Being Still

I’ve been struggling all week thinking about what to write for today’s blog post. Sometimes I have more ideas than I know what to do with, and sometimes nothing comes. Zilch. Nada. My brain feels empty.

When that happens I usually get filled with anxiety. I feel restless and twitchy, like I just have to DO something but I don’t know what it is.

This week I’m trying something different. I’m trying to be ok with not having ideas and having a quiet mind. I’m trying to be still.

As I’ve been thinking about this, about trying to be ok with quiet instead of rushing, an old story has popped into my head. It’s from the Old Testament, and it’s about the prophet Elijah. In the story God tells Elijah to go stand on a mountain and the presence of the Lord will come to him. Elijah goes to the mountain and a powerful wind tears the mountain apart and shatters the rocks, but God isn’t in the wind. Then there is an earthquake, and after that a huge fire, but God isn’t in the earthquake or the fire. Finally, Elijah hears a gentle whisper…and that is the presence of God.

Now, in telling this story I’m sharing what I think is a really good lesson, not promoting any particular belief system.  What I am trying to say is that sometimes I think we are all too busy with the big tasks, the big events, the big worries—the earthquakes and fires and winds.  We forget to listen for the whispers. When we are quiet and listen to what’s inside us—even just for a few minutes—we hear things we need to know. 

Perhaps it’s time to practice being still for a little while each day and listening for the whispers.

Sometimes the wisdom is in the whispers.

And don’t we all need as much wisdom as possible in order to be thriving?