“When the heart truly understands, it lets go of everything.” ~ Ajahn Chah
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| Photo credit: Harry B. Weber (my late father) |
What did you let go of this year? Whom did you let go?o
"Anicca. Anicca. Anicca. Everything that arises passes away sooner or later. It’s a fact of life. You know it, I know it. And yet we so often want to deny the fact. Pretend like things can stay the same, relationships can stay the same, people don’t change, there is some semblance of sameness, of control. The sooner we can accept the reality of constant change, the better. Breathe it in. The present moment only lasts a moment. Change is the only constant. The only “stability” to be found is in change itself."
Although I have been attempting to live simply these past few years, a series of events this year has caused me to revisit this concept. After losing my job 2 years ago I accepted a position making 30% less than I had been used to. And then this year, I was faced with yet another cut in pay and reduction in work hours. In a panic I started applying for jobs to either supplement my income or replace it all together. But what I found was that there are things more important than dollars. Sitting down with my boyfriend, we figured that not only could we afford my cut in pay (another 30%) but that it worked in our favor. We now had the same days off and could take mini-vacations without having to ask for time off.
By letting go of the idea that I needed to contribute x amount of money to the household I learned that we could make some adjustments, let go of expectations of what our household 'needs' and gain a better appreciation of our time together. We eat simple, creative meals. We make every outing a special occasion in it's own way. We go camp more (instead of taking an expensive cruise) and spend time with our closest friends rather than holding the huge parties we had in the past. And best of all, we are both looking forward to letting go of more of our possessions. By letting go we have become more liberated.
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| Self-portrait hiking in Cisco Grove. |
You are living a gifted life, Lynn. Truly. I am becoming the same way, especially with material possessions. I've given more things to charity this year than in the last 10 years combined and find that it not only helps other people, but it liberates me as well. Having 'things' doesn't interest me anymore. I want experiences instead. Things just weigh my life down and the less things I have, the lighter I feel.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's our age; maybe it's our shared, similar experiences, or maybe we're just paying attention. Regardless, I'm glad that you and I are waking up to what's really important in life.
Wow. That quote. Wow. Thank you for sharing.
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