Silence

I’ve been gripped by a lot of ‘doing’ lately –executing, planning, checking boxes, getting it done. It will all only amount to anything if I get some clear intention or focused aim. If that isn’t known, then, when I stop running, I may find myself at the wrong destination – sweaty and lost.

With all my knowledge about how this works, you’d think I could do this well. Turns out – not always. I notice that when the speed gets turned up, sometimes I lose my footing. And I shift into a frazzled and random ‘doing’ mode – hands and feet moving wildly, keeping myself above water – very reactive. And the very thing that will help me get a better sense of direction – slowing down – seems the most elusive. Well, actually, it’s more than elusive – it is not even on my mind. It’s like I forget completely all I’ve learned.

What I need most in these moments is a very light tap on the shoulder (maybe a message in my inbox, like this one) helping me remember that I need to slow down and reconnect with quiet. Becoming still – even briefly – yields a HUGE return. I can drop into my center, reconnect with my core. And allow another side of myself – my soulful bigger-picture self – to come into focus.

When I allow those two sides to play together – the purposeful spark and the action-oriented hands and feet – much more is possible.

Give it a try: set a timer for 1 minute (go on, you can actually spare a minute, I promise). Stand still. Sit still. Breathe – like a normal person – simply breathe. And after the timer goes off, listen for what is now a little clearer or easier. Curious if you notice anything different.

If you are like me, when you next get frenetic, you might not remember to get quiet. And maybe you will. For me, I’m going to help myself remember by scattering copies of the post-it above around my life. Next up – making it into a t-shirt. Stay tuned….