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Home | Human Flourishing | Mindfulness Archive | Simply Being
BY: T. Franklin Murphy | November 2018 (edited March 1, 2022)
A young woman smiling with orange background. A flourishing life society article on the state of being
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In the driven charge to become something, we lose the joy of simply being.
While life can be beautiful and simple, it’s also difficult and complex. The "feel good" culture misleads, teaching that change is easy. We are told feelings are a choice. They cram happiness down our throats, dismissing sorrow and hard work. Change requires much more than a thought game. Instead of fully engaging in life, they encourage burying emotion and selfishly seeking personal joy.

We naturally seek betterment. Flourishing Life articles focus many topics on qualities of personal growth. Many times, the attention given to flourishing distracts from the simple (and beautiful) state of just being. We desperately chase dreams of becoming something we are not. In this never-ending rat race, we lose something special—the love of life as it is. The precious moment is discarded for some brightly colored future that never arrives. Life always has a few aches and pains. The moment always is littered with a few concerns of uncertain futures.
 
Life is much more than this. We have room to constructively act and comfortably enjoy.
"We desperately chase dreams of becoming something we are not. In this never-ending rat race, we lose something special—the love of life as it is."

Making Room for Discomfort

We must make loving room for discomforts, finding effectively avenues to respond to future threats but also maneuver around their tendency to overwhelm other aspects of our life. We can worry about a drug addicted child, while also enjoying the loving presence of a caring spouse. We can be burdened by unfair conditions at work and still enjoy a cup of coffee while watching the sun rise. We are challenged to keep the messiness of certain areas of our lives within the lines, containing them without allowing them to spoil other areas.
"In letting go of judgment and embracing all aspects of me, the healing that comes with self-acceptance rippled through my life."
~Shelley Lundquist
​​Most challenges deserve some thought, plans to attack the ailments, but not endless fret. We can give doses of thoughtful preparation towards problems but must learn to disengage and nourish our souls.
 
Our constant strain to be happy forces confrontation with unpleasantness. The distracting imperfect elements in our lives signal wrongness. We tinker with solutions, constantly searching for the correcting action to finally rid ourselves of vexing problems.

Erich Fromm in his intriguing book To Have or to Be made these comments:
Fromm is referring to beingness. The entire being enmeshed in the complexity of life is much more than can be described. This state of being makes becoming something else vague and confusing.
We must find non-judgmental acceptance of the accompanying emotions, allowing our bodies to process and learn from the liveliness of engagement in living. By allowing expression, we release concealing conflicts between felt experience and forced smiles. We invite true healing with awareness, kindly stepping back and inviting more objectivity.
 
Somewhere in the fog of disparaging thoughts, convincing ourselves that life is quite right, we must escape into the light of wordless and worriless enjoyment. The joy of simply being, free from the relentless pursuit of becoming. In the calmness of nothingness, our souls heal from the bombardments of complexity and the worries of the unresolvables. Here in the peace of mind, we find our rejuvenating escapes—just for a moment.
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Reference:

Fromm, E. (2013) To Have or To Be. Bloomsbury Revelations.


Psychology Definitions Data Base Link

​Other Flourishing Life Society articles of interest on this topic:

Rumination. A Flourishing Life Society article on Rumination.
Life is Both Good and Bad. Learning to Accept Both. A Flourishing Life Society article.
A Flourishing Life Society article link. Finding Peace
Flourishing Life Society article on Focusing. Link to article
Wise Mind. Blending emotion and logic. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Internal Link. Accepting Life on Its Terms: We stress over the hardships; but life is what is. It always will have troublesome moments. Happiness comes and goes; just as sorrows. Once we accept these inevitable truths, the impact of troubles diminishes.
The breathe brings life to the body, feeding the heart and brain. Mindful attention to this life giving process can change our lives.
Unprocessed Trauma. Psychology Definition. Flourishing Life Society article link
FLS internal Link. My Amazing Discoveries in Wellness. We provide the unconscious mind with conscious work. The mind intertwines philosophies to create a personal narrative that promotes wellness.
A Flourishing Life Society link. Spirituality
Seizing the day is a joyful acceptance and a timeless honoring of the preciousness of life. Seizing the day creates a joyful connection to living.
Somatic Intelligence. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Flourishing Life Society Link. Article. Joy in Wholeness
Seizing the day is a joyful acceptance and a timeless honoring of the preciousness of life. Seizing the day creates a joyful connection to living.
Alexithymia. A Psychology Definition. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Embracing Our Inner Child. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Rest and Heal with Simply Being. A Flourishing Life Society article link
  • Flourishing Life Society
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