Quieting Down the Mind
Experience a sense of happiness and freedom
Isn’t this the best summer ever?
Long, warm days, hot sunshine and cool nights
Mid-year! The perfect invitation to sit back and reflect on life.
The perfect time to linger, marvel, gaze about, appreciate and soak up summer moments.
The perfect time to moodle on questions you have about your life.
The perfect time to breathe deeply and take stock of where you are.
Not the “what should I be doing or have to do” questioning.
The Hmmmmm … what would I like more of, mind meandering.
I was doing this in late spring until busy-ness got the better of me.
I forget when I’m busy to remind myself that busy-ness is mostly my thoughts gone wild.
I forget how loud and noisy my thoughts can be.
Until I get really still and quiet.
But, once I stopped and got quiet in my mind
I noticed all the other noises in my life!
Not just insistent pings, dings, bells and whistles on my computer PDA, or cell phone.
The other stuff I didn’t think of as noise exactly…
But it really is!
All that White noise
Refrigerators, the hum of computers, electricity running through the walls, fans whirring, clocks ticking.
And the noise of your life!
The distractions and all the to-do’s.
The “what you haven’t got done’s, demands, social events to attend and everyday disturbances.
No wonder our peace of mind gets hijacked and we lose clarity, creativity, intuition, and fulfilment.
So how do we break away from the noise?
1. Can I suggest. Gently!
Find a way to hit the pause button and step off the hamster wheel.
Create dedicated “empty” space in your life, a little bit at a time.
Turn everything off for a dedicated time (even 10 mins.)
Sure it’s a little scary, at first.
You might have an inner critic like mine that immediately roars… NO – don’t stop! 🙂
<sigh> always just a little fear rises that I might not start up again…!
It’s a story you tell yourself. It doesn’t have to be true.
When you stop and do nothing-at-all, ideas present themselves almost magically. (even in 10 mins :))
2. Your inner wisdom needs silence and space to feel safe enough to come out of hiding.
Big or small – any space you create in a hectic week is enough to get you started.
And it’s OK to not always be able to go from full-on to a screeching halt.
Walking, riding your bike or sitting and just reading can begin the slow-down process.
When your mind doesn’t believe peace is possible, just give it an experience of calm and quiet, and be amazed at how heavenly that feels.
It’s worth the experimentation to find time for it anyway that you can.
Then protect that space jealously. Creativity and problem-solving need breathing space.
The very best ideas and inspirations need wide open, uncluttered horizons.
3. Clarity responds when your mind is at peace
… bringing you answers you thought were impossible to find.
Quiet your thoughts. The heart knows things that the mind can’t explain.
When you can resist the powerful urge to fill your time with constructive things, you get to see a fresh perspective of your life
Feeling calm begins to feel better than unnecessary doing.
As your mind calms down, you find yourself feeling more IN-TIME with yourself and each day.
More things are accomplished that are important to you.
When your mind is at ease and peaceful, you feel present and empowered.
Solutions just pop out of the ethers.
4. Be a beginner
Notice if you feel discouraged. Breathe deeply and begin again.
Develop a regular practice of time on your own.
Let inspiration and new opportunities come into play.
Make it easy, make it simple and small, make it doable and do it in your own way!
Your peace of mind, the desire for a fulfilled and an inspired life are worth nurturing and tending to.
The results will be worth the effort!
Wishing you clarity and peace in mind
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