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We complicate the simple

Human beings love to complicate the simple.

It is as simple as that.

“We complicate the ability to choose with all sorts of things and we give away the ability to reason with all sorts of things.

Work, sex, alcohol, drugs, relationships, religion.

Lack of sleep, too much sleep.

Simple things.

We don’t eat or drink enough or at the right time.

Dehydration and lack of nutrition are huge influences in our ability to choose.

Lack of sleep is a major contributor to poor decisions.

Drug psychosis is not caused so much by the drug, but the poor nutrition and sleeping habits that accompany substance abuse.

I’ll show you a perfectly sane human being go into deep psychosis after three days of no sleep and little food.

Yes, we complicate the simple and look for solutions beyond the obvious.

The human condition is to go off on tangents searching for answers in the spiritual and the financial, when a couple of good sleeps and a few good meals may well be the simple solution.”

Take me for example, and please do not think I am my own favourite subject.

I’ve just found it easier to use myself as a test case.

For two reasons:

  1. If you use others as an example it can be construed as offensive.
  2. My holistic health has been a two decade project of forgiveness, acceptance, self-awareness and finally, self love.

Ok, back to me…..

Today is the October long weekend in NSW.

We have the Monday off from work.

It is a public holiday and the sun is out.

I’ve woken up with the shits.

There is a knot of anxiety and resentment sitting in the pit of my stomach.

It grinds and oscillates in my gut like a dirty washing machine.

Agitating.

Mixing, but not washing.

After a morning of 12 step recovery and breakfast with my wife, I still feel annoyed and separated by society.

In a moment of profound wisdom, I solemnly state to my wife:

‘I am transitioning through a period of growth again. Life is telling me to analyse and change!’

For a few seconds I feel so wise. The sound of my own ‘wonderfulness’ echos and bounces from table to table in our Bondi coffee shop.

My wife nods at me sympathetically and goes back to her breakfast bowl of poached eggs, hummus, haloumi, greens and pickles.

God’s grace shows itself when I get kind sympathy and not honest empathy from my wife.

It’s like a subtle whack to the back of the head.

And I don’t need franchised religion or drums and mantras to receive grace.

Grace comes to me when I realize I am being a wanker.

When my ego gets in front of my usefulness to another human being.

When  my own self importance convinces me to believe my feelings are fact.

Grace though has a short life span.

I have come to see that grace requires two responses from a human being;

  1. When graces calls, make sure you listen.
  2. After you have listened, take the necessary action. As Graham Long says – ‘move your feet.’

So, my action was to go home, have a long drink of water, take off my shoes, put on my boardshorts and walk down to Bronte Beach.

With my bare feet connecting to the earth and the sand.

And then, jump into the cool ocean and let the waves and salty suds wash me clean of my ego.

And then, a walk up and down the beach with my feet in the ocean.

And finally, a slow, peaceful walk up the hill with the sun on my back and in my heart.

Home to my wife.

And I looked into her eyes, hugged her and said,

‘I love you.’

And all was well again.

Simple.

Need to read more?

Read Chapter Fifteen of One Day, One Life: One Day One Life

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