Harmony Quote

The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending we lay waste our powers; Little we see in Nature that is ours

– William Wordsworth

Our modern way of life seems to be making us busier and busier about less and less. It is only after we begin to taste the joy of simple living that we realise how much all this frantic activity can stand between us and our fulfilment. The more we divide our interests, our allegiances, our activities, the less time we have for living. 

Loving, loyal personal relationships take time. We cannot get to know someone in a day or establish a lasting relationship during a weekend conference. If we spend eight hours a day at our job and the evening watching television, where is the time for cultivating close friendships? If we simplify our lives, we shall find the time and energy to be together with our family and friends, or to give our time to a worthy cause that needs our contribution. The simple life doesn’t mean bearing with a drab routine; it means giving our time and attention to what is most important.

 

(From ‘Words To Live By’ by Eknath Easwaran, founder of the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, 

copyright 2005; reprinted by permission of Nilgiri Press, P.O. Box 256, Tomales, Ca 94971, www.bmcm.org.)