Perspective

Simplifying Simplicity*


A friend has told me to try out an exercise - stand motionless facing the converging crowd observing people just pass by. It is one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I literally feel life zip by me while I stand rooted. A mass of humanity converges, getting on and off trains in a rush to make "it". I wonder what that "it" is? I just don't get "it" and I guess I haven't found "it" yet. What I do know is that happiness in my life has more to do with "I" than "it" and "I" am willing to work with and take a shot at "it" (pun intended). 

I find that simplifying what and, more importantly, how I lead my life has a lot to do with me being happy. And I keep wondering - how to be simple? Does it mean rejection of "it"? Does it mean not seeking "it"? The more I reflect on this question, the more evident the answer becomes. It's the "i" of the "it" that is critical and perhaps not the "t"(oys) that I have around me. So what does "i" do or not do. In other words I want to find some simple way(s) of simplifying simplicity'.that doesn't sound simple - does "it"? Well "it" can be hard to simplify - it becomes "its" ("it" + "s"implify = "its"; more of "it" than we want!). While "i" can be simplified - "is" ("i" + "s"implify = "is") happens and "is" true!

Without much further delay I present nine simple principles that I have borrowed from the greatest creator of all - Mother Nature (MN). Contrary to the claims of many writers taking credit for identifying these principles, in reality they have all been re-discovered through the original and only author, MN. Besides delivering the promise of simplifying our life, these principles will perhaps begin to break the barriers imposed by antiquated rules. (With much fanfare) Here they are'

  1. Acceptance is Where the Journey Begins
    Judging and analysis is not all bad. It helps us learn and grow if properly used. However, it can be time consuming, addictive and often creates divisive clutter in our minds. But it's hard to stop judging especially if that's the way we have been leading our lives for such a long time. As a starting point - just temper it with acceptance. Slowly acceptance has the ability of metamorphosing judgment and analysis into intuition. And intuition glistens with clarity and simplicity. Mind will become a channel rather than the workhorse, slowly blending the compartmentalized reality of our brain into a more unified perception.
      

  2. The Only Response to Dislikes is Changing Ourselves
    What we see around us is, in reality, a part of us. If we dislike something or somebody, it is that unacceptable part of us inside showing up in front of our very eyes. And unless we change that part of us inside, we will continue to notice its presence and get all worked-up over it. There is only one way for the disliked reality to disappear - make it go away inside of us. Once that starts happening, we will finally start falling in love with ourselves. And isn't that simply awesome!
      

  3. Honesty and Sincerity Untangle the Thread of Connectivity
    Every falsehood creates a fa'ade that we need to keep track of, complicating our life in ways we don't even understand. By being honest and sincere in our thoughts and actions, we facilitate the truthful perception of life. Honesty and sincerity to ourselves (i.e. we and what we see) is the decoding agent that unscrambles the web of illusion created by our untruthfulness. Gradually living becomes easier and every thought and action is in tune with ourselves - an affirmation that removes all constrictive, knotty obstacles. 
      

  4. Choice is Always Ours 
    Thoughts, actions and, most importantly, our experience of the reality, are always our own choice. If we want to change a reality we can choose to work on manifesting a new one through our thoughts and actions. Even if our efforts don't yield the "desired" results, our perception of the outcome is again our choice. The more we become cognizant of our inherent capability of choosing in all spheres of living, life will start choosing us for giving direction to it. The distinction between freewill and destiny will progressively start fading away. Instead of Karma being a law linking past and future, it will be a choice in the present. Burden of time will be lifted making instants instantly momentous.
       

  5. Failure is Less Painful When Wishes are Preferences
    Unfulfilled desires can be really troublesome. The problem is not really in the desire but in our "need" to have it satisfied. Sometimes the effort is tremendous only because we are compelled by the driving "need". It is therefore prudent and less stressful to define every desire as a preference and not a need. Training ourselves in this fashion will make us put in effort but yet not be shattered if the desires do not fructify. We therefore reduce the cost of a non-happening while still taking advantage of the possible benefits of a desire-driven effort. We may be pleasantly surprised that these preferences do not necessarily imply less effort and eventually even lead us to a state of effortless accomplishment! That's not bad, eh?
      

  6. Relish Relationships
    If the real journey is within us, the true testing bed (!) of how far along we have come is relationships. Relationships are a perfect mirror of us and can almost always serve as a crucible for our growth. A relishing attitude to relationships can be the key to enjoying life to the fullest in face of the most difficult challenges of intimacy. Breaking the barriers to closeness in relationships is the pivotal link in our being intimate with our own self.And that love affair, with our own self, is eternal!
       

  7. Letting Go of Our "Have Nots" is the Doorway to Contentment 
    Why me? Or Why not me? These questions haunt us almost every day. Comparisons pointing to a lack of something can indeed be quite distressing. Invariably it makes one needy, leaving us in the midst of a flood of unhappiness and misery. It's not difficult to see that if only we could let go of what we don't have, we could be happier. Try to feel the happiness of others who have what we don't. Finding happiness in others' happiness is an affirmation of bountiful within us. Living contentment is all about being happy with life's content (things) that was meant for us.
       

  8. Gratitude is the Greatest Attitude
    Our reverent outlook toward life showers us with life's deepest blessings. Unconditional thankfulness is a spontaneous instinct that we are born with, and one that we can easily rediscover. How? Every inhalation is life's gift to us and every exhalation is our gratitude. Celebrate it!
       

  9. Joy Naturally Pours When the Actor is the Audience 
    Great actors often forget themselves in their art. This creation of the artist absorbs the audience in the role too. In that "unreal" reality both the audience and the actor merge. Art is an enabler of this union. Life is really no different. If we find our role (howsoever small it may be) and play it as perfectly as we can, the cosmos (audience) will become one with us. And if we are able to witness that meeting (mating!) being neither (or both) this or that, bliss will ooze uncontrollably. Feel "it"? That's "it"! 

08-Feb-2001

More by :  Maalok

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