"Never miss a good chance to shut up." ~ Will Rogers
I spend a great deal of time working with middle and high school students. Last week a young lady came to class and talked nonstop. About everything, something, and nothing and she cut into any gap of stillness with more rambling. When I asked her why she feared the silence she had no response. At the suggestion she be quiet and think about it, she piped down, snatched up her IPad and began punching at the keys.
"Be silent and listen: have you recognized your madness and do you admit it? Have you noticed that all your foundations are completely mired in madness? Be glad that you can recognize it, for you will avoid becoming its victim." ~ Carl Jung
I found it fascinating and frightening that at fifteen she was trading one diversion for another as a means of tuning out her own life. The glorification of busy in our culture has come at a steep price. Distraction breeds confusion and evidence of this abounds in Reality TV and websites celebrating the worst in our nature. The rampant decline in our physical and emotional well being correlates with the preference for communicating via social media means in lieu of human interaction.
As a result we have limited what grants us dominion in the earth; our ability to read the subtle cues in tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. We have abandoned what Maslow's hierarchy of needs terms our sense of belongingness and have given up on our most important relationship.
We behave as beings devoid of a Creator.
What truths do we fear will be revealed in our solitary moments? The truth of why we are angry, intolerant, anxious, and controlling. The truth of why we are over taxed and unfulfilled in our careers. The truth of why we are unhappy, insecure, and manipulative in our relationships.
In our constantly mobile fixated state, we react on impulse to situations born of our own disconnect to self. We are failing to examine how intention influences goals and what motivates us to behave the way we do; be it rational or nonsensical. If we take time to be still, we will uncover oneself as the architect of the madness. For some this is a painful reality to digest and so we seek the next thing to divert us from the actuality of our existence.
How can we be freed from the false security of self-imposed prisons built by our own hands? The answers, all of them, lie within if we dare to look.
"When you lose touch with your inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world." ~ Eckhart Tolle
Webster states silence is the absence of any sound or noise; stillness. In this age of distraction on purpose rarely are we alone with our thoughts and occasions for quietude are few. Like most working moms, I am ringmaster of my personal circus complete with children who are bottomless pits of exploding joy a vuvuzela might envy. I wielded power absolute under my over scheduled big top until I was blindsided by the natural circle of life occurrences: illness, dying, and death.
Not creating space for silence exposed the imbalance in my lifestyle that set me up for disaster.
When life came calling, there was not enough of me to draw upon to cope successfully. I became paralyzed by grief and the burden of attempting to carry on business as usual. These manifestations demanded my attention and broke through the illusion of having it all, yet being left of center. Since that time I have learned to create opportunities to see into silence, be still and pursue peace. The next time life strikes, I will be better prepared to absorb the blows.
"To meditate, only you must smile. Smile with your face, smile with your mind, and good energy will come to you and clean away dirty energy."
Sit and smile from the inside was Ketut's advice to Elizabeth Gilbert in her book Eat, Pray, Love.
The beauty in his guidance lies in its simplicity. When we observe our lives in slow motion we begin to catch the stray glitches in the matrix that have the potential to implode into chaos.
I am by no means an emotional person, in fact, I am quite stoic. As a counselor I sit patiently everyday listening to what weighs heavy on the hearts and minds of clients, but I had no stamina for sitting alone with my own thoughts to face the abyss of self. Once I committed to "sitting and smiling" the great hallway of doors appeared and I became less overwhelmed and afraid to face the truths awaiting behind each one and over time I gained clarity.
So sit and smile. Become a student of your inner workings and allow the divine pruning process. Much of it will not be pretty, so take courage. My grandmother used to say, "you will eventually catch up with you." And Ms. Kittie was always right.
In what ways have you lost touch with self?
What has been your chosen vehicle of distraction?
Which truths about yourself and your life are you avoiding?
What daily practice can you introduce into your life to help you find your inner smile?
Available Now!
"Recover Yourself"
Join the journey and experience the joy of unfolding!
FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD
www.newjoyzbooks.weebly.com
