“The pond is like the mind. When it is agitated—by fear, anger, or restlessness—it distorts everything it reflects. Just as your reflection was broken by the ripples, so too is your view of the world and yourself distorted when your mind is troubled. But when the mind becomes still, it reflects the true nature of all things.”—Kai T. Murano, author of The Monk and the Butterfly

The necessity of stillness.

In being still, we invite calm, and when we are calm, we are able to gain clarity. Having gained clarity, the doing begins, because action is necessary to engage and progress, but without the stillness to find our clarity, we wouldn’t progress constructively.

Take, for example, a stop sign. A stop sign that offers the opportunity to proceed forward by either taking a right, a left, proceeding straight-ahead, or maybe even choosing one or two additional routes veering diagonally. The stopping, if the path we are about to walk upon is new, gives us a pause to explore, consider, and not rush, but we cannot stay at the stop sign forever, or we impede others’ progress along with our own. The stop is temporary for a reason.

As much as I thoroughly relish time at my cottage home, Le Papillon, pottering in the garden, relaxing in the intentionally decorated snugs, and having my own library of books to return to, along with a kitchen that is tailored to how I cook, to not regularly venture beyond my sanctuary shrinks my life experience. My stillness whilst at home nourishes me, giving me time to clarify what I am curious about and what I want to prioritize, but then I must leave the house to experience, expand my awareness, and deepen my appreciation of both known and unknown worlds. The stillness helps plan my way.

There’s a balance to be struck being doing and being still, something explored a few years ago in this post. And at different times in our lives, on different days of the week, months in the year, and years in our lives, the balance will be different. The necessity of embracing life’s dynamism gives it the oxygen it needs to thrive and invite the fulfillment we desire.

Let’s explore how stillness may show up in our lives and remind ourselves to savor such moments instead of rushing through them or bypassing their invitation altogether. In fact, I encourage you to intentionally include more moments of stillness in your daily life because along with those moments of stillness that alight themselves into our days, when we purposefully incorporate them, we make them all the more enriching to what nourishes us. Either way, when we choose to consciously embrace them, we give ourselves a gift to find clarity, and that clarity gives us confidence to find our way forward in such a way as to cultivate a contentment that is our own.

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1. Finding a comfortable seat, swing, place outside, tucked in the shade, surrounded by Mother Nature, and just listening . . . to the birdsong, to the soft rustle of the leaves of the trees in the breeze. Just witnessing . . . where the sunlight falls, how the bees dance from bloom to bloom, the delicate beauty and diversity in each flower.

2. Lying on our back to gaze at the blue sky or moon’s glow, and taking deep breaths in and out. Closing our eyes from time to time and being reminded of all that is that makes this moment incredibly peaceful.

3. Upon deciding with conviction to begin a project (work or personal), reaching out to those we will work with and being eager to move forward, but . . . between now and receiving word back from them, choosing to be still by not making any decisions and instead relaxing into our day, knowing that we have set into motion a dream and an idea.

4. Opening the cover of a book recently picked up at the library after having reserved it some time ago. Slowly drinking in the pages offering engagement or inspiration. Tickled to finally have the book in hand.

5. Taking a cuppa outside to sit at a table or nestle into a chair, or settle into a snug near a window that gazes out onto an outdoor space, and watching the birds dance upon the branches, seeming to bob up and down on the limbs to either sing their song, savor their own moment of rest or wait their turn at the café.

6. Stopping when a favorite composition or song begins to play. Maybe moving with the rhythm, or sitting down and closing our eyes to let the notes soak into our being.

7. After reading or hearing the words of support, love, or confidence that while not needed, are nourishing more than words themselves can describe, letting ourself sit with them, letting it bring a smile, letting it deepen our appreciation, let it dispel the lingering doubts.

8. When our body is tired, when our mind has raced all day from one responsibility to the next, noticing the necessity to put down the phone, the technology of any kind, gently, yet firmly saying no, not right now, and shutting the door to the world to give ourself time to breathe deeply and center ourself.

9. While en route on a plane or train, letting ourself just sit without utilizing the time to work. Maybe picking up a book to read, maybe journaling as thoughts or ideas or dreams come to us, just letting this time be guided by our energy needs.

10. Taking a walk along the ocean’s shore, leaving the airpods at home, and letting the sounds of the waves ebbing and falling on the sand or rocks become your soundtrack. Breathing in the air, stopping from time to time to gaze out upon the vastness of the water.

11. While walking alongside a river, finding a quiet, tucked-away spot and sitting down. Letting the flow of the water hold us still, carrying our thoughts away and letting us drink in the tranquil atmosphere.

12. Each day, especially on days that race, but also on the days that delight, taking time to sit, to put our feet up and remind ourselves of all that makes our life so very special and amazing just as it is in this moment.

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Stillness paradoxically releases all that is not our burden to bear. Whether exaggerations, responsibilities of others, misunderstandings, or energy misplaced, when we remember to be still, the medicine of calming the waters of our mind has a ripple effect of clearing away what is false, battles not worth engaging in, and so many other unnecessary ways we can encumber our daily life and need not do so.

May you invite regular moments of stillness into your life, and in so doing, see the lightness of your days increase and the appreciation of your life increase as well. Have a wonderful start to the week. Bonne journée.

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~Learn more about TSLL’s Contentment Masterclass: Explore the detailed syllabus, watch the trailer and read student reviews.