By Russ Gerber
If cleanliness is next to godliness, then my future is bright.
It’s always appealed to me to pare down unimportant things and filter out excess information, which quickly adds up to an overloaded life. Streamlining whenever possible comes naturally and feels right.
That is why you can imagine my delight when spotting the book “The Power of Less” by Leo Babauta in a local bookstore. Thumbing through it, I could see how much he values identifying what’s essential, staying focused on things that matter, setting limits on the non-essential stuff that easily clutters schedules, and seeing the positive impact this has on our lives.
Conventional wisdom says that in today’s multi-channel world, such a blueprint for orderliness makes a whole lot of sense. But conventional wisdom goes only so far.
Those who feel driven to redeem themselves from the clutter and noise that often add up to stressful living should consider that they may be responding to something deeper, to their inherent spiritual nature, and rebelling against that which is out of sync with it.
It should come as no surprise that spiritual life and harmony would find expression in being drawn to more calm, peacefulness, stability and orderliness. It’s an impulsion that lifts up human life.
People from all walks of life are responding to this impulse and gravitating to a higher quality of life. I spoke to one the other day at a bakery on Forest Avenue. She mentioned that she was starting to pursue spiritual practices, praying, studying scriptural texts, and wanting to help others, all because she felt the beneficial effect of having a more spiritually centered life.
The flip side of that coin is what happens to people when they drift in the opposite direction and are driven increasingly by a materialistic lifestyle and a self-centered outlook. Paul may have seen what happens to the drifters when he warned the Romans, “Be not conformed to this world.”
Such a mindset forfeits productivity and efficiency and struggles with worry and stress. When we reach a point where we feel more and more unfulfilled and unhappy, we wake up to the need for less of it.
What can be overlooked in this agitated state of mind is that the steps we can take to lift us out of such a mentality are pretty simple and highly effective if we take them consistently. My acquaintance told me she thinks less of material conditions and more of spiritual matters, which keeps her busy life on a fulfilling, progressive track.
People who do this moment-by-moment have discovered how effective such a rule for living is and how following it faithfully changes their view of themselves and the conditions around them. They feel control and order being restored.
As that happens—in the workplace, at home, or running errands—priorities change, as do the decisions that impact daily life. People find that not only can their quality of life be higher and better, but such quality is deserved and quite natural. It feels closer to being who and what we’re meant to be.
That, to me, is why there’s appeal in clearing away distractions, making time for contemplation and prayer, living efficiently, and being productive. It’s actually quite natural to aim one’s life in this direction and live accordingly. People come to see that this is less about coping with their old life and more about reinstating their original one.
Russ and his wife moved back home to Southern California after working in Boston as the media manager for the Christian Science church. With a background in publishing, most of his time is spent writing, reading, volunteering and grandparenting.
