Another step toward simplicity
“Still another step toward simplicity is to refuse to live beyond our means emotionally. In a culture where whirl is king, we must understand our emotional limits.”
— Richard J. Foster
Even positive emotions can become overwhelming. Solitude, meditation or prayer are powerful allies in our struggle to remain balanced amid the tumult of stirring events that seem to come at us with ever-greater intensity. For some of us, we may need to step away, at least temporarily, from daily habits that play havoc with our emotions, whether those habits involve televised or printed news, demanding people, or crowded, boisterous gatherings. Winter is a time well suited to quiet contemplation. Let’s enjoy the calm of nature in repose, so that we can enter the springtime with renewed strength and energy.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: contemplation, emotional stability, greed, limits, meditation, minimalism, prayer, quiet, silence, Solitude
Defeat Despair 
Wonderful sage advice. Thank you for giving me/us such positive thoughts on which to get our day started.
You’re welcome, Carla! I’m glad you are enjoying these posts.
Good advice as I usually enter spring- fat, depressed and annoyed after a winter of eating too much and doing too little.
I went to Furney’s nursery on Monday to check out the plants. I need to get some more plants with yellow tones as they provide a nice contrast to our depressing and unrelenting grayness. ( I really need to move and am applying for a position in Florida).They had some cool hardy cyclamens which are still in bloom. And the winter Camelias are still setting though pricey. I need to get up to Kubota garden to see the witch-hazels too.
Mike, good luck with your plant-hunting. I totally agree that living in a sunny climate does wonders for the mood. If California wasn’t so expensive (and getting more so all the time) that is where we’d be moving. As one who has to guard against depression, I know that I need to live where there is lots of sunshine. Some of the assignments we would otherwise have loved Jeff to have — such as the Seattle area or England — we avoided in part because we heard that the weather tends to be gloomy.
A factual advice. Good reminder. Thank you.
Thank you! I appreciate the compliment.
How peaceful is this lily! That is for me: “Consider the lilies…”
Love you, Julia
Thank you, Mary Ann – so nice to be in touch here despite being on opposite coasts!
I really relate to your quote today Julia, thanks for the reminder. I’ve had times in my life where I think I might become emotionally bankrupt, thankfully that well is deep if we allow it to replenish.
I agree; in fact, I have personally had a greater struggle with honoring my own emotional limits than I have ever had with more tangible things (money, time, etc.) Thanks for being here!