Simplicity
Hello beloved reader,
Happy New Year!!! 🎉🍾🥂🎉 ✨🧚♀️🤸♀️🌼🌷🌈🌺🪷💕
May 2025 be a year of radical acceptance and loving kindness towards both self and others; of enjoyment, reciprocity, and appreciation for the dear ones in your life❤️🙏🕊️
To kick off the new year, I updated the About page here on this Substack. If you care to take a look, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below, if you may have any thoughts, comments, feedback.
There is such simplicity in life, and in my humanity I make it complicated.
Perhaps what I value most is a peaceful state of mind and feeling loving kindness towards the dear ones in my life.
Loving kindness, compassion, equanimity, and mudita—which is sympathetic or altruistic joy, gladness at the good fortune of others. Our Buddhist monk neighbors call these the 4 Brama Viharas, the Divine Abodes, or the Heart Qualities worthy of cultivating.
And laughter.
There is such power and lightness in laughter.
And perhaps when the Brama Viharas flow, so does laughter.
Books on writing that draw on Buddhist wisdom resonate with my heart, and
’s The Way of the Fearless Writer is one of my all time favorites.This morning I listened to Beth’s Winter Writing Sanctuary and it feels like a gift to my soul. I feel deep tranquility in my heart when I listen to the poems she shares. This poem, in particular, spoke to me.
From Breath by Breath by Danna Faulds, in One Soul by Danna Faulds (Peaceable Kingdom)
Life proceeds breath by breath.
Deep, full and easy, shallow or
uneven, breathing is the key to
cultivating peace.Breath by breath, choose to
stay present. It isn’t success
you are seeking, but surrender
to the flow of energy.It’s not control that matters,
but letting go, allowing life
exactly as it is this moment
to touch and change and
breathe through you.
Breathing is the key to cultivating peace. I know this in my mind, but living it requires me to continually remind myself of this eternal truth.
I lit a candle and listened to Beth’s lovely voice guiding me on a meditation about breath. My eyes were open looking at the flame of the candle. I glanced up, and through the wood grid windows of our decades-old log cabin, I saw snow flakes gently falling.
How is it that something I’ve seen so many times before can still feel so magical? Is it simply because I’m there with it, fully immersed in the moment, completely present to the beauty of now?
It isn’t success you are seeking, but surrender to the flow of energy. And when I remember this, again it feels like surrendering into my heart.
It’s not control that matters, but letting go, allowing life exactly as it is this moment to touch and change and breathe through you. Yes! Letting go. Letting go of control.
I think of a sushi chef surrendering to the perfection of that one simple movement of cutting fish. His knife slices through the flesh of a freshly caught tuna. The exact same movement he has made for many years, and yet there is a freshness to his slicing. His complete presence in what he does, brings in an energy of aliveness.
When I am present to play with words sometimes I’m blessed to experience this same phenomenon. It’s Life moving through me. Life powered by the vital energy of the breath.
It’s so simple, and yet I forget every day.
And I remember to bring my awareness back to the breath.
“There is such simplicity in life, and in my humanity I make it complicated.” — I loved and related this line, and the other lines where you mention that you continually slip up or forget along the path. I really appreciate that you continue to acknowledge that you don’t always remember to live with the wisdom you know to be true — because it helps me feel better about the times I do the same. It also motivates me to keep on the path.
Also, the poem you shared was wonderful.
Thank you Camilla :)
Beautiful reminder, Camilla, and so well said. I love that feeling of Life moving through on a current of words, a breeze of ideas. Thank you. I feel ready to write now. ❄️