In the prior post titled“on the legitimacy of intellect as a primary human need,” we were encouraged to feed our minds and ask ourselves what stories are we listening to. But of far greater consequence is the fact that our intellectual needs are seldom seen as urgent and therefore not pursued, and for sure, seldom if ever from the “wisdom writings.”
In time our intellectual desires merely slither away like a snake into a forgotten dark abyss replaced by today’s never-ending barrage of written, verbal and masterfully imaged “largely addictive consumptive noisy trash” in stark comparison to the “wisdom writings of the past” and some of the contemplative authors of today. As we each tend to our spiritual garden, its needs and desires, we produce clarity, direction, continuity, integrity, etc. and soon discover our other three primary needs; physical, emotional, and intellectual, will all fall into a desirable and productive perspective.
Today we will reflect briefly on our perceived spiritual needs that I alluded to earlier. I resonate with Kelly’s mention of silence, solitude, and simplicity starting on page 60 in “Rhythms of Life” … and again, since he explains it so well, I’m simply sharing it here and now with you, howbeit in a condensed format similar to Readers Digest Condensed Books. (Please note the verses and comments in parentheses among Kelly’s italicized text in bold are my additions.) Enjoy.
Only here in the area of spirituality do we come to understand most fully our other legitimate needs – physical, emotional, and intellectual – and gain the insight to live a life that enriches, upholds, and protects our well-being in each of these areas.
Our spiritual needs have a tendency to change as the seasons of our lives change. Each of us has a unique spiritual journey. In different stages of the journey, we have different needs. And yet, there are some needs that are unchanging and necessary in all seasons of our lives – silence, solitude, and simplicity.
The noise of the world is preventing us from hearing the gentle voice within that always counsels us to embrace the-best-version-of-ourselves. We will begin to hear this voice again only when we make a habit of withdrawing from the noise in the world and immersing ourselves in silence. Nothing brings priority to our days like a period of silence each morning. (and especially so after reading Scripture such as the One Year Bible!)
Every day we are faced with a myriad of choices and opportunities. We need time away from all the other voices to discern which of these choices and opportunities will enable us to become the-best-version-of-ourselves and which are merely distractions.
It is also in silence and solitude that life’s preeminent challenge is proposed to us. Brother Silence and Sister Solitude unveil the person we are today with all our strengths and weaknesses, but they also remind us of the better person we know we can be.
In the silence, we see at one time the person we are now and the person we are capable of becoming. In seeing these two visions at one time, we are automatically challenged to change and grow and become the-best-version-of-ourselves. It is precisely for this reason that we fill our lives with noise, to distract ourselves from the challenge to change.
Commitment to the purpose of becoming the best-version-of-ourselves is the singular key to living life meaningfully and passionately.
Silence has been a great friend to the extraordinary men and women of every age. Many of life‘s great lessons can be learned only in the classroom of silence, especially those that teach us about our individual talents and how we can use them to fulfill our destiny.
Blaise Pascal, the 17th century French philosopher, scientist, mathematician, and writer, wrote: “All of man’s miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone.“ Learn to be quiet. Learn to be still. These are among most valuable lessons in our journey. (Be still and Know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations…. Psalms 46:10)
We come now to the spiritual need of simplicity. Simplicity is one of the governing principles of the universe, yet with every passing century humanity looks to greater complexity to solve its problems and improve its life. If we learn once again to listen to the gentle voice within, we will hear it counseling us many times a day to simplify our lives. When the voices of the world propose the multiple complexities of modern living, the gentle voice within will whisper: Why complicate your life?
Simplify. Simplify. Simplify your life and you will find the inner peace that the poets and saints of every age have coveted more than any possession. Silence. Solitude. Simplicity. Three great friends! They may be the subtlest of our legitimate needs, but when they are honored our spirits soar to unimaginable heights, and we are left only to wonder how or why we ever followed the promptings of all the jeering voices of this world.
When we tend to our legitimate spiritual needs, everything else seems to fall into perspective. Only then are we able to let go of the past, wait patiently for the future, and live with an intense passion for life in the joy of the here and now. We feel healthy. We feel more fully alive. Our lives fill with vitality, and life becomes an exciting adventure instead of the day-to-day drudgery of counting the minutes away.
The fulfillment of our legitimate spiritual needs leads us to place our essential purpose at the center of our daily lives. When silence, solitude, and simplicity become a part of the fabric of our lives, we are much less inclined to neglect our other legitimate needs. Only with the focus, perspective, and vitality that are born from the spiritual disciplines will we ever learn to transform each moment and experience of our lives into opportunities to become the-best-version-of-ourselves. Spirituality brings clarity, direction, continuity, and integrity to our lives.
The reason most of us neglect our legitimate needs (physical, emotional, intellectual,spiritual) is that we are too busy pursuing our illegitimate wants. We ignore our legitimate needs because we erroneously believe if we get enough of our illegitimate wants, it won’t matter that we are not taking care of our legitimate needs. This is a fallacy of monumental proportions because you can never get enough of what you don’t really need because fulfillment comes only from having what you need.
Notice I included the first paragraph of the next chapter, Beyond Our Wants. Kelly correctly identifies our problem, as needing to move beyond our superficial wants so as to begin to discover our deepest legitimate desires. We will discover our needs and desires are divinely and providentially linked. Imagine that!
Thanks for reading. Blessings as you go forth in your spiritual discovery of SILENCE, SOLITUDE, & SIMPLICITY (You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone O LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalms 4:7-8) >>>> merlin