Absurdism is a philosophy stating that the efforts of humanity to find meaning in the universe ultimately fail, and therefore are absurd because no such meaning exists, at least in relation to humanity. The word absurd in this context does not mean logically impossible but rather humanly impossible.

According to Absurdism, humans historically attempt to find meaning in their lives. For some, traditionally, this search follows one of two paths, either concluding that life is meaningless and that what we have is the here and now, or filling the void with a purpose set forth by a higher power, often a belief in God or adherence to a religion. However, even with a spiritual power as the answer to meaning, another question is posed. What is the purpose of God?

Kierkegaard, the 19th century Danish philosopher, believed that there is no human comprehensible purpose of God, making faith in God absurd. He argued that doubt is an element of faith and that it is impossible to gain any objective certainty about the existence of God. The most one could hope for would be the conclusion that it is probable that the doctrines are true, but if a person were to believe such doctrines only to the degree they seemed likely to be true, he or she would not be genuinely religious at all. Faith consists in a subjective relation of absolute commitment.

For some, suicide is a solution when confronted with the futility of living a life devoid of all purpose, as it is only a means to quicken the resolution of one’s ultimate fate. For Albert Camus, in The Myth of Sisyphus, suicide is not a worthwhile solution because if life is veritably absurd, then it is even more absurd to counteract it. Instead, we should engage in living and reconcile the fact that we live in a world without purpose.

The beauty that people encounter in life makes it worth living. People may create meaning in their own lives, which may not be the objective meaning of life but still provides something for which to strive. However, Camus insisted that one must always maintain an ironic distance between this invented meaning and the knowledge of the absurd lest the fictitious meaning take the place of the absurd.

Camus introduced the idea of acceptance without resignation and asked if man can live without incentive, defining a conscious revolt against the avoidance of absurdity of the world. In a world devoid of higher meaning man becomes absolutely free. It is through this freedom that man can act either as a mystic, through incentive to some supernatural force, or an absurd hero through a revolt against such hope. Henceforth, the absurd hero’s refusal to hope becomes his singular ability to live in the present with passion.

Gestalt is a German word for form or shape. It is used in English to refer to a concept of wholeness. It proposes that the operational principle of the brain is holistic with self-organizing tendencies, or that the whole is different than the sum of its parts. The classic Gestalt example is a soap bubble, whose spherical shape is not defined by a rigid template or a mathematical formula, but rather it emerges spontaneously by the parallel action of surface tension acting at all points in the surface simultaneously. The Gestalt effect refers to the form forming capability of our senses, particularly with respect to the visual recognition of figures and whole forms instead of just a collection of simple lines and curves.

Early 20th century theorists saw objects as perceived within an environment according to all of their elements taken together as a global construct. This whole form approach sought to define principles of perception, seemingly innate mental laws which determined the way in which objects were perceived. These laws took several forms, such as the grouping of similar objects together. Although Gestalt has been criticized for being merely descriptive, it has formed the basis of much further research into the perception of patterns and objects, and of research into behavior, thinking, problem solving and psychopathology.

Gestalt psychology is a theory of mind and brain that proposes that the operational principle of the brain is holistic, parallel, and analog, with self-organizing tendencies, or that the whole is different than the sum of its parts. Gestalt therapy focuses more on process (what is happening) than content (what is being discussed). The emphasis is on what is being done, thought and felt at the moment rather than on what was, might be, could be, or should be.

Gestalt therapy is a method of awareness, by which perceiving, feeling, and acting are understood to be separate from interpreting, explaining and judging using old attitudes. This distinction between direct experience and indirect or secondary interpretation is developed in the process of therapy. The client learns to become aware of what they are doing psychologically and how they can change it. By becoming aware of and transforming their process they develop self acceptance and the ability to experience more in the now without so much interference from baggage of the past.

