Finding Stillness
“It is in this stillness that we can be present and finally see truth. It is in this stillness that we can hear the voice inside us.”
- Ryan Holiday
I remember riding my bike to East Park in my hometown. As I flew down the shaded park roads, I noticed people sitting on the park benches. I would silently wonder why. Why were they sitting quietly when there was so much life to live? Why weren’t they looking for next game? Why weren’t they exploring the old locomotive at the park entrance? Why weren’t they doing something with their life?
Then I got older. Life became more hectic. I was no longer hunting for things to do; I was now building my own world. There were very few opportunities to take a breath. From the time I woke up to the time I went to bed there was not a spare second. I actually needed more time on the clock. The 86,400 seconds sped away, just as I had done on my bike as a youth.
The older I got I understood why those people sitting on the benches looked so peaceful. I began to understand how valuable the off moments were. Instead of just taking time off I began to study on how to maximize those moments. I looked back at notes from the best educator I had in my life, Dr. George Morgan, who taught us about the power of being “still”.
Dr. Morgan was an anthropology professor at Chadron State College. A great deal of his time was spent among the Sioux Indian people of South Dakota and Nebraska. During his research he found the value of finding balance in one’s life. He spoke about finding “still”.
Dr. Morgan told us one class, “When one becomes “still” you are able to feel the forces that are pulling at you. When you become “still” you get to step back and take a deep look at why they are pulling at you. When you are able to do this, you then come to understand which of these forces are necessary and which ones are superficial.”
He continued, “When you get “still” you begin to understand yourself better. You begin to understand why you react the way you do. You begin to see your errors from a different perspective. You begin to see the things that are selfish and self-serving. You come to understand that there is a better way. The right path.”
He finished by saying, “The right path becomes clearer. The one without all the rocks. The one without the dead ends. The one without the tears. The one that allows you to find your balance.”
Perspective Counts
As a college student, this was hard for me to understand. But now, as I look back, I see that when we’re younger we’re not open enough to be still. We’re too busy trying to bust through all the walls that are in front of us. We get into a habit of just lowering our head and blowing up things we don’t understand. We ignore people who are there for good. We allow people into life that aren’t going to push us forward, because it is seems more “fun” to follow the other path.
But when we become still the truth comes to us. We begin to understand who needs to be on our journey and who are just useless baggage, that constantly are dragging us down.
Riddle of Steel
As I was learning to become still, I remember watching Conan the Barbarian (Arnold Schwarzenegger) for what could have been the hundredth time. When Conan’s father is talking about the “Riddle of Steel” he says, “you can’t trust men or women or beasts, but this you can trust”.
I always thought he was talking about the sword, which as you may or may not remember is broken in the end fight scene of the movie. I thought he was talking about strength and being aggressive and taking what you want. I was thinking as a young person who hadn’t found my “balance”.
As I got closer to “still” it finally came to me, the “Riddle of Steel” is not the sword, but the PROCESS. The process of heating and cooling and the pounding and shaping that you go through during your life. Weathering the adversity that is part of all of our lives. That is the answer. The process of developing your life which is a combination of effort, determination, resilience, consistency and perseverance is the key to living your optimal life.
Stillness is finding the real you. The one that is aimed at the “right” target. Stillness gives us the ability to understand and appreciate the process of heating, cooling, pounding and shaping that makes life so valuable.
Here is how I become “still”:
· Location, Location, Location: Early on find a quiet space. No music. Nothing that can capture your attention. As you become better at finding your “stillness” you can do this wherever you are located. But until you become proficient start in a quiet environment
· Balance: Close your eyes. I like to watch the color of my eyelids change. Sometimes they are dark red and then they cool to a darker color. Or they are a bright yellow that cools to a calming color. I have learned where my state of being is by the colors I see. Whether I am under stress, or my anxiety is peaking or if I am relaxed and chillin’ or I am on the top of a wave in my life. Once I relax, I also know when I have found stillness.
· Empty the Trash: Clear your mind. Stillness is a blank canvas. Just enjoy the peace that being still brings. You are a quintessential Sgt. Schultz (Hogan’s Heroes), “you see nothing, you hear nothing, you know nothing.”
· Be Open: Don’t try to manipulate your thoughts. See your path. Don’t argue or negotiate with the truth. Simply adjust your life.
· Show’s Over: As you begin to think and plan your stillness has ended. As you attempt to take control of the process open your eyes and move on with your life. The key to stillness is knowing the difference between your voice and your inner voice. You can’t steer your stillness; it will take you where you need to go.
Try this process. It takes a while to get into the right place. But when you can do it right. You will begin to live and work in the right way and things once seemed difficult become easy.
Have an amazing day!
(From the Book of 300 Prompts: This sketch book was where I really started to strengthen my writing muscles. I wrote in this book from July 2016 until I finished the final topic in June 2020. I didn’t work from 1-300 but jumped from topic to topic. I wrote this entry on May 11, 2020. It is Prompt #226 Entitled: Park Bench.)
