I hit the ground running this morning. After a half~hour of aerobic
exercise, I dashed through several items on my to~do list, all before the clock
struck eight. Yes, I was a busy gal. And that’s exactly what it felt like inside. Busy.
Pressured. Rushed.
And then my husband and I had differing views about
something that was not at all relevant in the large scheme of life on the
planet. I didn’t behave badly. I did, though, recognize the impulse
to push my way through. The urge to be right. The desire to bulldoze over his
view so that mine would prevail. Egads!!!
I knew, then, that it was time to do that other morning
activity, the one that usually comes first each day but had gotten lost in this
morning’s hubbub. I sat, finally, to meditate. Given that I had been advancing toward maximum velocity, it
took several minutes to quiet down. Gradually, though, I calmed and found
myself reoriented to what truly matters.
A tendency to move fast is one that is encouraged, even
rewarded, in our culture. Getting a lot done in a short period of time
certainly has its advantages. There can, of course, be drawbacks as well. Full steam ahead mode works best when no obstacles plunk
themselves in the roadway. Life being what it is, though, impediments to self~directed
forward motion are pretty much a given.
And then what? Nearly every instance of bad behavior on our part arises from
not meeting such challenges respectfully and creatively. And inner stillness is
much more conducive to a positive response than plow~through mode can ever be.
The writer Kurt Vonnegut, Jr is credited with the now famous
line, “I am a human being, not a human doing.” And yet, many of us live in a frenzy
of doing, particularly at this time of year. Rather ironic, wouldn’t you say?
The Winter Solstice is just three days past. Outside our
windows, the natural world demonstrates again the importance of quietude after periods
of riotous activity. And this is Christmas eve, that sweet night dedicated to
opening our hearts and souls to a sacred, capital L Love. With New Year’s following
close behind, this is a perfect time to come back to center.
Joining with the cottonwood and the aspen, the lilac bush
and the winter~fallow gardens, we can quiet ourselves. As we settle back into
stillness, we will find a bedrock of Love waiting for us there. As 2017 comes to a close, we could also make a vow to love more
fully in the coming year…and for the rest of our lives.
Happy belated Solstice. May your Christmas be sacred. And may
a Love~filled new year come to us all. May we slow down enough to remember that Love is everything.
Always. And may we thus make it so. Amen.
Many blessings to us all!
Leia
