It is written in Psalms 46:10, “be still and know I am God”. I admit this scripture was a difficult if not impossible concept for me to grasp. I now think I recognize where the struggle came from. Almost everywhere the message is sent to be better, do more, and make it fast. Very seldom did I allow myself time to relax. Competition is vast. From the subtle everyday nuances like the race to the traffic light, to the more apparent (or not) human “races” we create in our minds. These races may look like popularity contests, who drives the better car or, who has the better home. At some point I believe we all get caught up somehow, I know I did. The key for me is becoming aware, and being conscious of what my life looks like, and the outer effects it may be having on my inner life. I pay close attention to what I am telling myself. In the attempt to be the best I could be, I always looked outside of myself for the comparison. I always wondered if I measured up to standards, that only I imposed on myself. I now recognize there is no real comparison for there is just one of us. There is only me. The better I treat myself the best I can give to you. In one of my favorite poems, Desiderata by Max Ehrmann, written in 1927, he warns “if you compare yourself to others you may become vain and bitter”. sighs. I got so caught up in competition (what others might think) I forgot how to relax and just enjoy my life. I was like the internet “always on”. Often worrying for naught, I struggled and stillness was a foreign concept to me. I equated being still with being lazy. I was taught if I didn’t work hard I would never get ahead, so I believed that to be true for awhile. Working really hard, eventually I burned out. I grew vain and bitter, and extremely tired. I now know the truth. I learned money really doesn’t buy happiness. And self love is the greatest love there is. Practicing stillness regularly through meditation, I listen and trust that still small voice, it never leads me wrong. If you currently dont have a meditation/relaxation practice I suggest you try it. It is truly priceless.
Peace
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