A Simple Mind

With the encouragement and support of Grateful Living, I have facilitated a monthly Grateful Gathering since their inception in 2019, starting out in person and shifting to Zoom during COVID. We have kept it virtual ever since, allowing people from around the country, and even some international guests, to join. We average 8-12 people each month and we simply have an enjoyable and meaningful time together. Ours is called the Rivertown Grateful Gathering, in honor of the three rivers nearby, including the Mississippi.

The topic for last night’s gathering was “Seeking Simplicity.” Resources provided by Grateful Living often include poems and videos, and also thought-provoking questions. Here are a couple I asked participants to consider ahead of last night’s gathering:

In your own life, how would you describe the relationship between simplicity and contentment?

Is there someone in your life who models simplicity and contentment for you--someone who possesses a kind of clarity and presence that you value?

How would you respond to these two? In my own life, my struggle for simplicity and contentment has often been in my own mind. Overthinking is an art form I mastered at a young age. It often produced ugly art though. Before I could grasp what was spinning around up there, I started to grasp a pen and put it to paper. Those pen scrawls first saved me and now clarify the path I walk. A simple mind is a beautiful thing.

In more recent years, simplicity has included physically decluttering some of the “stuff” I have amassed over the years. There is a liberation in that too. Simplicity is about lightening our loads so we can spend more time in the light. Here’s to the simplicity of pen to paper and whatever helps you enjoy peaceful moments and hours in your day.