Simplicity by Necessity
As many of you know who read this blog, I choose to live a simple life. This was a choice I made after getting ill with my brain cancer. Part of it was I saw all the trivial items that people buy as the trivial things they were. I even saw life for the trivial event it is. If you really think about it, with all the billions of people on this Earth, why is your life so special? People are born and people die every day. It is a fact of life. You could die today, you could die tomorrow, you could die 50 years from now. So, the question I asked myself was: What do I want to live for? I know I have shortcomings from the brain tumor and I am often unable to do things I once enjoyed, such as play sports and exercise without getting a headache. But I knew I could make some difference, something to put a positive spin on the life we all experience together. I feel that if I can make people feel good about themselves and help them to make the world a better place, I have done my job.
I am still in the process of aligning myself fully to this goal. There are a lot of distractions. But I have tried my best to limit those distractions. The way my mind works (now) is different from the way it used to work. My short-term memory can be shoddy at times and I have trouble concentrating if there is any noise around me. I am limited in many facets, but my ability to contribute is still there, beyond the shell that houses me. It often feels like a spirit is typing through my body, as if I am channeling wisdom from a higher source. And it is the only thing that truly allows me to forget about the limitations I have and move into the present. And that is the only time I truly have power. It is the time when I truly see everything in its true perspective. I don’t worry so much about all the things around me that could cuase stress or worry. I just tap into myself and let my fingers do the typing.
Stripping myself of all excess distractions is a work in process. There is just so much pressure to conform to societal norms. Social conditioning is just so powerful. If everyone around you still follows the script of social conditioning, then you are stuck in what is called social drag. You’ve undergone a radical shift in your thinking, but those around you still associate with the old script and the old you. For example, it is an unwritten rule that when you get out of school, you need to get a job or you are considered some kind of loser or bum. Even if the job leaves you miserable every day and you feel like there is no way out, you still need to slave at this workplace and subordinate to some guy who is just as miserable as you. But it’s not like we have a choice, right? Wrong.
If you can find a way to live comfortably without having to get a job, go for it. Understanding that meeting your needs independent of time is the most valuable commodity you can possibly imagine is the first step. You basically do what you want to do and make a great living anyway. I’ve read many books about people who follow this belief system and they are rich beyond anyone I know and they are completely fulfilled–because they are following their purpose. It is what they feel they must do. And doing it to them does not feel like work, it is an immense joy. It is a mindset rooted in abundance.
But, in order to pursue a dream like this, you need to burn bridges. You need to triage ruthlessly (borrowed from Steve Pavlina). Anything that either does not contribute to your purpose or (even worse) inhibits your purpose gets thrown or given away. You do everything you can to align yourself with the person you want to be. You start acting, looking, and speaking like the person you want to become. You start thinking the thoughts of success and a renowned faith that everything will work out okay. You put complete faith in the universe to bring you what you align yourselt with and then life gets easier. At least the part of your life that has to do with your purpose. I’m not saying doing your taxes will be a joy, but when you are in the flow state, you will just love the fact that you are alive. When you look at what you are accomplishing, you will be amazed. You will feel truly grateful that you are blessed with all these talents. You will become your purpose.
I am just so happy to be able to do this. It is a joy on so many levels. It allows me to express myself in ways I otherwise could not. This is where it all comes out and it feels wonderful. I abandon the trivial and work for principles that are everlasting. I become a man who is focused on service, rather than focused on personal achievement or stroking my ego. I no longer place my self-worth in external events because I have a sense of inner knowing that everything is all right. No matter what happens, my spirit is safe. The most fundamental part of me cannot be harmed, and that is the only part of me that truly matters. And if you haven’t made it here yet, don’t worry. Be patient. If you have the intention to do so, it will come. Things will not always go your way, but that’s okay. You have the power to choose your emotions. You have the power to respond and not react. You have the ability to invoke positive change in the world. And it will fulfill you more than anything you can imagine. Good luck.
September 27th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
It is better to live easily and it is better to do things the simple way than do approach them in a complicated but easy manner. Sometimes the tough path but simple is the best suggestion to do.
September 29th, 2007 at 1:54 am
It is said that to learn to forget all you know is to begin to discover who you really are. You can relax more and more with each breath you take. Everything that happens, everything you make happen, is stretching you and bringing you closer to your spirit. Each person is on a similar quest.