Tapping into the power of stillness, silence, and solitude
I’ve been thinking a lot lately. More than usual and I’m not so certain it’s been good for me.
Do you ever do that--analyze and analyze something so hardcore.
I’m the type of person that wants to wrap my head around things as much as humanly possible.
For instance, a new diet, buying a house, dating in your 30s, new kitchen decor fads- enter research that keeps me up till the wee hours of the morning. All of these things have been at the forefront of my mind lately.
I’ve read, cried, researched, wrote about, and investigated them till I’m nearly blue in the face. Do you have times like this? Times when you're looking for an answer in something, looking for the perfect amount of knowledge, the perfect response, the perfect feeling that makes you feel at ease but it just doesn’t seem to show up?
That’s me lately. This situation that I’ve been in has me thinking. Have I been filling my life with distraction?
The things I need to do are things that bring me peace, relaxation, clarity.
Those are things that I’m putting on the back burner. And that is not where they belong.
I don’t need to understand the exact way the keto diet affects my metabolic system.
I don’t need to know how to craft the perfect text back to a suitor after he has taken 4 days to text me after a date.
I don’t need to figure exactly how I want to remodel the house that I haven’t even bought yet….
No, I need to focus on me. Stop for once and ask what do I want, not how I want it, when I want it, or who I want, but simply what do I want.
I want to write songs again that makes me feel like I’ve given life to something that is bigger than me.
I want to paint something that I can be proud to display on my walls.
I want to spend moments that create memories with my family.
I want to feel physically strong again and not have to worry about the pain I’ve had the past few years from an injury.
I want to pray and cry out to God and hear from Him in new ways that I have not before.
How can I do this?
Stillness
Silence
Solitude
My pastor taught about these 3 things a few months ago and honestly, I was overwhelmed.
Why?
Because I felt like I don't do any of them well.
He and I later spoke about this feeling of being 'overwhelmed' and he advised me to start by practicing just one of these things.
Keep “the longview” in mind he said.
I started with stillness.
At first, it was 5 minutes and slowly it has increased in time. I'm not great at it, but I'm getting better. Consistency is proving difficult, but the Holy Spirit is so kind as to meet me in the difficulty. Without trying, silence has joined me as I sit silent and try to quiet my mind.
What are the ways that you practice stillness, silence, or solitude?
Do you have times in your life when distraction is your MO and you find that you are losing yourself in things that don’t really matter at the end of the day?
How do you learn to listen to yourself?
Have you ever found yourself asking these type questions and having these same type “wants”?
What have you done that you see has made a difference?
I’m interested in hearing about your journey too.
Comments