Hello and happy Monday! I had a really nice weekend with family and now I’m recharged and ready for this week. This is Nick’s final week of summer so I want to make sure we put some fun into it!
I was listening to a podcast this morning while exercising about being busy. I like when something makes me pause and think about it a bit so I thought I would spread the word.
It seems like our current culture puts a high value on being “busy” and devalues stillness. I remember the days prior to smartphones and tablets even prior to pagers. But now down time has been squeezed out by 24-hour access to anyone and everything. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy using my iphone and computer and e-reader. But somewhere along the line, we lost the value of stillness. So much so that we find it hard to do both physically and mentally. We associate stillness with laziness and feel guilty if we engage in it.
Today, with this beautiful weather, I am working out on my deck listening to the breeze in the leaves while I work. This is something I love to do, I imagine it’s an ocean and the waves are cresting. I enjoy spending Spring, Summer and Fall months on this deck. But lately I have noticed that I don’t stay long enough to be still. I won’t just sit with nature and be, I will grab a book (which is great) or try to knock off something on my to-d0 list. I want to be still but guilt creeps into my thoughts and I move onto something else.
I’ve read that when we start forgetting things, we automatically think dementia or Alzheimer’s is our fate but the fact is that we are over worked and stressed. We have too many things on our lists and we don’t take natural stillness breaks. I say, why not build it into your day. It’s not a natural occurrence but we can make it a new habit that can benefit us in many ways. Start small with a 5 minute stillness break each day and then add more throughout your day. You don’t have to meditate, you just have to be still and move towards comfort with it. So when I finish this post, I am going to silence my phone, go sit on my comfy chair on this deck and be still for a bit without guilt.
I thought I would share photos of Apollo watering my flowers this weekend. I hope that one day, when he owns his own home, he will grow a garden and find ways to fit stillness into his days.
Have a blessed day!
Belinda
While walking in my flower garden this weekend, I had to stop and pause when I saw the varigated Phlox in bloom. My former neighbor, Inez gave it to me before she moved so when it bloom, I always think about her. This year, I have come to more deeply appreciate the relationship I had with her and how it was a true blessing to have a neighbor that brought joy into our lives.
Well I hope Nick is having a great day. I am sending positive energy his way in hopes that he is having a good time and adjusting to the new environment.
