ELIZABETH DENLEY explores the idea of back to basics, and in the process offers some simple ways to support the fundamental rights of everyone on planet Earth.

This January, “back to basics” has been at the forefront of my mind. We generally start each year with resolutions, hoping to change our habits and our circumstances. But this year has not started well, with the ravages of war, many displaced people around the world, families suffering without food, shelter, or safe places to live, and the climate crisis threatening communities on every continent. 

With such uncertainty, the standard approach of self-reflection, followed by choosing personal goals, intention-setting, and creating new habits feels like a luxury; while “back to basics” is about many people needing to have their basic needs met.

For those of us lucky enough to live with safety, adequate food, clean water, shelter, and good health, how can our “basics” include personal aspirations as well as the collective aspirations of global citizenship? Can we use the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals as our global aspirations? Not with much certainty, as eight years later we are no closer to achieving them. Profit is still winning outrageously over eradicating poverty, and conflict over unity. We are far from a united humanity.   

So this year I am taking a different approach. It will still involve self-improvement, because we are here to evolve, and because collective change is predicated upon individual change. But there is something much greater at play—our connectedness and our responsibility for each other. 

Many spiritual teachers have spoken about pain and suffering in this world. Eckhart Tolle describes the pain body of human beings, Babuji explores pain and miseries in his book, Voice Real, and the Buddha sees life itself as suffering because of its ever-changing impermanence. The same pain and suffering that affects individuals also affects families, communities, and whole populations. Can we dismiss it as karma? That would be heartless, and we are not heartless.

Challenges and aspirations

So, this year, my resolutions will address individual and collective challenges, and individual and collective aspirations. It is an attempt to create a realistic wish list for change.

For the sake of argument, let’s just say my 30,000-feet aspirations for 2024 are:

Simple living,
Spiritual evolution,
Harmonious relationships,
Well-being,
Happiness,
Authenticity, and 
Acceptance, 

for everyone, including myself.

With reflection, it becomes clear that each aspiration comes with its own set of realities, and they are not always compatible with the others. For example, spiritual evolution and worldly happiness don’t automatically go together. Spiritual growth has many rewards, but they are not of this world. So, what is more important—spiritual evolution or happiness? It’s important to decide which one is more important. 

Harmony is an important aspiration, but is it realistic to expect all our relationships to be harmonious? Or our important relationships to always be harmonious? Any relationship will go through frequent changes over time, with periods of harmony and periods of disharmony. It is how we navigate those changes that matters. It affects us at the personal level, but it also determines how we navigate global conflicts like the ones between Palestine and Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Yemen. 

Will harmonious relationships always be compatible with spiritual evolution? Not according to my observations. The most spiritually evolved people I know demand a lot from their loved ones, and harmony exists only because those loved ones are willing to make the sacrifices involved. 

Are well-being and happiness compatible with spiritual evolution? Not always. In fact, the life of a spiritual person may require less than adequate health, and personal happiness is at odds with the growth and change demanded of them and the responsibilities they take on. 

Just as it appears that none of these aspirations are compatible with spiritual growth, we come to simple living, which appears to be compatible with all the other aspirations. It enhances everything, always. The same is true of authenticity and acceptance. Yet, authenticity also challenges us to look at everything with insight, clarity, and discernment, which is a tall order requiring love and compassion. It is only possible with acceptance, the last aspiration on the list, which may just be the antidote to most of the problems we face in life. It doesn’t solve them, but it brings us “back to basics,” to a neutral attitude without partiality and prejudice, a starting point from which to move forward. I feel like this is the step we often miss. We try to solve things from our own point of view most of the time.

Acceptance may just be the antidote 
to most of the problems we face in life. 
It doesn’t solve them, but it brings us “back to basics,” 
to a neutral attitude without partiality and prejudice,
a starting point from which to move forward.

A way to contribute

What can we do to be part of the solution to the collective crises we face? For a wise person, the immediate answer is intention – the power of human thought. It is highly underutilized. We can direct our thoughts toward love, unity, and harmony. And this is easily done through simple practices, for example, the 3 Peacefulness Intentions:

1

Among all people in the world
 Let there be compassion
Let there be kindness 
Let there be love
Let there be peace.
 

2

Everything around you is absorbing peace, 
including the sky, the oceans, the trees, 
the people, the wildlife, the buildings—
and everything is radiating peace.

3

Everyone is becoming peaceful, 
nurturing correct thinking, right understanding, 
and integrity of purpose.

Imagine, if everyone around the world practiced one, two, or three of these intentions every day from the depth of their hearts. All wars could end, all resources could be shared, and we could easily achieve the 17 SDGs of the UN. Our mindsets would change, triggering a momentous global shift, because we would care for everyone and everything. Practicing intentions is free of charge, simple to do, only takes a few minutes, and everyone can join in. 

We can direct our
 thoughts toward 
love, unity, and harmony.

So, this is my resolution for 2024. I will continue with self-improvement, caring for my near and dear ones, and volunteering for activities in my local community, but it is also my wish as a global citizen to contribute to collective change, and this is a positive way I can do that.

Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL