When is the last time you let yourself be still? Really still? — as in mentally, physically and emotionally calm and at ease. It sounds like a luxury and one that we don’t often allow ourselves to have. My brain remains convinced that there is always something that I should be doing, or planning for, or thinking about. Even in moments of silence, my brain is charging ahead and preventing me from embracing stillness.
I have made it a personal goal to allow myself to embrace moments of stillness. I make a point to stop what I’m doing and just take in the world around me for what it is–breathtaking. I realized that I wasn’t giving myself time to appreciate the beauty of a dark night sky filled with stars, or allowing myself to take a moment to watch a sunrise through wispy clouds. Nope, I was not content with pausing.
I was missing so many potential moments of joy and awe because it felt unproductive. However, this was so incredibly false. Since beginning my journey to embrace stillness, I feel more fulfilled by life’s little things. And, I feel less shaken when things don’t go my way because I am able to see the little tidbits of beauty that are hiding in the midst of uncertainty and doubt.
My challenge to all of you is to take a few MOMENTS each day to embrace the stillness present in your own lives. We always have the choice to choose awe and stillness over stress and chaos. In every minute of every day, the opportunity to be at peace exists, it is just waiting for us to pause and breathe it in.
