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Today's
Quotation:
When one begins to practice simplicity, the ego
is deprived
of the very
strategy by which it sustains
itself. Nothing
will deflate the ego more
effectively than to be recognized
for what it is. It lives by pretension. It dies when the mask
is torn away and the stark
reality is exposed to
the gaze of
others.
Simplicity also avails in braking the tyranny of
things. Ostentation,
artificiality, ornamentation, pretentious
style,
luxury— all
require things.
One requires few things
to be one’s self, one’s
age, and
one’s moral, intellectual,
or spiritual stature.
What one is does
not
depend upon what one has.
Albert E. Day
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Today's
Meditation:
I
definitely long for much more simplicity in my life than I
have. Modern life makes certain demands upon us, and
some of those demands include transportation, for example (I
work 25 miles away from my home), homes, furnishings for our
homes, entertainment, and on and on. Personally, I
would love to live without a car, but my circumstances don't
permit that-- at least, not for now.
But
even with such circumstances, I don't have to let the things
I have rule me. I don't have to go out and buy a car
that's more expensive just so that other people might see me
differently. If I allow my ego to control my
decision-making when it comes to getting a car, then I'll
probably end up with many more problems than I would if I
bought a car based on my needs and finding a practical way
to fulfill those needs.
Being
simple helps me to be myself-- truly and authentically.
Being simple allows me to be sure that what I buy and what I
have are functional in nature, rather than pretentious or
showy. Leading a simple life keeps my wants simple,
and really can help me to find balance financially,
spiritually, and emotionally. When what I am has
absolutely nothing to do with what I have, my mind and
spirit are free from the oppression of my ego, who wants to
stay in charge no matter what. My simplicity holds it
in place.
Simplicity
isn't necessarily living a Spartan lifestyle of depriving
oneself of everything nice or comfortable. After all,
we help other people by buying their goods, and we help our
economies by sharing the money we've earned through our
purchases. But when simplicity is our guide rather
than our egos, the decisions that we make about what we want
to have will be much more sound, and much more fulfilling to
us as human beings.
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