As the times continue to bring us change and remind us of the unpredictability of our lives, many of us are confronted with a fear of this unknown future.
And though the future has always been unpredictable, it certainly hasn’t felt that way. Most of us made plans for our lives for years to come with a realistic outcome. We have lived in very, very stable times. Now we plan for shorter periods as we don’t know what will happen and we have been made aware that it is not all in our hands. We have been made aware that we do not control the future.
We as a collective humanity are confronted with the newness this brings in ways that many of us have not yet experienced. As we release all fixed ideas of the future, we are invited to step out of our comfort zone and embrace the sheer unpredictability of life again and again and again.
In the endless complexity of our own creations, the intricacies of our thoughts and worries, there is relief and clarity in simplicity. In staying with the now and living one day at a time. But how to get there? How to make a rich, complex and complicated life a simpler one?
The first step is probably an honest inquiry whether a simpler life is really what is desired. I have found an enthusiastic yes for this question in myself. Amongst all the turmoil of these great shifts in the world and in ourselves, I have discovered such peace and ease in finding joy in the smallest things and doings throughout my day.
By shifting focus on things that we usually do unconsciously, we may quickly discover that many of the things we worship are nothing compared to the pleasures we receive from a morning shower, a friendly encounter, enjoying a meal cooked with love or the first fresh greens of spring.
The things or doings that make our life the beautiful experience that it is.
We as a species are just as simple as we are complicated. At the end of the day, all we need is food, shelter and a community in which we feel welcome, loved, appreciated and in which we can participate. These are the things that deserve our attention, our love, our care and our reverence.
It all begins with not taking anything for granted and bringing appreciation and gratitude towards all that we have, towards all that we consume and towards everything that we have access to.
Bringing reverence towards ourselves, a deep respect and appreciation for the life we have created, the choices we have made and continue to make, the lessons we learned, the relations we maintain and the joy and pleasure we allow ourselves to experience.
Summer is almost here and we are witnessing nature’s beautiful transformation, what better a time to practice reverence.
So let us allow ourselves to be more in awe of this human experience, let’s exchange our opinions for curiosity and our morals for humbleness and honor all beings and all things with our presence and open heart.
With love
Charu
Charu Eliza Hermsdorf
Co-founder of DIMA Mallorca, A Centre for Conscious Living
Mediator and Conflict counselor at MediateBerlin
www.mediateberlin.com
