Recently, I listened to a Podcast in which the guest on the show mentioned that every day he strives to live his life as a “Crusade against the Mundane”. The phrase struck a chord with me. I am someone, who has mentioned several times before that I strive to live each day to the fullest. For me, this phrase carried sincere weight and it left me wondering if I could adapt its meaning into my life currently and made me curious as to whether or not I am actually pursuing that goal, or if in fact it is a worthwhile goal. After toying around with the phrase for a few days in my mind, I finally decided to break down the expression and see just what it was behind the message that intrigued me so and why it captivated me.
What does it mean to have a crusade against the mundane? Let’s start at the beginning shall we; a crusade is defined as any campaign for reform or improvement. Stop there. Yes, that is something I can get behind. I am someone who believes that each day, week, and year we should be steadily improving. This doesn’t have to be monumental change mind you, but a steady improvement. Physical gains come and go however each passing moment, if carefully tended to, can be another invaluable life experience lived, lesson learned, or piece of wisdom gleaned. I tend to agree with Sensei Jonny Lawrence in the hit TV series Cobra Kai that, “If you don’t keep moving forward, you will get stuck”. Seeking to improve oneself if done for the right reasons is a great idea. For me, those “right reasons” would come the biblical principles outlined in Philippians 4:8 “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy”. Seeking improvement is a very helpful tool for growth and to me is how we as humans are called to live in this world.
Onto next, the mundane. Ah…if any word was enough to make me cringe. Not necessarily because of what the word means expressly but moreover because of what it implies, to me it sounds like settling. That is living life only concerned with physical existence. The mundane is defined as being “of or concerned with the everyday world as distinguished from more spiritual or ideal things”. On the surface, nothing wrong with that. However, life is so much more than being a slave to the grind of the everyday worries and struggles that life can bring on. If one only lives in the mundane, then they are forgetting to hope, to dream, to seek love, or to follow their passions. I think it is important to satisfy the requirements of the mundane; to go to work, to pay the bills, to follow world events, or even to want nice things but one should also keep an eye on the spiritual. There is so much to this life that we cannot observe or see that has a monumental impact on how we act and feel. Whether or not you believe in God there is no denying that there is a spiritual side to humanity and that mediation, nature, prayer, and Love each have quantitatively beneficial elements to them that enhance our existence beyond the physical.
So, just what is a crusade against the mundane? Like, so many things it will vary with the person. For me, it means to look beyond the typical worries and cares that so often plague humanity such as wealth, notoriety, possessions, or vanity and seeking those things which bring lasting joy such as faith, love, hope, imagination, family, and pursuing things that bring you fulfillment. I think I will continue to push forward trying to live each day to the fullest, the best way that I know how, taking into account that many times I will be obliged to follow up with mundane in order to get to the things that are truly extraordinary. Best of luck to you!
Hunter W. Potts 