Do you attach your sense of self-worth to your perpetual productivity? Can you value and appreciate yourself simply for the being you are instead? I mourn for those of us who are overactive, feeling like we must constantly be contributing something and performing or providing some kind of output in order to feel worthwhile. If we cannot simply be still and appreciate ourselves and our surroundings, we miss something pure and vital. Honestly, I struggle to slow down sometimes. Taking it easier and resting more can be difficult for me. Yet, as I give myself more grace, I find it rewarding because I am more productive when I do get back to work. Balancing stillness with activeness makes both better.
In the stillness of the mind I saw myself as I am – unbound.
-Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
There was a science experiment conducted by the University of Virginia about ten years ago. Would you rather receive a brief electric shock or spend fifteen minutes alone in a room? A surprising number of participants chose the momentary electrocution. They would rather endure physical pain instead of solitude. How sad is that? It speaks to how uncomfortable we are with slowing down and spending time in stillness alone. We would rather suffer or be distracted than ease into a natural calm and patience. We have lost control over directing our thoughts. Our peace has left the chat. Invite it back in.
In an age of acceleration, nothing can be more exhilarating than going slow.
-Pico Iyer
In an age of distraction, nothing is so luxurious as paying attention.
In an age of constant movement, nothing is so urgent as sitting still.
In this day and age, we are inundated with ads and marketing almost everywhere. Screens and talking heads vie for our attention in so many directions. Where can we escape it all? Out in nature. Secluded in solitude, the great outdoors can restore our innate stillness. We often drift away and become so unaccustomed to it that it begins to feel alien and unnatural to us. However, as one of my teachers reminded me recently, if we feel disconnected from nature (and God) which does not move, then who moved?
Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking, and listening activates the non-conceptual intelligence within you. Let stillness direct your words and actions.
-Eckhart Tolle
We reach such extreme levels of overactivity that we lose touch with our own selves. We move so far away from normal and natural order that something as simple as sitting alone in a room for fifteen minutes is unfathomable, undesirable, and unmanageable. Do you know how long monks meditate for sometimes? Days. Some retreats involve days to weeks of silence. I know we will not all be monks anytime soon, but we can all still learn plenty from them and can incorporate aspects of their practices into our daily or weekly routines. Therefore, I believe we should all rediscover and enhance our inner stillness.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.