Thursday, October 22
Reflection: Recently, I shared a piece with you about the importance of relaxation. While today’s newsletter touches on a similar terrain, stillness is different. Relaxation is about unwinding, but stillness is about discovering what remains when all of our doing comes to a stop. It isn't just taking a break; it’s about connecting with self.
When was the last time you allowed yourself to sit in total, uninterrupted stillness? I mean not just resting between tasks, but simply existing without a screen, an agenda, or even music in the background. Stepping out of the stream of the daily grind can feel like a radical act. We are so conditioned to move, to fix, and to control, that doing nothing feels almost dangerous. Yet choosing stillness amid the inertia of modern life is not avoidance; it’s discipline. It’s uncomfortable at first, but it’s where our deeper life resides.
Admittedly, when I decide to carve out time to be still that’s when the resistance hits. I come up with reasons not to like, "I should probably clean the kitchen" or "I need to tackle a work task." I also don’t necessarily want to deal with emotions that might surface. This is where the discipline comes in. Regardless of what you’re saying to dissuade yourself, choose to be still no matter what.
If we can be still, even if just for 5 minutes, that’s when our entire day can change for the better. When we lower the volume of the world, we finally make space for inner wisdom to rise. Solutions come, new perspectives arrive, and creativity starts to percolate. I believe this is because we are in our rest and digest state (as opposed to fight or flight) and our mind is able to let loose and not be on guard for that proverbial tiger.
Free from distraction, we are brought face-to-face with ourselves. Whatever has been buried beneath the busyness may surface, not to overwhelm us, but to be seen. So if we can push through the resistance we can in fact, also begin to heal.
So let the world spin without your intervention for a moment. You are important, but sometimes we overestimate how indispensable we are and end up compromising our own peace. Please hear me when I say this: there’s nothing more important than your peace. - Caroline Bloss
Subscriber Spotlight:
Self Care Tip: Before rushing inside after your commute or stepping into your house after running errands, leave your phone on silent, sit in the parked car, and do absolutely nothing for 5 minutes. Use the space between where you were and where you’re going next to simply arrive in yourself.
