Quiet and Skies
I felt in need of a great pilgrimage, so I sat still for three days.
-Kabir- (15th century Indian mystic poet)
To love, we need to be sensitive to those around us, which is impossible if we are always racing through life engrossed in all the things we need to do before sunset.
-Eknath Easwaran- (20th century Indian-born spiritual teacher)
The call to slow down works to bring us face to face with the invisible, the hidden, the unremarked, the yet-to-be-resolved. Sometimes, what is the appropriate thing to do is not the effective thing to do.
-Bayo Akomolafe- (current human on the planet, born in Nigeria, raised in Germany, teacher, author)
(The quotes are from Word for the Day at A Network for Grateful Living. Sign up and start receiving these daily emails if interested.)
These recent quotes, put all together in one spot, are very striking to me. A little less poetic, but no less meaningful, was a slogan for a lawn service company that I read on the side of a truck as I ran past. It was a play on slow motion with “slow-mow” and “I take my time.” I noticed the man doing the mowing and thought to myself, “Good for you buddy!” Then, I also thought “Good for you Lisa!”
I have made steady progress in the last 2-3 years with the practice of quiet contemplation, mindful awareness, training my mind for healthier, more kind thoughts. Previous attempts to form a mindfulness habit had been partially successful, but ran up against life too often. Life as I was living it—too much to do and not enough time to do it.
I have never sat still for three days, though the idea sounds more appealing than it ever has. Sitting still for 10 minutes, even when I think I don’t have 10 minutes, often seems to create more time and a saner pace after the quiet stillness. If I don’t give the people in my life my two ears and two eyes, how can I truly be aware of what they want me to hear and see? The revelations I have had in these last couple of years, both remarkable and mundane, have altered my perception, perspective, and choices in much healthier, less ego-driven ways.
The quiet is making a difference, even when my attempt at it is a messy one. With more practice, it seems to get less messy, more focused.
Sometimes the Universe knows we need several messages in quick succession before we pay full attention and let those collective messages teach us. When I lean into it, make time for it, respect it; the quiet teaches me humble grace and gratefulness. It teaches me that I am enough and that doing the next right thing is all I need to do.
The skies are one of my other quiet teachers too. I go outside and look up. The sky is never loud. It is always welcoming me to look more closely, feel the connection to the natural world, and therefore to my own heart as well. Blue sky and clouds each have something different to say.
Quiet and skies. Pause for some of each today. Onward!
