After you’ve finished reading this sentence, close your eyes and just breathe…
How long did you allow yourself to just “be”? Many people find that even one minute feels like too long to just sit and “do nothing”. It will likely feel uncomfortable and strange. You may tell yourself it’s unproductive.
But as productive as we think we are with our 24-7 tech-connected lifestyles, we may be missing the forest for the trees. Most of us live much of every day on “auto pilot”… morning routine, work, evening routine, sleep, get up and do it again; days become weeks, weeks, months and months, years, until we find ourselves much older, but not feeling much wiser. We’ve “done” everything we are supposed to do, and then some, so why is it we feel less than alive, stagnant, discontent or even stuck? Our lives are busy to overflowing, but somehow lack substance and meaning…
What might your life be like if you allowed time for non-doing, or just being? What intuitive guidance, knowing or feelings might surface to add meaning, depth and passion back into your life? What changes might you become aware of that you want to create in your life that will shake you from “auto-pilot mode” into more conscious living?
Much of the growth that I see happen in the course of the counseling process stems from the commitment clients make to what I light-heartedly call “butt-time”…sitting their butts in a chair for 50 minutes each week, disconnecting from e-mails, texts, voice-mails and life in general for just a brief time in order to introspect and self-reflect. While personal growth is more efficient and profound with the support and objective insights of a professional counselor who can help facilitate our process, we often “know” the answers to our own questions and life dilemmas, we just don’t slow down long enough or self-reflect often enough to uncover those answers.
Sometime today…just sit quietly and breathe…I wonder what answers, what awareness, what life changes lie waiting for you to uncover… Give yourself the gift of stillness today and everyday.
