“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Although for the past few months I have found myself somewhat consumed with the news of politics and world events, I pride myself on keeping this website free of those types of topics. There are plenty of blogs and people that do a far better job than I ever could. That said, as I found myself listening to the latest and greatest in the news, I was also becoming distracted, (for days at times) angry and at a loss for words. In those moments that seemed to linger longer than what I anticipated, I begin to appreciate my quiet moments more.
Whether I’m commuting for work for a couple of hours, sitting still in my room or at the gym with my headphones on, “tuning out and tuning in” has become an art that has saved me on so many levels. Sometimes the noise gets so loud, the distractions become so overwhelming that my ability to focus gets hindered. Then everything in my world begins to change, and usually not for the better.
So over the years, I have learned the art of finding my quiet place. And in most cases it’s not necessarily quiet at all, however that’s the art of it. Having the knack to to tune out and tune in has literally saved me from having a nervous breakdown. Like many of my readers, I have a history. One that was not always pleasant, balanced or harmonious. I lived a life full of confusion, eagerly pleasing others while sacrificing my own peace of mind. I was a giver to a fault. The fault being my lack of peace, the absence of joy and chasing something that was never to be. In those times, I hurt people, looked out for only myself and cared less about how others felt, for all the all wrong reasons.
The bottom falling from underneath me was what it took to capture my attention, and like so many others, I became lost. Searching for something that simply did not exist, yet I was still on the mission to find “it”. For me that “it” was discovered in my quiet place. A place where I could contemplate on my own thoughts, reason with them and recognize what my motivations were and where my faults were. However I didn’t simply discover my faults in this place, I begin to to see why they existed, who I was and how my life needed to evolve.
At one point in my life, this journey would have ended here, with a mind full of guilt and questions that I could not answer, but thank God, I moved past this once premature destination of mine. It’s easy enough to see our wrong doings and feel guilty, but there is something more to learn in these moments. I dare you to challenge yourself to go past the feelings of guilt and attempt to learn the whys.
First, find your quiet place, actually listen to what your heart is saying. Really listen and dare to become honest with yourself for once. No competition, no winning just because. Just honesty and truth in your quiet place. What you do after can change your life.
Keep Pressing,
Hank G