is the best thing you can do. Show gratitude for each and every morning you wake up. Isn’t it wonderful how you get to live? Isn’t it great to be alive? I am starting to feel this way more and more every day. I wish the same for you. Wouldn’t the world be such an amazing place if everyone was like this? Just sit back and wonder…
September 1st, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Another excellent essay. I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly with what you wrote, except the statement that depression is a choice. Perhaps that is true when it’s caused by a lack of material items, but depression can also be triggered by a chemical imbalance in the nervous system, causing an otherwise joyful person to become seriously depressed. When they are in this condition, ordinary positive thinking is not enough to overcome it.
I am in awe of how wise you are, for your age. I wish I’d been that perceptive when I was in my 20’s… I had to learn it all by making mistakes! I did learn the lightness of few possesions many years ago, after losing almost everything in a split-up. I was amazed at the unexpected and glorious freedom this gave me, and I’ve lived simply ever since.
Thanks for sharing your writing with us. I agree that having a sense of wonder and a connection with nature are essential to finding joy.
September 3rd, 2007 at 10:44 am
Its wonderful to discover that doing what doesn’t initially come naturally can seem to become the most natural things to do. Although thought and behavior patterns can seem hard to change, your recent experience proves they can be changed. After all, any kind of enlightenment is ultimately the conscious recognition of something you already knew inside. Rather than change, you’re opening your eyes to the power within.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:40 am
Liara, I really enjoy your insights on everything. I am truly grateful for any input you have. Thank you.
September 11th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Its great to feel open to new ways of thinking and feeling. To choose to believe something means you’re willing to relinquish other assumptions. The views you seek to preserve about yourself may not need protecting. What is already true and unchanging needs no protection and what you determine requires revision or change is not worthy of your protection.