“Misery is complexity. Happiness is simplicity” – Lester Levenson

 

I wanted to touch on an idea that has always intrigued me and the more I open myself up to it and put it into practice in my life, the more evident it becomes in my reality. That idea is simply that as seekers of truth, the more complicated something is, the further it is away from ultimate truth. The more we can simplify things in our lives, the closer we come to what is the genuine Truth or Way.

So simplicity is key, and cutting away all the unnecessary fat so to speak, can clear our connection to the Source that is within us all. It’s a simple formula to abide by in our lives to help keep us grounded and on the right path. When we can do this more and more in our lives, we find ourselves genuinely more happy and content. This has a lot also to do with the fact that things become more and more effortless for us as well.

We can see the idea of complexity being the norm, and almost praised in our society, so in many ways people tend to resist this idea because it is so prevalent and ingrained. It’s almost as if we are taught that the more complex an idea or program(s), system, solution etc., is to get a certain desired result, the more effort has been put into it, and hence people many times feel more of a sense of accomplishment. But usually this is just the ego talking. The truth of the matter is though, is that many things can actually be really simple and easy that seemingly are not.  

It doesn’t always have to be some ten, twenty or thirty step process that takes forever to get where you want to be. But in some cases, entire industries are based on complication, so we are brainwashed into thinking it has to be this way, when it doesn’t. There’s a lot of money to be made in keeping things complicated, so keep that in mind. It also is a good way to control people and keep them dependent upon something outside themselves or keep them submerged in an on going, sometimes unnecessary process that delays direct contact with a simple solution.

In fact, when someone does something or drops something simply, without going through all of the complicated motions so to speak, it almost seems unreal, or impossible to believe. What this really means is that one is taking things to a new, higher level is all. Simplicity is the gateway. A big part of this though, is also one’s belief or quality of consciousness that this is possible.

Since being genuinely happy is our natural state of being from following a simpler more grounded path, it is authentic.  Complexity on the other hand includes (amongst other things) over-analyzing, over-thinking, not trusting yourself or your instincts and doubting your own power.  In the end complexity is a very restricting and limiting way to live and approach things, and just obscures our direct access to happiness, because happiness is not complex.

In the light (or darkness) of what the norm in our society is and what is expected of us, we have to have a solid, unshakeable state of mind and belief in ourselves that we can do things better and differently, or in this case more simply. Give it a shot and see what happens, if worse comes to worse you can always go back to your old complicated ways.

 

For whatever reason it seems that most people tend to limit themselves… and in more ways than one. We tend to limit ourselves when it comes to our relationships, jobs/career, hobbies, food choices, places we go, what we wear, what we say, our belief systems etc., I could go on and on. This topic came to me because I realized that I am at fault of doing this just as much as the next guy and I see it happen all the time amongst people I talk to that I know as well as people I just met.

This is the recipe for a comfortable, but rather boring life. Keeping ourselves limited that is. But we humans tend to err on the side of comfort rather than taking a risk. It’s just seemingly easier that way, although as the old saying goes, ‘no risk, no reward’. It’s true, you will rarely be rewarded handsomely for doing the same routine stuff over and over or repeating the same old pattern(s) in life. And that’s pretty much what this boils down to, we get used to repeating the same patterns in our lives. It’s easy to get used to doing the same things over and over.

The same route to work, the same meals cycled through over and over every week or two, the same clothes we wore just last week, the same word patterns that come out of our mouths on auto-pilot, the same thought patterns that we engage ourselves in. If you have ever heard of Pareto’s Principle or better known as the 80/20 rule, this explains this concept rather well.

It basically states that 80 percent of the output of a given situation is determined by 20 percent of the input. This is a rough estimate, and in reality sometimes it can be more extreme like 85/15 or even 90/10. For example, you could say that some (if not many) people will wear a small portion (20 percent) of their wardrobe 80 percent of the time. Didn’t I just wear this shirt last week? 

