JOIN USMany people rush around, grimly do unnecessary errands, chase extraneous deals, wade into worthless bargains…
Then tiredly announce, “I just don’t get the time to do what I really want to. I’m so stressed out.” They suffer from allergies—they sneeze nonstop, eyes itch, breath wheezes, skin erupts with rash. When you explain that once they stop chasing, they will be free of stress, of ailments, they nod. But they hear only the words, not the wisdom. And they’re off again already…
Slow down by dropping the superfluous. See the mental spaces open up. Feel the tensions drain out. Hear the coffee drip in the percolator. Smell the fragrance of flowers. Taste the sweetness of being alive. As you release all stress, you allow life’s natural flow to move meditatively through your being.
And—believe this as it has been my personal experience—from this clutter-free, utterly relaxed state, you begin to express yourself in a deep, fulfilling way. This is big because our human life is meant for self-expression. If we don’t express ourselves, we become miserably ill. Self-expression is to us what wings are to birds.
In this context, Cliff Young’s story is one that tells itself. In 1983, he handed in his entry -form for the Australian marathon—a six-day run of 500 miles from Sydney to Melbourne. The other runners were international athletes. Young , 61, wore his work-overalls with galoshes over his work-boots.
When his application was rejected, the patient farmer quietly explained that he’d been born and brought up on a 2000-acre farmland. When storms hit their area, he rounded up their thousand-plus sheep singlehandedly. Sometimes he’d run non-stop for two to three days, he said. His application was accepted.
When the race commenced, the younger athletes shot far ahead with Cliff bringing up the rear, shuffling forward in his galoshes. Cliff didn’t know that they could stop each night to rest, so he just shuffled on and on… By the fifth day, he was ahead of the rest and… the first to reach the finishing line. This 61-year-old farmer electrified thousands of youngsters across the country. He participated right into his 70s. When he passed away at 81, the marathon was named after him—the Cliff Young Australian Six Day Race.
Where did Cliff’s determination, perseverance and stamina arise from? He led a simple life. It had the rhythm of routine not the cacophony of chaos. His mind was clear as the day, calm as the night, with no complex desires. Thus, he knew what he really wanted to do. He expressed himself by running…running…running…
My wish for you is: To have a stress-free life. A beautiful life centred in a clear knowing of your special purpose. Remember this every day: In your simplicity is clarity. In your letting go of non-essentials is strength. In your uniqueness is your purpose. When you empty your mind of the superfluous, you will find your purpose, and your unique self-expression will come alive. In expressing, you’ll find you’re stronger, happier, and healthier than you ever were.