The Stillness Within

In a world that welcomes multi-tasking, there is little time to pause and feel the stillness within. With January approaching its close, most people have engaged in the traditional ritual of stepping back and reflecting while penning resolutions or nerdlutions. Some sought new paths while others began a journey inside themselves. But how many took the time to enjoy the overlooked opportunities of the first month of the year? January, while providing a short respite after the hurried holidays, is a time to pause, reflect, and renew.  Its thirty-one days are devoted to the creation, following through, and sometimes abandoning of resolutions. Hidden deep inside its long, cold winter days, change can occur. With a reflective stance and the ability to pause, you can linger a while in the present, finding the stillness within.

"Pausing is a gift," as thoughtfully said by Jackie Yun, a tweeter, who responded to one of my thoughts this morning on #spiritchat. Pausing is an investment in living that provides time to search for stillness and capture thoughts that will be tucked away and savored. We often live one task after another, with calendars becoming the schedulers of life. What would happen if we paused each day to look inward to find balance? This morning before the twitter chats and yoga practice, I took the opportunity to pause and turn my attention to finding an inspiring quote to chart my day. When Kumud Ajami, one of the "spiritchat" moderators, posted a link to a Ted Talk with Pico Iyer, I took the opportunity to listen to this speaker. I was well rewarded and like a squirrel gathering her nuts, I collected two nuggets for reflection:

"Movement is only as good as the sense of stillness that you can bring to it, to put it into perspective."  

"It is only by stopping movement that you can see where to go." 

I pondered those thoughts, linking them to my one little word for 2014, openness.  Then, in the stillness of the room, I paused to write. As I looked inside at a journey I created, movement intersected reflection. Doors opened and insight walked through, clothed in stillness.

January is coming to a close but my attempt to be resolute in spirit will not. Stopping the shifting tasks to savor the moment will be my next step and pausing will be my guide as I find stillness within. Will I succeed? As we say in yoga, it is yoga practice, not yoga perfect. My goal is not perfection so if I forget to pause, I have my family to remind me. 

May your end of January days lead you on a journey to pause and savor the moment. 

Words: Singular Entries to Meaningful Dialogue

In tribute to the New Year and 2014 resolutions/nerdlutions posted on Twitter and in blogs, I pause to ponder on the effect of spoken and written words. This time, it is with a focus on their contribution or not to personal or professional well-being. Holidays seem to bring out the best and least desirable sides of human nature, depending on the types of situations encountered. Particularly at this time of year, words, by the nature of their tone or message, are singular entries to meaningful dialogue. In my attempt to create spaces to grow as a learner, I decided to carefully listen to others and prudently choose the path I take in response to words spoken. Therefore, I am resolved in 2014 to focus on Number 6 of the Effective Collaboration Norms and Guidelines, Paying Attention to Self and Others.

I have noticed that in conversations, words can be carelessly dropped, causing unbalance and unrest. Responding to such words often affects personal or professional well-being and can lead to future entanglements. Therefore, it is best to actively disregard words that cause disharmony; lift words from conversations that can be transformed; reflect to open new spaces of learning and respond in a positive manner. But this is easier said than done so developing the art of active listening, discerning messages, and using spoken and written words as strategic tools to move toward a more reflective stance as a learner are my new intents.

I actually started this process on New Year's Day while I carefully listened to message presented by one of our parish priests. He greeted the congregation with a message of hope as part of his homily on resolutions to start anew. Reflecting on the word closure and its significance for 2014, he stated, "Open the door to start a new chapter. Leave the past behind. The past is history, the future a mystery." Upon hearing that message, I paused to reflect on the importance of the word closure as a lead in to being open to possibilities. 

Without deliberate action the words, closure and openness, only float in the corridors of the mind.  So, I ask myself what will it be? Will I open the door to meaningful dialogue and discussion by being more conscious of the words spoken by others and myself? Will I bring closure to past situations and see new possibilities? Lastly, will I be more reflective to bring about change and new achievements? 

Words carefully lifted from conversations can lead to multiple avenues of exploration. They can become the singular entries to meaningful, reflective conversations. So what message will our words deliver during 2014? The choice is yours and mine.