The Divine Harmony of Simplicity

This afternoon I put a jar of sweet tea outside to steep then ate fresh blueberries while staring at sunflowers that were on the kitchen table. It was idyllic to the point of feeling like a living greeting card. I was smack in the middle of what simplicity means to me and I felt deeply contented. Summer, in particular, is a time when I find simplicity at the heart of my days and wrapped around my soul. rnSimplicity–the word itself evokes tranquility, harmony, and ease. The dictionary defines simplicity as a quality of being uncomplicated, lacking pretense or ornamentation, and freedom from difficulty or effort. Sounds like heaven, doesn’t it? That’s because to experience simplicity is to be in harmony with the Divine. Simplicity in Our Personal Spaces Our outer worlds are reflections of our inner worlds. If you pay attention to how you feel about the physical space you’re living in you can get a good idea of what your soul is craving. Have you ever had an out-of-nowhere desire to change the color of your walls or move the furniture? It’s likely that the desire for external change was a response to a deeper desire for change from within. In the same way, if you’ve ever walked into your home or work space and suddenly been unable to stand the clutter, there’s a good chance that your soul and spirit are calling for order or simplicity in your life as a whole. I strongly suggest you consider urges to change your outer world as glimpses into your inner world and its needs. rnYears ago I started life over, literally walking away from most of my belongings. What a great feeling of relief and cleansing it was. In the process of simplifying my personal space I realized how much of the 'stuff' I had collected over the years held no personal meaning, relevance or purpose. A lot of things had been taking up space in my world, in many ways to fill a deeper void. Again, the outer was mirroring the inner. rnThese days my outer world epitomizes simplicity though I absolutely do have possessions. I have many books, a wonderful music collection, a vast array of spices lining the kitchen counter, and several cozy well-worn quilts scattered over the sofa. What I don’t have is what I don’t use, don’t need, and don’t care about. Simplifying one’s outer world doesn’t mean taking a vow of poverty or discarding all worldly possessions, not by a long shot. It does mean not being defined by material things, and not having for the sake of having. Simplifying the outer world and personal space is about creating an external environment that contains what is meaningful to us and has a purpose for us, while letting go of what does not. Simplicity in Our Inner Worldrn rnAs important as having simplicity in our personal spaces can be, transformative even, having it within ourselves is crucial. Simplifying one’s inner world is about finding stillness in the mind by eliminating the mental clutter, the extraneous thoughts that fill our waking lives with incessant chatter. Simplifying the inner world also means being mentally engaged in the present moment, as well as being mentally and physically present in the same place. Having dinner with family while thinking about work is counter to internal simplicity. Inner simplicity is facilitated by refusing to engage in the drama of others’ lives or allowing it to be part of ours. Not tuning in to the news every day and choosing to watch television shows that promote well being and inner peace, instead of those that promote tension and discord, are two easy ways to disengage from external drama. Avoiding situations and people who thrive on disharmony is another. Simplifying the inner world requires opening the closet of the heart and getting rid of what no longer fits, what never belonged to us in the first place, and what was given to us that we don’t want. Letting go of emotions and beliefs that don’t serve one’s life and well being is crucial to inner simplicity. Simplifying internally means getting back to the basics of who we are and what we’re about. It’s about finding that place within where love and hope and faith and happiness and peace are in permanent residence. It means embracing our feelings without judging ourselves for having them, and letting joy be joy and sorrow be sorrow. Simplifying the inner world is about creating a quieter mind, an engaged sense of being, and a peaceful heart. rnThere is a oneness-of-being that is a unique by-product of experiencing simplicity, and when our inner and outer worlds are in harmony with simplicity and one another, there is unsurpassed soulful tranquility. Whether your idea of simplicity is a long open road and a fast car, sitting on a jetty at sunset, or a blueberry-sunflower-sweet tea composition, give yourself the gift of simplicity's purity and ease.