The objective of Gestalt therapy, in addition to helping the client overcome symptoms, is to enable him or her to become more fully and creatively alive and to be free from the blocks and unfinished issues that may diminish optimum satisfaction, fulfillment, and growth.

The approach is not the self of the client being helped or healed by the fixed self of the therapist, but the exploration of the co-creation of self and other in the here and now. There is not the assumption that the client will act in all other circumstances as he or she does in the therapy situation. However, the areas that cause problems will be either the lack of self definition leading to chaotic or psychotic behaviour, or the rigid self definition in some area of functioning that denies spontaneity and makes dealing with particular situations impossible.

Some have described Gestalt’s paradoxical theory of change. The paradox is that the more one attempts to be who one is not, the more one remains the same. Conversely, when people identify with their current experience, the conditions of wholeness and growth support change. Put another way, change comes about as a result of full acceptance of what is, rather than a striving to be different.

Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances. This can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with long term difficulties. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast.

It is often described as a core virtue in religion or spiritual practices. For example, Job is a figure that appears in the Hebrew Bible, Christian Bible and the Koran. His story is considered a profound religious work. At its core, the theme is the coexistence of evil and God and the application of patience is highlighted as the antidote to the earthly struggles caused by that coexistence. The plot of the book is that Job endures difficulties without losing patience or spirtual belief.

In our current consumer culture, patience is not considered a spiritual attribute but is often viewed as something we must assume when we don’t get what we want. We have been taught by proponents of advertising and marketing that anything we want is available to us immediately. This includes not only physical objects such as fashionable clothing and microwave food, but also personal attributes such as health and well being.

We are taught that we are less whole when we do not have these things. This attitude drives our economy and allows for the explosive progress being made by humanity during this current era. We become obsessed by the need to have things and acquire positive personal traits to the point where there is no other goal to existence.

But what really changes this idea is our attitude toward it. When we go within and practice meditation and prayer we are activating patience. All outside influences fall away and we are left with the one simple truth of our existence. The patience we assume when we allow the nature of spirit to flow through us gradually changes us.

This idea plays into the way we attract things into our lives. If we are frustrated and unhappy about things that we want but do not have, our capacity to experience them is debilitated. By projecting an energy of difficulty and expectation, we will sometimes even attract the opposite of what we want.

When we allow patience to influence our lives, we are suspended in the center of all that is. The things we need come into our lives and sometimes they are quite different from what we think we want. It takes practice to assume this stance and it is often difficult to stay on course. But it is worth the time and trouble, and once acquired can be regarded as a treasure discovered in an unexpected place.

When I was at the store the other day, I noticed a little plastic tray on the counter for all the spare pennies that people give and take to make their purchases easier. Most places have a container like that so we don’t have to go digging for exact change or for when we don’t want to carry pennies around. This tray had lots of pennies in it and was well worn from all the years it had sat on the counter. In the front area of the tray were printed the words “Positive Change”, which got me thinking.

It’s about contributing to change, and then having a source for change when we need it. Within ourselves there is an impulse to change things, to make them better than they are. Even though the present moment is perfect as it is, there is constant change happening at all times in the universe. Change is the natural order of things. It is the ever present creative force.

Because of our need to love, we seek to change things for one another. How many times have we made suggestions or urged someone to do a certain thing because we think it is right? This is our love in action, trying to help one another. Of course, the suggestions we make are usually not completely correct. We are simply demonstrating the impulse to change that is inherent within us.

We also seek to change ourselves so that we can help one another more effectively. How often have we made a comment to someone and then realized how wrong we were? When this happens we require assistance from others to comprehend situations and facilitate change and understanding within ourselves. Once again, it is the relentless urge to align ourselves with the never ending change that is all around us.

It is the nature of the universe to change at all times. Just as the sun rises and sets to cause change in all things, we are continuously adapting to everything around us. Once we see and accept the transience of all things and the inevitability of change, we can enjoy the pleasures of the world while they last without fear of loss or anxiety about the future.

