The Strength Found in Quiet
Life is pretty incredible, yet the crazy busyness of our lives can be unbearable. From raising incredible human beings full of potential and juggling all that goes with it, to working and providing a home and sustenance — and much, much more — you do it all! Even when you aren’t doing something physically, you are likely working your list mentally or solving a problem. Yet, think about the moments when you force yourself to be completely still… to do literally nothing. Those moments are rare for most of us, but there is great value in being still and embracing quiet.
Think about it this way: When you hear meteorologists talk about a hurricane, they often reference the hurricane’s center as it applies to its strength. Guess where a hurricane is quietest… its center! The strength and stillness at a hurricane’s center shapes and defines its power, and the same can be said of us.
In stillness and the doing of “nothing” is where you ultimately find your greatest strength.
Now, I’d like to think we don’t create the same sort of havoc a hurricane does, but we all have our moments, especially the three-year-old and teenaged hurricanes we know, and we certainly have a lot of life happening around us!
So, how do you find time to quiet yourself in your already busy life?
First, get 100% straight with yourself that YOU matter, too. If you don’t make time to quiet and strengthen your center, where will the strength you need for your family and other commitments come from?
Second, don’t make this hard! I’m not talking about taking days or even hours away from all that you have going on. You would be shocked at how amazing 5 minutes of doing absolutely nothing in the middle of your day feels. Literally turn off all of your electronic devices, put down any reading materials, shut your door, and do nothing. If you think you can’t find 5 minutes each day to be still, think again. Giving up just one of the many social media check-ins you make on a daily basis should give you all the time you need.
Third, make quiet time as much of a priority as you do eating, sleeping, working, and caring for your family. Remember: we are only talking about 5 minutes a day, and note, sitting on the couch as you sort through mail is not considered quiet time!
We have become so accustomed to the rigor of our lives that, if we are anything less than exhausted at the end of the day, we feel guilty. We work constantly at our jobs and at home, and when we aren’t physically doing something, we are thinking about it. Stillness makes us uncomfortable, like something is missing. Well, that something missing is YOU.
Life is pretty incredible. It is meant to be enjoyed! Start with quieting yourself a short amount of time each day. It will refresh your core, and over time you will rediscover parts of you that you had forgotten even existed. The best part is that when your core is strong (when you take care of you), you will find that the things swirling around you, though sometimes messy, are easier to manage.
“The inner is foundation of the outer
The still is master of the restless”
― Lao Tzu