Riches of the Soul

What would our world look like if we actually followed the rhythms of the earth? Modern society moved away from the farm in our quest for more. We set up factories that run 24 hours a day. We created businesses that demand people work in offices for 8, 10, 16 hours a day. It's damaging us (look at the obesity rate) and it's damaging the earth.

The thing that really intrigues me is that we human beings are hard-wired to strive for more. If you try to tell us to make do with less, there's an inner rebellion. We feel deprived.

It's not the "more" that's the problem--it's how it is directed. We got away from creating more (the farm) to consuming more. We don't build and create with our own two hands anymore. We have this gaping hole in our psyche that we try to fill up with things. But things don't satisfy—we still feel hungry and all we know to do is to buy more stuff.

So what does satisfy? When I look at the times I felt truly fed, it was moments of inner richness:

• A heartfelt conversation with a friend.
• Creating something beautiful out of a few raw materials.
• A good run (actually, in my case, it's a good skip) or a strenuous hike to the top of a mountain.
  
• Standing in a forest or on a mountain with the earth beneath my feet and the air in my face.
• Stepping out on a starry night, gazing in wonder at a bejeweled sky.
• Holding the hand of a child as she discovers a ladybug.
• A quiet moment when all the inner chatter ceases—a glimpse of that deep peaceful stillness from which all things come.
• The spray of the ocean, the mist of a waterfall.

These are the moments when my heart feels full to bursting, when my spirit comes up dancing. These are the moments that fill my life with richness. This is my true wealth. A new pair of shoes or a new car is great, but no object can fill my life like the riches of the soul. That's what I want more of. That's what I want to create in my life. That's why I'm here.