The greatest strength of them all, do you have it? I am not referring to the ability to put up your max weight or reach your next PR, I am referring to the ability to find stillness in a world of constant stimulation.
Coming off of my first G-Fit retreat since 2011, I have been taking sometime to sit in stillness and soak in what the weekend brought for me and so many. In doing so, am giving myself permission to slow down and do less.
We live in a world of constant activity where we almost feel lazy if we aren’t doing but what if the act of doing is actually what is holding us back?
We talked a lot about balance, over the weekend, and what that means and looks like for everyone. It is quite different for everyone, that is for sure, but one thing that is common among most people is we need to constantly check in with ourselves and be sure we are aware of our current state, where we may be pushing too hard or not pushing enough. Typically the idea of not pushing enough or the need to constantly do get’s overshadowed by the need to do the opposite, do less.
If we are constantly in a state of motion and doing, how can we soak in our experience, learn, grow and observe. If we are constantly on the lookout for the next thing, the next project, next trip, next steps, how are we able to embrace the experiences of our journey?
The experience itself is not what lasts a lifetime but what you do with your experiences, that’s what lasts a lifetime. It is only in stillness that we are able to turn memories into lasting insights.
The world we live in today is teaching us that more is better, doing is productive and mental and physical constant stimulation leads to opportunity. What if the act of doing nothing and sitting in complete stillness is actually the greatest strength we can achieve?
It is interesting how today’s boom in technology has allowed us to connect with people from all over the world, at any given time, however in the process we lose contact with ourselves.
How do we reconnect with ourselves and find stillness in a world that is telling us more is better and doing is the only way to get ahead?
The answer is to turn inward, take a step back and find the strength is pure stillness.
3 things you can do to strengthen your stillness muscle and start to introduce more calm into your every day life.
- Give yourself permission to do less. If that means taking a few days off from working out or simply unplugging from social media, give yourself permission to do less without guilt. (repeat, WITHOUT GUILT)
- Mediation. There is no better way to quiet the mind than through mediation. Meditation cuts the chatter of your mind and allows you to find stillness no matter what is going on around you. If you are new to mediation and deep breathing, it is okay- remember there is no judgement here. Find a quiet comfortable place to sit. The goal here is to bring awareness to the present moment rather than the things you need to do or didn’t do. Bring awareness to your breath and everything in the room, including yourself. Remove ANY judgement on yourself. There is no “right” way to meditate. Little by little, your inner noise will slowly still; allowing you to finally experience the joy of stillness.
- Cultivate Gratitude. Stillness can come from simply being aware of all the things you are grateful for. Recognize and celebrate all the wonderful things in your life that you already have. Whether you verbalize them, think about them or write them down, take some time to think about all the amazing things you have in your life right now. Celebrating and being grateful for all the wonderful blessings in your life (NOW) is a powerful tool to finding inner stillness.
“True Success is when you can sit by yourself without any external distractions. Even when you achieve all goals you have ever desired, you will still face the stillness of your inner being. The more you become friends with that external stillness the more joy starts to flow from your heart into the world.”
