One of the most enchanting books I have recently read is by David Whyte entitled, Consolations. The subtitle is equally intriguing: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning. Whyte is essentially a poet. And this book focuses on a series of words. Whyte deals with each word in a poetic way, even though it is prose. His writing is fairly dense---as poetry often can be---but the read is worthwhile. To understand him, you need to slow down and savor the word he is dealing with, but also his own descriptive, interpretive words. He often chooses an ordinary word and uncovers some extraordinary meanings.
For example, a word I would like to give attention is the common word, “beginning.” This is a word I have used countless times. Most people would assume they know precisely what the word means. But to read Whyte’s rendition of the word, beginning, is to be led into a much deeper, reflective place to discover the word has a profundity to it most of us never would have guessed.
To give you a taste of his approach, let’s look at the first sentence of “beginning.” “Beginning well or beginning poorly, what is important is simply to begin, but the ability to make a good beginning is also an art form.” That is one sentence, but it is a powerful sentence. Whyte offers a truism: a beginning requires us to begin! He then begins his interpretation. To make a good beginning is an art form. When I ponder, I realize I don’t often think about how to begin. In fact, I usually just begin. Of course, folks who procrastinate have a hard time even beginning! And then they complain.
I conclude from Whyte’s opening sentence that beginning well requires us to be artists. This must be true whether we are beginning to write a paper, beginning a new job or beginning a spiritual journey. We are artists---or need to learn how to be artists. With this, Whyte adds some detail that I find both intriguing and helpful. He says, “Beginning well involves a clearing away of the crass, the irrelevant and the complicated to find the beautiful, often hidden lineaments of the essential and the necessary.”
Whyte’s words are like instructions to artists of beginnings. Clear away the crass, he suggests, is the way to make a good beginning. Street language might tell us to clear away the crap. I realize it is the crass---the crap---that often precipitates beginnings for folks. If this is where we begin, then clear away the stuff! If it is crappy where you begin, then get rid of it or get yourself out of it. There is no future---no good beginning to get stuck here. People’s lives would instantly get better if they could heed this advice.
While you’re at it, Whyte counsels, get rid of the irrelevant. Get relevant sounds like such easy advice, but many of us spend too much time in irrelevancy, we don’t even know what being relevant looks like. We are in prison, but can’t see the bars. His further counsel warns against the complicated. By definition, complications make things more difficult---usually much more difficult. Opt for simplicity. At least begin the process of simplifying. This itself is a wonderful way to begin. Complications compound. They enhance negativity and difficulty. Whyte follows this line of thought with his next couple sentences.
He admits, “Beginning is difficult, and our procrastination is a fine ever-present measure of our reluctance in taking that first close-in, courageous step to reclaiming our happiness.” This was a surprise discovery when the sentence ended with “happiness.” And it is interesting that Whyte says “reclaiming” our happiness. We once had it, but apparently lost our happiness. To reclaim it, we need to begin. I think he contends that the complicated life tends to become irrelevant, but we spend way too much time dealing with this. We become nearly incapacitated to begin again---in a simply, focused way to reclaim happiness.
I know this is what the spiritual journey is supposed to be. It is a simple beginning to live a life that is relevant---relevant to what God desires and what our neighbors in our world need. The spiritual life is inherently a self-transcending life---discovering our happiness comes as we get over ourselves. But we become trapped by our self-interest. Our self-interest becomes more complicated and more demanding. In turn, life can become convoluted. And all this puts us on a treadmill which moves us toward nothing important.
To this end, Whyte observes, “Perhaps, because taking a new step always leads to a kind of radical internal simplification…there occurs in effect, a form of internal corporate downsizing, where the parts of us too afraid to participate or having nothing now to offer, are let go…” I like the image of “corporate downsizing.” It is an internal house cleaning. Spiritual springtime is here. Throw open the windows of the soul and let fresh winds of the Spirit blow.
Spiritually our only choice is to begin---or to wait and waste.
For example, a word I would like to give attention is the common word, “beginning.” This is a word I have used countless times. Most people would assume they know precisely what the word means. But to read Whyte’s rendition of the word, beginning, is to be led into a much deeper, reflective place to discover the word has a profundity to it most of us never would have guessed.
To give you a taste of his approach, let’s look at the first sentence of “beginning.” “Beginning well or beginning poorly, what is important is simply to begin, but the ability to make a good beginning is also an art form.” That is one sentence, but it is a powerful sentence. Whyte offers a truism: a beginning requires us to begin! He then begins his interpretation. To make a good beginning is an art form. When I ponder, I realize I don’t often think about how to begin. In fact, I usually just begin. Of course, folks who procrastinate have a hard time even beginning! And then they complain.
I conclude from Whyte’s opening sentence that beginning well requires us to be artists. This must be true whether we are beginning to write a paper, beginning a new job or beginning a spiritual journey. We are artists---or need to learn how to be artists. With this, Whyte adds some detail that I find both intriguing and helpful. He says, “Beginning well involves a clearing away of the crass, the irrelevant and the complicated to find the beautiful, often hidden lineaments of the essential and the necessary.”
Whyte’s words are like instructions to artists of beginnings. Clear away the crass, he suggests, is the way to make a good beginning. Street language might tell us to clear away the crap. I realize it is the crass---the crap---that often precipitates beginnings for folks. If this is where we begin, then clear away the stuff! If it is crappy where you begin, then get rid of it or get yourself out of it. There is no future---no good beginning to get stuck here. People’s lives would instantly get better if they could heed this advice.
While you’re at it, Whyte counsels, get rid of the irrelevant. Get relevant sounds like such easy advice, but many of us spend too much time in irrelevancy, we don’t even know what being relevant looks like. We are in prison, but can’t see the bars. His further counsel warns against the complicated. By definition, complications make things more difficult---usually much more difficult. Opt for simplicity. At least begin the process of simplifying. This itself is a wonderful way to begin. Complications compound. They enhance negativity and difficulty. Whyte follows this line of thought with his next couple sentences.
He admits, “Beginning is difficult, and our procrastination is a fine ever-present measure of our reluctance in taking that first close-in, courageous step to reclaiming our happiness.” This was a surprise discovery when the sentence ended with “happiness.” And it is interesting that Whyte says “reclaiming” our happiness. We once had it, but apparently lost our happiness. To reclaim it, we need to begin. I think he contends that the complicated life tends to become irrelevant, but we spend way too much time dealing with this. We become nearly incapacitated to begin again---in a simply, focused way to reclaim happiness.
I know this is what the spiritual journey is supposed to be. It is a simple beginning to live a life that is relevant---relevant to what God desires and what our neighbors in our world need. The spiritual life is inherently a self-transcending life---discovering our happiness comes as we get over ourselves. But we become trapped by our self-interest. Our self-interest becomes more complicated and more demanding. In turn, life can become convoluted. And all this puts us on a treadmill which moves us toward nothing important.
To this end, Whyte observes, “Perhaps, because taking a new step always leads to a kind of radical internal simplification…there occurs in effect, a form of internal corporate downsizing, where the parts of us too afraid to participate or having nothing now to offer, are let go…” I like the image of “corporate downsizing.” It is an internal house cleaning. Spiritual springtime is here. Throw open the windows of the soul and let fresh winds of the Spirit blow.
Spiritually our only choice is to begin---or to wait and waste.
Comments
Post a Comment