We are learning what the desert mystics already understood: the systems around us cannot give us the inner freedom we need. We must step back—not necessarily by withdrawing physically, but by refusing to let our minds be controlled by fear, complaint, or distraction. When we sit in stillness, even briefly, we see how quickly our thoughts cling to what is negative. If we don’t confront this habit, we become what we focus on. Solitude is not escape—it’s clarity. It reveals where we are stuck and where we are free. In silence, we stop reacting and start observing. This is the beginning of liberation. We don’t need a desert, only the willingness to meet ourselves honestly. From there, transformation becomes possible.
May we seek the inner freedom that makes
love, wisdom, and true service possible.
(inspired by Richard Rohr, Solitude and Silence)
Cling to negativity?
I thought it was a force, sort of like gravity.