While I am not Buddhist, Native American or a Shaker, I do find peace in minimalism. I find that when my space is cluttered, my mind is cluttered. I do admit that I can take it to an extreme at times, for instance, I keep my e-mail inbox to about 5-10, and I get "nervous" when my DVR is less than 75% free.
I realize that as a child growing up on a farm in the 1960s, generally my life was one of simplicity and few material belongings. A couple of my favorite things to do were hanging out in the hay shed taming wild cats and sitting by the very small creek in the field watching the water ripple over the rocks. We only had one television channel, and the only movie I saw during my childhood was Snow White.
As I grew up and became a wife and mother, it seems I left behind some of those ideals. Now as I approach old age and seem to be searching for my authentic self, I once again find solace in simplicity and quiet. Maybe that is how the cycle of life works; we eventually come back to ourselves. I limit my television watching to a about five channels and leave the other 150 alone. I hang my clothes outside in the summertime and on racks in the basement during the winter. I find joy in chirping birds, acrobatic squirrels and the miracle of flowers that return every year.
All goes back to the earth,
and so I do not desire
pride of excess or power,
but the contentments made
by men who have had little:
the fisherman’s silence
receiving the river’s grace,
the gardener’s musing on rows....
~Wendell Berry, "The Want of Peace"
I remember when my mother passed away and I was going through her jewelry box and dresser drawers, it became apparent to me that she was a simple person. It was then I realized where my love of simplicity derived, and it touched me deeply.
Some times being your authentic self isn't always approved by others; society wants you to fit a mold. Every day we are bombarded with extraordinary stories and images of celebrity. We are made to feel like we don't measure up, and we are just ordinary. However, I have found that true happiness comes from finding out who you are and being that person. I believe that the true nirvana to be reached in this life is happiness in whatever form that resonates with you.
Thought for the day: To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring — these are some of the rewards of the simple life. ~John Burroughs
