Skip to main content

Essential Can't be Qualified? No more. No less.



“Most of what we say and do is not essential. If you
can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more
tranquility. Ask yourself at every moment, ‘Is this
necessary?”
– Marcus Aurelius


Essential cannot be qualified, according to Thesaurus.com.  Something cannot be more or less essential.  It just is.  Essential cannot be added to or taken away from.

  It's an adjective and if I remember right...this describes a noun.  
  Prerequisite.  Imperative.  Fundamental.

Essential is also a noun which is a person, place or thing correct?  So what is an essential?  An essence.  An element.  A principle.  Substance.

Essential can't be made more or less.  It is. 

The one thing.  The fundamental.  The essence of life.

The heart of a person.  The core of one's life.  The center of belief.  

The entire world is craving simplicity and seeking a life with less.  

And yet...

implementing simplicity without knowing the essential is just piling on another activity that complicates an already complicated world.  

Adding another discarded layer of activity and stuff to the compost pile of our life will not in itself bring out the essential.  

Digging Deeper...

What is essential in my life?  What is the essence of what I'm about?
Is it the following?

Relationship with God.
Husband.
Children.
Family.
Friends.

What is the essential, fundamental or the core of my relationship with God? Taking away the activity, liturgy, routine and wrapping...what will be left?
My husband?
My children? 
Family and friends?



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Starting a Journey

September 3, 2010 Originally posted How to Begin a Journey 1. Pick a destination or simply start. 2. Plan a detailed itinerary or just take the first step. 3. Pack everything or travel lightly. I am choosing to just begin. To leave behind the baggage, pick up a day pack, and go. Several nights before we moved to Ogallala, I was praying about the transition when I heard that still, small voice of God. In that moment, I knew He heard my Heart's Cry. He hears every whispered plea, every unspoken longing. If I truly sit with that truth, it humbles me. What courage, boldness, passion, and decisiveness I have when I remember: He never leaves or forsakes me. He provides for my every need according to His riches in glory. My hope is to encourage you He hears your Heart's Cry too.
2 comments
Read more

1940 Canned Apple Butter: Family Root Cellar

I loved exploration as a child.  From opening the door and going down the stairs to get something from my Grandma's root cellar or exploring old homesteads while checking cows.  I credit my Mom with teaching us to appreciate those things that represented the people who had gone before us. When I moved with my husband and boys to a house on the family ranch-I began exploring immediately.  This was the house my Aunt and Uncle lived in during my childhood.  My Grandparents had lived there and many other families dating back to 1900 when it was built.   With two little boys in tow, I made my way to the root cellar and found a treasure cove.  Old text books belonging to the original family who had been a teacher, the original medicine cupboard, tools, trash and memorabilia.   I felt like an archeologist sifting through layers of debris representing generations and culture.  And I was.  I hauled truckloads of trash to the dump (some...
4 comments
Read more

Diabetes-Opened to Disease OR Open to Connecting to my Strengths

I've tried living in denial for two years after the big D diagnoses was handed over.  Honestly, I just don't want to talk about it.  Outwardly seemly calm and disconnected from it.  Inwardly terrified. As a plant that is stressed is open to disease, injury and death so to our bodies are.  I opened myself up to this.  Stress, lack of sleep, bad nutrition, overweight and lack of exercise.  For some reason I believed that if I ran fast enough and worked hard enough, I would outrun my family genes.  The tiny room in the back of my brain locked with a key has kept the fear of this disease at bay even though I could hear its screaming when life quieted down. My Aunt died piece by piece to this disease.  First a heart attack and quadruple by-pass.  Then a toe.  Next a foot.  Legs came next along with more heart attacks.  Kidneys shutting down.  She died very young. When I was little, my Aunt Ally gave herself s...
4 comments
Read more