So I’d like to take this time out to remind you (and myself) that you always have options. You don’t have to stay in that mediocre relationship just because you are comfortable and used to that person. You don’t have to stay in that same boring job you hate (or semi-hate), you don’t have to have the same routine everyday even if you think it is a healthy one! Ah, there are a lot of you don’t have to’s in life, are there not?

We talk a lot about changing the way we think about things on this blog, especially our beliefs about things or changing our core belief system to help us evolve. This is a big one that many will stick to tooth and nail just because it was what they were taught to believe ever since they were children. We don’t want to rock the boat or move that cornerstone that all of our beliefs are based upon out of comfort and fear of what it would mean.

Plus, a lot of those around us and those people we always looked up to either taught us these things or approved of them. The societal matrix we live in depends on us keeping with the status quo and not questioning the mainstream consensus. This is another biggie when it comes to limiting ourselves and our options in life.

A good way of looking at other options or making some changes for ourselves is to see things as an adventure or better yet an experiment. This way there isn’t too much heavy emotional investment and it’s easier to take some risks mentally. We could always go back to our old ways if we choose.

Try This Experiment in Manifestation

Here’s something you can try, just as a fun experiment:

• Start telling yourself and visualizing something that you would like to see ultimately manifest in your life, whether that be a certain experience or situation you would like to be part of. Manifesting a concrete object you can also do, but I find can be more difficult in the beginning, so start with the latter which is easier at first.

• Choose an experience that really intrigues and entertains you (hopefully positive). Something simple that would be fun and easy to visualize, imagine or daydream about if you want to look at it that way.  It could be as simple as getting a certain reaction from a particular person (or a stranger even), running into someone (friend or acquaintance) somewhere in particular (or a random place even) or having someone say something to you out of the blue. Eventually you can build on this and create more complex situations.

• Of course, the more time and energy you put into it on a daily basis the better, but you should do it daily, twice a day for best results. Let yourself relax and use your imagination.  In the end, your mind does not know the difference between something real or imagined that you tell it as long as you put strong emotion and visualization behind it and so it goes to work creating it. Give it a shot and see what happens. Be patient, it may take a while so at least give it 30 days.

I’ve actually manifested some interesting things/experiences in my life doing this. The strangest part about this process is that if and when it does happen, it will when you least expect it and secondly, it’s rarely exactly as you thought it would be. There are usually at least some small, if not sometimes large differences/details from what you visualized although the general idea, experience or concept that you chose to create happens.

The more you do it, the better you get at it because your confidence builds and so does your belief in your ability to do it. The more you master this process the more accurate your experience will be compared to your created visualization/story. Have fun with it and don’t take yourself too seriously.  It’s good to exercise our options more often than not. Experimenting with our creative self is one way to do this and explore reality on a deeper level.

It’s too easy to do the same thing over and over and build repetitious patterns in our lives as I mentioned before. Patterns can be a good thing in some cases but they can also become a trap, and a limiting one at that. Remember, we are also creative (human) beings, so we have free will and free choice to break our self-imposed, limiting molds and models and give ourselves endless options.

“After all, true patience is the Master’s final lesson”  – Kung Fu, The Legend Continues

 

Sometimes it seems like nothing is happening in our life. By nothing, I mean the things we’d like to see happen in our life whether that be goals we’ve set for ourselves or just things we want to have. What we usually do when this happens, is start to get restless and impatient. When we get this way, we start to do things that go against our personal values and principles.

What’s funny about this, (if you could call it that) is that when this usually happens, you were in many cases so close to having what you thought you wanted and you didn’t even know it. Go figure. A lot of times the universe tests us. You could even say the universe is always testing us. Are we ready for the next step in our personal evolution? Are we really ready for the next level in life we often dream about, whatever that may be for each of us?

This ironically, is the time when we need to stick to our guns the most. A good analogy that comes to mind is when you are working out, and you have that one extra rep, or few seconds left to hold in a particular pose or stance that will take you further than you ever pushed yourself before. At that moment you have a choice to make… you can either quit and say you’ll get it next time or you can stick it out.

