Beauty in the non-fancy.
My eyes love to gaze upon it. As I sit looking out the window, my eyes send messages to my body, the message is, “it’s lovely.”
And I chuckle a little, amazed at its loveliness because it’s nothing fancy.
A small investment from Walmart, Lowes, and some free stuff that was headed to Goodwill: and one item from the Dollar Tree.
What makes this so lovely amidst nothing fancy?
I was attracted to the life of Henry David Thoreau the moment I heard one of his quotes.
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.
To see what life had to teach?!# What does that mean?!#
I didn’t know, but it felt important to know.
I named my first business; Walden Workshops, and I kept a large beautiful coffee table book (Walden Pond) set out as a daily reminder. A daily reminder for my soul, for my essence, for the life within me to take heed to what life on Walden Pond had to teach.
I always had a desire to live the life of Walden Pond (to see what life had to teach).
So that I could learn to Live.
The Great Heaven above granted my desire.
The details are not how I imagined, but then again, I never really sat down to imagine what the experience would actually look like or how I would achieve it.
I took more to the idea that I’d be in Costa Rica – that I’d live in Costa Rica for two years, and live a life of raw simplicity. A life of walking, and riding my bicicleta to one local market. One. Not twenty different groceries to choose from – which overwhelms me.
One. The power of one. One choice of no choice, just, “This is it.”
There’s magic in not choosing!
Oh…the beauty and freedom of one choice! It’s the most lovely experience.
The Great Heaven did not grant me Costa Rica, but instead, a nestling at the bottom of some really big mountains in the Pacific Northwest.
In the mountains, I am not surprised. Mountains speak to me (when I can be undistracted enough to hear and listen).
The space is lovely. Not fancy: but in utmost delight. Nestled under Maple trees, Firs, and Cedars. The people are lovely. The silence is priceless. There is something very very special here.
So I will live out this Modern Day Walden Pond Experiment until…? and we will see what life in the woods has to teach, and to see if I can learn to Live, and to see if I can handle the seasons of my life. *
Note: * lyrics from Landslide
Live More Studio 