Awareness is the greatest agent for change. It is where positive change comes from. When we are still and aware of everything in the present moment, we become receptive to the the true nature of what we are and all that exists, including change. Becoming aware of the changes that occur within is like practice for the enormous changes that are going on outside of ourselves at all times. 

These changes can be overwhelming and it is easy to take on a negative attitude about them. However, some changes may look negative on the surface but we soon realize that space is being shifted in our lives for something new to emerge. It is important to take on the change and open ourselves to exploring the creative energy of the universe rather than shutting ourselves off from it.

Positive change is much more likely to come into our lives if we can enjoy what we are doing already, instead of waiting for some change so that we can start enjoying what we do. It’s like that tray of pennies that is always being added to and taken from. Sometimes there are lots of pennies in it, while at other times it is empty. The change is inevitable, and it is positive change. It says so right on the front.

Yesterday I attended a memorial service for a member of my church community that had made her transition last month. I had taken a class during the past winter that she had helped facilitate, and I was in several of the groups she had helped to lead. I knew her as an accepting, grounded and creative individual with a wonderful sense of humor and lighthearted attitude.

The service was very empowering, and allowed me to understand the many ways she had touched many people’s lives. It was incredible to see how we in the church community supported the family members as we reminisced about things we had done together and experiences we had. Although the focus of the event was the individual that was no longer with us, the service was all about us and the family. 

I always thought I would see her again, and that we would be able to connect in many ways during the coming years. But she lost her life partner of many years during the previous month, and she took her own life after that. She could not stand to be alone. Most of the people at the service understood this and did not question what she did. We all knew the deep pain she was experiencing.

The emptiness we feel when we lose a loved one is insurmountable. Life lacks purpose and meaning following a loss, and we know for certain that there will always be an empty part of our lives that will never return. We can do everything possible to distract, replace and renew but that missing part of ourselves is always there. It never goes away.

I can understand how she felt, and it fills me with compassion to imagine the constant emptiness she must have experienced. I’m sure many people in the community tried to help her through the loss, and it must have been extremely difficult to pull her through the troubled times she had. There is so little we can do to make a difference for another when a loss occurs, but it is also all we can do.

It is so important for us to appreciate the love we have in our lives right now and to relish every moment of it. We must allow our souls to be filled with the goodness of the many hearts around us, and we must keep the fire alive within our selves and all around us. The spirit flowing through us lives forever and is eternally present in all things. The divine intelligence only knows an eternal love and guiding presence. It is here with us now and forever.

I have learned a few nuggets of truth in my existence here on planet earth, in this universe, in this realm of consciousness. Not all of them have been great discoveries. Some of them have been disappointments and failures, but they have been critical to the understanding of this life. However, there is one thing that has always been shown to me. It has always impressed me with the undeniable fact of what it is.

This one thing is acceptance. I really have no choice in what happens or how my life progresses. It goes along with the mantra to accept the things that I can’t change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Indeed, this is an acceptance of self, a deep appreciation of who I am and the will to believe in what I can or can not do.

There are many things that I know I can do, and I let myself influence the universe in certain ways so that conditions will manifest. But when I start to push real hard to make certain things occur, it inevitably leads to disappointment. Like many people, I want things to happen right away, believing that when certain conditions are met everything will be fine.

Strangely enough, as soon as I accomplish these self centered goals, something else comes up. I want to be free again, and think that if I have something else or change things again they will make everything OK again. It’s like filling a vessel with a big hole in the bottom. Constantly trying to make it full as it drains out everything I put into it.

There is no solution for this. It is a constant cycle of wanting and getting. It is the primal instinct of survival, and when I let it take me over I am left with a worn out shell of what I was meant to be. When I center myself in the truth of my existence and recognize the core of being, I become free of the cycle. 

We must have a beginner’s mind, free from possessing anything, a mind that knows everything is in flowing change. Nothing exists but momentarily in its present form and color. One thing flows into another and cannot be grasped.