This is when the most progress is made, in that moment when you either compromise and give in or make that choice that is the right one, albeit the seemingly more difficult one at the time. It’s like we have to keep having to remind ourselves that we are on the right path because it’s so easy to take that same old road back that always gets us nowhere. 

‘Evidence’ is one thing that can really help to propel us forward toward seeing our desires come to fruition. Unfortunately though, when we don’t see it we fall back into old bad habits and negative patterns. Know and understand this, you are always creating in the moment you either think about something, write about it or take action on it. We are creative beings and we are always creating our reality.

So as long as we can recognize and accept this fact, we can feel confident that we are moving forward in a positive way, although we may not see the evidence or concrete reality formed of what we would like to see right in front of us yet. Looking at things this way, we know we are not just fooling ourselves.

Back to nothing happening. Nothing can be a great thing actually, and only in the space of nothing can something be created. Nothing is neither positive or negative, but the primordial space where everything springs from. Like the Chinese philosophical concept of Wuji, from which the universe and the positive/negative duality or Taiji ( Supreme Ultimate ) sprang, Wuji  literally means: limitless; infinite; nothingness.

If we can be patient and embrace nothing, and by patient I mean total acceptance of nothing happening with no expectations beyond it. Total acceptance of it to the point where we can truly let go of wanting ‘that thing’ and really be okay with having nothing happen for the forseeable future.

When we can enter this space in our minds and embrace it, endless possibilities open up. In this space we can relax and let go; in this space creative potential starts to flow. In this space of nothingness the universe starts handing us limitless options and opportunities. Ironically, we end up getting much more than we originally wanted and it happens effortlessly.

 

“When one door is closed, don’t you know, another is open” – Bob Marley

 

I thought I would touch upon an idea that I feel has helped me evolve and grow more than anything else lately. This is the idea or concept that anything can be an opportunity. An opportunity for what you may ask? Simple, an opportunity to grow as a person faster than you could otherwise. Life is constantly throwing us into different situations and ‘curve balls’ at us so to speak whether they be positive or negative or nuetral. It’s how we react in the moment that matters most which will determine what we make of it.

We’ve talked a lot on this blog about how important it is to be in the moment, and for good reason! It sometimes sounds cliche even, but being present is really a huge key to recognizing things for what they really are when they are happening. Many times things don’t always go as planned and we find ourselves wishing we were elsewhere but where we are for example.  It can be really hard to not just react on auto-pilot, especially in a negative situation.

I find that re-framing what you would normally call a ‘problem’ or ‘challenge’ instead of as an opportunity can help you really take in the reigns of a particular situation you find yourself in and control your emotional state. Controlling your emotions can be easier said than done but is truly the holy grail when it comes to being able to stay calm in the eye of the storm. Allow emotions to wash through you, but don’t get caught up in any one in particular. Seeing the opportunity can help us do just that. 

But it’s not just about flipping negative situations and scenarios on their head into opportunities to grow and learn from. Everything can be an opportunity for growth. Sometimes we are just used to acting a certain way all the time out of habit or not taking action at all when we can. Sometimes opportunity can be staring us right in the face and we don’t even notice it or we do but don’t do anything out of fear. If looked at simply as an opportunity to grow and not as something to necessarily get or gain we just might go for it. In this way, failure or rejection don’t hold the meaning they normally do and are no longer relevant.

You end up doing things and acting for the sake of pure experience. There is nothing to get, nothing to gain but you always grow.  Also if you are acting with the intention to give instead, you can take this idea to the next level and you can’t go wrong because you are helping people for the sake of helping people. Truly a win win as they say.

Sometimes we tend to dwell on the past and over-analyze things, situations, relationships etc. I know I have a tendency to do this more often than I’d like to admit. Taken as an opportunity to grow and learn from, it’s never time wasted as some people are led to believe. I can see why the universe put me in that place, scenario or why I met someone for example.

As the Dalai Lama has said, ‘remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.’  Not everything is what it always seems, and in this case we have the power to change any situation we find ourselves in to be one of self-empowerment and growth. It’s just boils down to our perception of it.