Life can be noisy, full of distraction, and leave you confused, but with the invite to listen, we can hear the whisper of ‘this is the way you should go.’
I have a lot of noise in my life. Not so much coming through my ears, but more so distractions.
It would be overwhelming if I had a list that recorded EVERYTHING I needed to do or felt I should do. The mental noise would be deafening.
Everything from remembering someone’s birthday, calling a friend, tidying my desk, etc., etc., etc.
Are you like that too?
Too much noise can make you want to stop and do nothing. It’s overwhelming to the heart.
Do you find that too?
Donald Miller has a little motto.
If you confuse, you’ll lose.
Noise is the enemy, and creating a clear message
is the best way to grow your business. Donald Miller
He is talking about a business having a clear message about what they do.
Perhaps we could adapt this quote to something more personal.
If you’re confused, you’ll feel lost.
Noise is an enemy.
Having a clear direction
is the best way to grow.
I’m so Confused
I have found that living in a state of confusion leads to depression and anxiety.
We are not built for mess and misdirection.
Yet confusion is often a feature of change and the emergence of something new.
How do we learn if our old ideas, beliefs, and behaviors are not challenged and reviewed with further information?
A little confusion, then a step forward of clarity. Some more confusion – fusing new learnings – and another step ahead.
Confusion may lead to a dance step backward but then a step forward. It’s okay to be confused for a while, but you don’t want to live there.
Life coach
I recently had dinner with a friend who told me he wanted a life coach to tell him what to do. When to take this particular job, where to live, who to make friends with and who not to etc.
Like all of us, he wanted the unconfused path to life.
He didn’t want the confusion that led to a deeper trust.
The prophet Isaiah says this.
So the Lord must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the Lord is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.
O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,
you will weep no more.
He will be gracious if you ask for help.
He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
Though the Lord gave you adversity for food
and suffering for drink,
he will still be with you to teach you.
You will see your teacher with your own eyes.
Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
whether to the right or to the left.
Then you will destroy all your silver idols
and your precious gold images.
You will throw them out like filthy rags,
saying to them, “Good riddance!” Isaiah 30:18-22
Let’s keep things simple
Before I go to sleep, I have been reading a book I consider a spiritual classic – Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster.
I read a few pages from the musty old paperback until I find a nugget that says, ‘this is for you.’
Here are a few of them.
- Simplicity and solitude walk hand in hand. Solitude refers principally to the inward unity that frees us from the panicked need for acclaim and approval. Through it we are enabled to be genuinely alone, for the fear of obscurity is gone; and we are enabled to be genuinely with others, for they no longer control us. Richard Foster
- Prayer frees us from anxiety because it teaches us trust. And the result is peace. Prayer and simplicity are intertwined. Richard Foster
- Simplicity means a return to the posture of dependence. Like children we live in a spirit of trust. What we have we receive as a gift. Richard Foster
- Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment. Richard Foster
- I recommend to you holy simplicity. Francis de Sales
I want a simple life. One without too much confusion.
I don’t want a puppet master God that pulls certain strings, and I move a certain way.
I want a dance teacher that stands right behind me and whispers, “This is the way you should go.” Then it’s over to me if I step out of the boat.
To hear these words, I need to have noise-eliminating headphones as such.
To have times of quiet, stillness, and an undistracted focus to listen to the whispers before they become the shouts.
I write a ‘Can-do‘ list rather than a To-do, Should-do, or Must-do list.
We keep things simple with less noise and distraction.
Quotes to consider
- Before you get anything else, get organized. It will always save you time and trouble, and unnecessary anger. David Riddell
- Goal setting is the only antidote to simply drifting along. ‘Opportunity’ thinking is the only antidote to ingrained pessimism. D. Riddell
- Keep it simple, and focus on what you have to do right now. Leo Babauta
- When people will not weed their own minds, they are apt to be overrun by nettles.
- Truth is the offspring of silence and meditation. I keep the subject constantly before me and wait ’til the first dawnings open slowly, by little and little, into a full and clear light.
Questions to answer
- How much noise is in your life? What would it take for you to stop and be silent and listen for the whispers of “This is the way you should go”?
- Out of confusion can come something new. Have you had an experience like this?
- How does confusion feature in a person’s depression or anxiety?
Further reading
How to Grow the Practice of Stillness for your Mental Health
Photo by Abigail Keenan on Unsplash
Barry Pearman
