There’s a beautiful scripture from Psalm 119:133: “Order my steps in thy word; and let not any inequity have dominion over me.”
I’m not a particularly religious person—never have been—unless you count a week in childhood when I came back from Christian day camp and set up a whiteboard to teach my parents about God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost.
Still, that verse has always resonated with me. I seek meaning in my choices and often follow my heart, even when it leads down unconventional paths. I studied acting in college despite warnings from my parents. I chose a performance art BFA over a traditional acting degree because it allowed a semester abroad in Madrid rather than London. When my passion for acting faded, I let it go and made space for a growing love of food. Now I find myself wanting something new and mentally stimulating: should I go back to school? What would I study? Could I balance a new interest with my current career? Or do I simply need a change of scenery?
Those answers aren’t clear yet.
The past few months have been among the hardest of my life, and also strangely clarifying. They pushed me toward appreciating simplicity. My anxieties still surface, but sometimes they dissolve into moments of calm. Awareness and presence arrive — sometimes the clouds part and I can relax.
Simplicity
“And let not any inequity have dominion over me.” To me this means: let vanity not rule me. Don’t let the world’s pressures—its desires, expectations, and distractions—steer my life. Instead, let higher wisdom guide me. Live simply in the present, in that quiet, mysterious feeling of being alive.
My joy in simplicity looks like whisking matcha in a small bowl, feeling my cat curl at the foot of the bed, resting my palms at my third eye, and reading a good book.
As I consider my next steps I ask: what do I want to experience? For nearly three decades I’ve been asking “what do I want?” and the answer has often been: to experience life. So the next question becomes, experience what? It’s hard to choose when attention is constantly pulled in different directions and you’ve lost touch with what it feels like to be present.
The answer I keep returning to is simplicity — quiet, clean, inner simplicity.
This Thanksgiving I’m grateful for a roller-coaster year. I traveled to Japan, which was an incredible high, and I also fell into dark places, which were definite lows. Despite the ups and downs, for the first time in four years I’m able to experience life again and let go of inequity as I soak in the joy of simplicity.
Below is a simple sweet potato cauliflower soup recipe from my digital cookbook 5 Ingredient Vegan. It’s easy, comforting, and perfect for keeping things calm in the kitchen.
Simple Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup oil
- large head of cauliflower, chopped
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 shallots, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp dried thyme, minced
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
Toss the chopped cauliflower and cubed sweet potatoes with 3 tablespoons of oil.
-
Spread the vegetables evenly on the baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.
-
Roast for about 30 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.
-
In a large pot over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the minced shallots and cook until translucent.
-
Add the roasted sweet potatoes and cauliflower to the pot along with the vegetable broth, water, and thyme.
-
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
-
Remove from heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender, or carefully blend in batches in an upright blender until smooth.
-
If you used an upright blender, return the soup to the pot and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Did you enjoy this simple sweet potato cauliflower soup? Leave a comment below!