Do you know that no matter what is going on outside, there is a small space of calm waiting for you inside? How often have you found yourself not even having time to do more than prepare who does what when and who needs to pick up/drop off/meet and make sure that everyone’s diary synchronises? Have you ever had time to stop?
Over the last 6 years I’ve noticed that I’ve made myself less busy, less stressed, and yes I’ve lost contact with people who I didn’t keep phone regularly, didn’t visit, didn’t arrange nights/days out etc – you can’t keep all the plates turning at once without a knock on effect. Over the years therefore as I’ve trimmed back, while making sure that I have time when I need to make time either for me or for my friend/family, I’ve noticed a much simpler life coming into play.
I’m not gratuitously busy anymore. I’m not booked 6 weeks ahead and I can always find time whenever I want to. Because I have taken the initial stress off, I was able to look at my life properly and see what else needed to change – my attitude, my beliefs, my values, my fears etc. etc.
The knock on effect of this is that when something upsets me I know either before or very early on that it’s happening. Just imagine how useful that could be!
This morning I woke with the words ‘O still small voice of calm’ being sung in my head. I had time to find that place of calm in what had rapidly over the last couple of weeks become a bit of chaos! Sitting up in my bed and just lifting my consciousness up and out of my head by just a few inches, I was able then to recognise that I could easily come back into my body, and search for that place of calm – it lay deep in my heart. It was as if there was one single component of me this morning that just was not moving – the pivot if you like.
Thanks to my sister Kitty, when I explained what happened she came up with the metaphor I was struggling with finding. She said – ‘It’s like a womb’.
A womb is a place, which creates its own life, a new life, from an egg and a sperm. It’s as if it has its own way to form life, separate to what you are doing. There is another place within you, which allows you to create a new life if you will let it. It starts with finding the stillness deep inside your heart. Return to it and pay it attention, slowly and gradually you will notice it growing in size. You will see that the external chaos is no longer part of you, but the growing peace and calm inside is what takes over.
How do you create the place of stillness and calm?
