Life is simple isn't it? All we need to do is go to our jobs, do our work and life will take care of itself. People will take care of themselves too right? They don't need anyone else to tell them what to do, what to think or how to act? We're 100% self sufficient right? As I contemplate these statements, and how much I wish they were true, they do not match up with the world I live in. And they probably don't match up with the world other people live in either. Why? It's not that we are incapable of looking after ourselves, its that we need support and encouragement to find our way. But how much support? How much encouragement? How much help do we need? This is not an easily answered question, but we can look at how people answer this question.
One answer is Stoicism. In other words, don't say what the problems are because we know, and if we don't know the answer to a question, keep your trap shut and keep working, because there's no need to upset everyone's applecart because you're having a difficult time. Stoicism manifests itself as restraint. AKA keep a stiff upper-lip and carry on. Stoicism doesn't trust emotion, as emotion is not a force that is always under control. Emotions are after all, emotional.
Which leads us to the next variety of answers: Emotionalism. Getting emotional means there will be a solution to the problem, because we will all finally decide to do something about our current issue. We'll be really mad about our problem, totally in love with our idea of the truth and we'll refuse anyone who tries to logically talk us out of our actions. Logic, after all, is almost stoic. And if it means restraining our natural selves, then it must be bad! We are after all, made to be emotional.
And if our emotions run dry, and we refuse to end up in either camp, we may resort to Whateverism. Which means whatever floats your boat, or whatever just don't talk to me about your problem; I don't care. Whateverists believe no one really understands, or could understand, because the whateverist is such a unique individual that no one knows what its like to be in their shoes. They hide behind realism, stating that the world just is and can't be changed. Talking with a whateverist may feel like a dead end, because they don't want to be logical or emotional, they just want to be, and be left alone by those who aren't whateverists. Those naggers are after all, too cynical or too idealistic.
Which means we are all either cynical, idealistic, realistic, stoic, emotional or whateveristic. Which is an often boring way to live. If life is to be in motion, then fixing a mental state would stop motion, would it not?
Last week I walked. I know, shocked faces right? But in walking, as in intentional for an hour or more walking, I discovered something; walking feels really good. Not only that, but walking made my achy muscles feel better. There was something to the constant slow motion that rejuvenated my body. It's like my body need a slow consistent rhythm, instead of just fast followed by do nothing periods, to rebuild and heal. Slow movement. Not just fast movement, made me feel stronger.
I also discovered walking with someone else makes walking a whole lot easier. Which is somewhat counter-cultural to today's gym experience. A typical gym has become all about the self, unless you are partaking in group exercise, or working out with your mates. We individually stick our ear buds in and focus on what we're going to do. The rest of the world ceases to exist or matter. We become self-centered.
In the realm of spiritual disciplines, this is inward focused-ness is called mediation. In other words you can rock out, work out and be meditating at the same time. Why? Because meditation and working out take focus. The classical form of meditation is to quietly disengage from the senses and draw inward. The popular gym trend is the opposite, you overload the senses to feel and focus on what you feel and/or are trying to achieve. Two very different paths, yet they yield a similar result. Self-focus. But how much self-focus and self-centeredness is truly necessary?
As I found in my walking experiences, being self-centered sucks. There's too much space in my own head to get lost in. Too many ideas that don't have answers. Too much cross referencing and analyzing and comparing and contemplating. Even walking quietly and slowly by myself can be a mentally exhausting task! But walking with someone, that's a different game. It requires a shift in focus from the self to the group. How fast do we walk, how far do we go has already been determined, and the talking along the way makes the time pass and the body feel restored (so long as you don't over do it). Not only that but it refreshes the mind. Why? Because we get to share in someone else's thoughts. Suddenly it's not just about what I think, but how we think. And an outsiders perspective can safely challenge our beliefs and help us consider perspectives we hadn't thought of previously. You could do this while running, but its going to be hard to talk if you're moving too fast :)
How should we put this all together? What does it all mean without falling into relativity? It means we need perspectives outside our own. Even when it comes to the near and dear truths we hide in our hearts. Such is the challenge of community. Such is the challenge of believing in God.
Which is a turn off statement right? Belief in God. To some this is an antiquated and outdate belief from the caveman era. Which means its natural, right? Or perhaps too emotional, logical, cynical, ideological and just thinking about it makes you want to say 'whatever'. It hurts to think about. Because the idea of there being or not being a God is complicated. Even though some say its very simple.
But truth be told I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't ask you to walk about it. And don't walk alone. Find someone who knows something about God, and then walk with them about it. Not only will it do wonders for your health, it might just also introduce you to something you'd like to know more about. And whatever your stance is on the issue, you just might make a friend, get some exercise and learn about a perspective you didn't create.
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