When I was a child, my mother (born in 1927 and a card-carrying member of the children-should-be-seen-and-not-heard generation of moms) would often yell at my brother and me, “Simmer down!” (For the uninitiated, “Calm down” or “Settle down” are synonyms.)
If you cook (like I pretend to) you know that to “simmer” means to put something on a low heat. And if you simmer something long enough, you reduce it down to its tastiest essence.
With the Holidays upon us, I’ve been thinking about how to “simmer down” my life. Two observations:
- Simmering is a process. It takes time. And it’s counter-intuitive to our go-go culture where faster often = better. Yet, if you turn the heat of life down a notch, what happens? I remember the first time I went on a Silent Retreat. That’s right, I didn’t talk for an entire weekend. I read. I did walking meditations. But mostly, I slept. A lot. I asked my teacher, “What does it mean that I slept so much on retreat?” She responded, “You were probably tired.” She’s right. When we simmer down, we give time for the rest of us to catch up.
- “Simmering” is a cooking technique used to take a large volume of liquid (usually stock or sauce) and reduce it to a more concentrated (and delicious) amount. When was the last time you assessed all the volumes of stuff you have - much of it crap - and reduced it down to just your best stuff? Every spring and fall, I make three piles of clothes: Keep, Mend, and Donate. There is no better feeling than the one I get when I drop that “Donate” box off at St. Vincent’s. I feel so much lighter. Life seems so much simpler. What about you? Isn’t it about time you reduced all the volume in your life down a bit? Simmer it off? Make a reduction?
Here are two more posts to help you “simmer down” - either by keeping things simple, or by slowing down:
Postscript: This post is adapted from one I originally posted on a separate blog, which I’m discontinuing. One life; one blog. Hope you enjoy it.
