June Newsletter
Simplicity
Living simply is not about living in poverty or self-inflicted deprivation. It's about living an examined life where one has determined what is truly important and enough… and then just let go of all the rest.
Duane Elgin
Living simply is not about living in poverty or self-inflicted deprivation. It's about living an examined life where one has determined what is truly important and enough… and then just let go of all the rest.
Duane Elgin
Dear Ones,
Lately, I’ve had the sense of running to get somewhere, but have forgotten where I was going… It feels like the whole world is speeding up and getting more and more complex and fragmented. I’m often exhausted at day’s end, with little energy to just relax and regenerate… Perhaps some of you can relate? I’m realizing that the way I have been living my life is just not sustainable. It’s become clear that I need to slow down and let my spirit catch up with me.
Lately, I’ve had the sense of running to get somewhere, but have forgotten where I was going… It feels like the whole world is speeding up and getting more and more complex and fragmented. I’m often exhausted at day’s end, with little energy to just relax and regenerate… Perhaps some of you can relate? I’m realizing that the way I have been living my life is just not sustainable. It’s become clear that I need to slow down and let my spirit catch up with me.
have been doing a lot of deep meditation and mindfulness practices and living into the question, “What is essential in my life?” I love my work and all the wonderfully creative things I get to do with so many amazing heart centered, brilliant, and beautiful people like you. But, I can’t be of service to anyone or anything if I burn myself out. So, I dropped down out of my head and into my heart and the first thing that I saw was that I needed place and community. It became clear to me that it was time to return to my community in Nevada County California. So Buddha and I will be leaving Canada and the beautiful Kootenays to head home in mid-June to settle in Grass Valley.
And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
The Little Prince
The Little Prince
I really wasn’t sure what the word essential meant, even though I was longing to find out, so I searched for the root meaning and found that it comes from the Latin word essential meaning "being, essence". Essence is defined as the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something that determines its character. I know a lot about doing, but perhaps I might want to explore how I’m being in the moments of my doing? Rather than answering the question, it seems to me that it’s a good question to live into and contemplate. As Rilke said, “to live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."
Most of our thinking, doing, and even creating is non-emergent, in other words, it’s a regurgitation of what we know from the past. Being essence cannot come from the past as we are constantly changing and evolving moment to moment in this river of life… Presencing, the art of merging our awareness with our perception, is emergent, meaning it is alive, current, creative, innovative and in motion, moment to moment. Trying the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Again, on the meditation cushion I heard, STOP! In order to align with my essence, it has become clear I need to let go of most of what that I’m currently doing. So, my friends, I will be taking a couple of months off from peace talks, radio shows, master classes, and pretty much everything other than the current classes and Wednesday CORE group.
He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
It’s time for me to do some wondering and stand rapt in awe at the miraculous world that surrounds us. In doing so I hope to come closer to being essence so that I can better be of service to others and life. I apologize to those of you who have been following my work, some of you for many years, and to those of us who have only recently joined the Well of Light Family. I will be back!
One other commitment I have made this summer is to host the Shift Network Shamanic Wisdom Summit for the eighth consecutive year. This year I will have two amazing co-hosts that will be helping with an expanded 5-day summit. I hope you will join us and we will keep you posted on this amazing and inspiring yearly event.
Thank you for being a part of the Well of Light Community.
With love and blessings,
Michael and the Well of Light Team
With love and blessings,
Michael and the Well of Light Team
The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary
so that the necessary may speak.
Hans Hofman
so that the necessary may speak.
Hans Hofman
