The Rhythm of Life
Matthew Kelly

  

As I reflect on the world in which we live, it isn't any wonder that I fell so blindly into the traps I did.

We live in a world obsessed with noise, speed, and activity.  We live in an age plagued by greed, lust, and violence and paralyzed by fear.  The climate of our age is seductive.  The effects are so gradual that we hardly notice them from day to day, but over time they are dramatic, even devastating.

We live in a troubled time, in many ways an age of confusion and crisis.  Not only in a personal sense, but also from a social and cultural perspective.  It is my belief that any adequate solutions to the challenges that face us in the world today must be both accessible and applicable to everyone, everywhere, regardless of age, color, creed, or culture.  Furthermore, the practicality of these solutions must impact and be deeply intertwined with people's day-to-day living.

My experience and reflection lead me to believe that one of our greatest challenges in the modern world is lifestyle.  In today's hectic world, we often push ourselves to the limit--sometimes forgetting that our bodies, hearts, minds, and spirits all need time to refocus and recharge.  Striving for a balanced lifestyle--one that enables us to maintain a natural state--will ensure optimum health and well-being.

We need a new way of living.  We need a new way of life.  Our lifestyles are self-destructive.  We need a way of living that brings out the best in us.  We need a way of life that honors our legitimate needs.  We need a lifestyle that helps us to become the-best-version-of-ourselves.

The rhythm of life is a passport to achieving this balance.

The rhythm of life is a way of life. It is a lifestyle that integrates all of our legitimate needs--physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually.

The rhythm of life is the perfect combination of rest, activity, and pace; it ennobles us to become the unique individuals we were created to be, enables us to excel in all we do, and empowers us with a certain clarity of mind and peace of heart.

The rhythm of life is the antidote for our busy age.

I believe life should be lived passionately and that the day-to-day drudgery that stifles the greatness of the human spirit should be avoided at all costs.  I do not despise simple daily tasks, but I believe their place is in building us up, not in tearing us down.

The challenge life presents to us all is to develop a balance between activity and thought.  But, particularly, to fill our lives with action that springs forth from contemplation and an understanding of our essential purpose.

Look at the world.  Look at yourself.  Look at your lifestyle.  Ponder these things.  Our chaotic world and complex lives are crying out for a little order and simplicity.

Most people stumble through life believing that one day they will find the pace of life and variety of activity that will create the rhythm of life that is conducive to optimum health, happiness, efficiency, and contentment.  They will not.  The rhythm of life must be desired and created.

We make a thousand lifestyle choices every day.  Those decisions either create or destroy the natural rhythm of life.

Life is not a hundred-meter dash; it's a marathon.

There is more to life than increasing the speed.  Faster isn't always better, bigger isn't always better, louder isn't always better.  More isn't always the solution.  Life is not a competition to see who can collect the most expensive toys.  The best things in life are not things--and sometimes less is more.

Find your rhythm. . . and you will flood your life with passion, creativity, and energy.
  

In this expanded version of
The Rhythm of Life he syntheses
Christian theology, cognitive
psychology and storytelling to
unpack the paradox of being happy.
As Kelly explains, "We want to be
happy. We know what makes us
happy. But we don't do those
things--because we are busy trying
to be happy." So here's the gospel
according to Kelly: Find a
life-changing rhythm by choosing
a central purpose and becoming
"the best version of yourself."

  
  


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