Synchronicity and Simplicity

I've been feeling uneasy and out-of-sorts the last few days. I've been feeling out-of-step with my immediate surroundings, much more in tune with what I read on many of the blogs I follow.

So when I read Bonnie's post this morning on her blog, Original Art Studio, I knew I just had to post the quote she has on her sidebar here, on my blog, as well. Whenever I'm bombarded by other people trying to impose their materialism on me, I want to have these words to come back to:

To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy, not rich;
to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages,
with open heart;
to study hard;
to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently,
await occasions, hurry never;
in a word,
to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common
--this is my symphony.
~ William Henry Channing, 1810 - 1884

Yesterday, in the midst of hundreds (many of them were my in-laws), I felt very alone. Bonnie's very thought-provoking topic in her post is about loneliness vs. solitude, based on this quote:

Loneliness is the way by which destiny
endeavors to lead man to himself.
~ Hermann Hesse

The synchronicity of my reading this post this morning, when I'm feeling like this, took my breath away. It was just what I needed. To read her post and follow this worthwhile conversation, click here.

(Thanks so much, Bonnie!)