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The Gift to be Simple
By Cornelia Powell | January 4, 2008
‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free,
’tis the gift to come down where we ought to be;
and when we find ourselves in the place just right,
’twill be in the valley of love and delight.
- 18th century Shaker hymn
To simplify your life has a certain appeal and charm, and in the swirling world of planning a wedding (and holiday seasons), ’tis a real gift indeed. I heard a bride-to-be say, “Life is just too complicated right now to simply enjoy being in love.” Hmmmmm. Why do we tend to make things more complicated even when we say we want to simplify our lives?
Life does have a paradoxical quality, doesn’t it? I often told customers in my former bridal art-to-wear store who were asking for a “simple” wedding gown: “The simplest gown can be the most complicated to make.” Vera Wang, one of the first designers who added exquisite fashion to the wedding gown market, explains: “The simpler the gown, the more precise the workmanship should be.” (There are no extraneous materials to camouflage a lack of precision or quality.)
Therefore, simplicity in the world of artisan dressmaking takes attention to detail and fine craftsmanship. What would it take to have the discipline of being a fine craftsman in the practice of living your life in elegant simplicity? Do you make life complicated by adding too many pieces of “fluff and stuff and trim” when less can indeed be more?
Perhaps creating simplicity is a function of your attention, or more precisely, where you put your attention. While planning your wedding — or organizing a holiday party — focusing on the frenzy, the long to-do lists, and the emotional upsets will have your life be just that: distracted and noisy and complicated. By putting your attention on what lights you up, what brings you pleasure, what makes you giggle, then you just may see a more light-hearted, simpler view of the world. (And you have a wedding or party or family gathering where you are actually fully present!)
This may be more of that paradoxical nature, but I get that simplicity is related to a sense of abundance. When we come to the realization that the world is already full of all we need to be happy, then — from the words of the 18th century Shaker hymn — we can relax into where we ought to be. And when we find ourselves in the place just right — empty of all the fuss, yet full of our own vitality and self-expression — the gift of simple pleasures is revealed to us.
As the old, wise rhyme continues: the gift to be simple is the gift of finding yourself in the valley of love and delight.
Love. Listen. Let go.… with love from Cornelia
Topics: Women's Notes |