Living in the Core

In Charles A. Lindbergh's autobiography there is a graphic comparison of what it means to live in the core versus living on the periphery of life. In Lindbergh's words, "The tempo of modern civilization has a centrifugal force that carries us outward from the core of life toward ever-expanding peripheries. We should return frequently to the core, and to basic values ... to natural surroundings, to simplicity and to contemplation. Long ago, I resolved to so arrange my life that I could move back and forth between periphery and core."

Lindbergh even developed the ability to sense immediately where he was living "... on the periphery or in the core. I knew when I felt the sense of 'core,' when the balance of body, mind and sense was reached, when there was no element of pressure, hurry or distraction. I was related to my surroundings yet independent of them in an extraordinary way. The simple was always present; I found it was only through simplicity that I could immerse myself in time until I realized that time offers a release from tempo."

All of us would sign up for a life free from pressure, hurry, and distraction. The great aviator reminds us that the quality of our lives does not depend on how high we can fly or how fast we can go. A happy life happens deep within, in the core, in the quiet center of our lives. When was the last time you sat down at the table, that place of companionship and communion in the middle of you? Someone may be waiting for you to stop by.