Crisis

As you read this text, no matter when it is, there will be a considerable series of crises in progress. It is part of human history to live with crises. The very nature of our existence is characterised by crises that we can call vital. We are born, and this means leaving a protected environment for a reality that is somewhat hostile to the newborn, whose aspects are presented in different levels of complexity and breadth, depending on individual circumstances. The fact is that crises are present throughout human life, even if unnoticed.

Here, I want to address the systemic crisis we are experiencing on the planet. If we want, we can refer to it as a crisis of civilisation. It's challenging to put together the variables we live with in an acceptable way. Environmental degradation, dozens of outbreaks of war, social inequalities, urban violence, generalised disbelief in previously valid benchmarks. And perhaps the greatest crisis of all lies in the relative alienation of most people.

We live in the so-called information age, but the evidence indicates that the incalculable volume of information available and even compulsorily provided does not manifest itself in authentic knowledge and lucidity in individual and collective choices. Although there are warnings, calls for change, invitations to conscious action, clear challenges regarding our survival in the near future, what we see is an immense superficiality, with time and energy wasted irresponsibly on facts and trends of a questionable nature, to say the least, from the point of view of the interest in collective well-being. Although this is a generalisation - and a questionable one at that - most of humanity lives a life of "quiet desperation", to quote Thoreau's painfully lucid expression (*).

So what's left for me to do? I think that, first and foremost, it's up to me to look after my own existence. As uncomfortable as it often makes me, it's beyond my ability to fix anyone. I can certainly generate a positive reference, different from the usual and dominant ones, but this must be based on contentment and lightness, with authenticity and an absence of self-blame or projective guilt. I don't know a human being who appreciates being blamed or labelled as wrong. On the other hand, I see many people in need of genuine appreciation and acceptance beyond judgement. Herein lies perhaps the most painful evidence of the prevailing culture: we must excel by doing what everyone else will do, to an unattainable degree, whatever the cost in terms of sacrificing the unique values we represent in our diversity.

In order to support these healthier choices, we need the support of an appropriate environment. In individual terms, therein lies considerable power. At any time, whatever our circumstances, we can take a first step towards optimising our lifestyle. This is a decisive aspect of opting for a simpler life. From the moment we start to simplify our daily processes, new possibilities emerge that progressively reinforce each other in a virtuous circle of optimising the quality of our lives.

In my experience, the most important thing is to find the right motivation and get started. The vision serves to inspire us, and focusing on the process brings results naturally and lightly. Question your certainties, allow yourself to accept that it is possible to live with more freedom, health and power. And get started. What makes the difference is practice.

(*) Thoreau, Henry David - (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading transcendentalist, he is best known for his book "Walden", a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay "Civil Disobedience" (originally published as "Resistance to Civil Government"), an argument in favor of citizen disobedience against an unjust state.