Seek Simplicity

A woman who called herself Peace Pilgrim began a walk across America in the 1950s. She had reduced her possessions to what she believed necessary and essential. Her clothes and a few items in her pockets served her. Living at the need rather than want level made her feel liberated and empowered. She said, "a persistent simplification will increase an inner and outer well-being that places harmony in one's life."

Seek simplicity by writing responses and see where they take you:

How might you return to simplicity? In what ways will it assist with contentment?

On what scale do you rank possessions and endless striving? How necessary are these aspects of your life?

Does technology add to or reduce complexity in your life?

What would you do to reduce daily clutter in physical items and mental issues?

Describe emotional crutches that provide illusions of security?

Which rituals do you use to start the day?

In what ways do you silence sensory overload daily?

Delve into how writing about simplicity assists your focus on choices.

Nature's Nurture

"Children, one earthly thing truly experienced, even once, is enough for a lifetime." 

-Rainer Maria Rilke

Rainer Maria Rilke suggested that we cultivate an alertness for the ever present possibility of germination and gestation. He advised us to send problems into the darkness, into our unconscious minds. Then to explore for early signs of awakening. 

Once we discover the forces of renewal stirring in the depths, we can feel humble and reverent. We must acknowledge that they fall beyond the reach of our ability to understand. 

Without seeking to explain the forces and define them at first, we devote ourselves to nurturing them.













Discover nature's ways of awakening. Notice autumn's nurture.

Troll for Truth

"A writer's knowledge of himself, realistic and unromantic, is like a store of energy on which he must draw for a lifetime."  

- Graham Greene

What are central questions to living as a human doing?

Consider:

Lovers' misunderstandings

Quarrels between friends

Family feuds

Self-sabotage

Tests of courage

Defeat and redemption

Pleasures expressed and thwarted

What material of your life has baffled you?  

Which experiences won't digest and go away? 

Do you feel treasured moments of great value? 

What do you know about yourself in a way that is realistic and unromantic?  

Test the above for relevance and find their meaning.

Write about turns in life's road: u-turns, left turns, right turns, changing vehicles.

Imagine driving a different vehicle and discover an alternate way to go.