I’m back after a 6 week drought.
Drought: 1) a period of dryness 2) an extended shortage
Busy holidays and college vacations that are way too long are perhaps the external excuses but the real reason, a lack of inspiration, can’t be blamed on external factors alone. I let the external factors distract me from mindfulness.
As Thich Nhat Hanh wrote in Living Buddha, Living Christ, You can not bear fruit unless you abandon distracting thoughts.
I was so busy doing, talking, multitasking, informing, performing (active states) that I didn’t spend much time listening, writing, breathing, watching, relaxing and receiving (receptive states).
During the holidays, mindful breathing, meditation, writing my morning pages became something on the “to do” list, not a practice.
No wonder I wasn’t inspired.
Inspire: an interesting word with two meanings. 1) to inhale, to breathe life in to or upon 2) to influence, animate, motivate one’s mind with creativity
We live in a world that has elevated busyness to a virtue and has convinced you that doing for others is more important than giving to your self.Amanda Owen from The Power of Receiving.
Sound familiar? We all do it. And some of us, spend all our time, not just the holidays, in active states. It’s so easy to get off schedule, to get off track and it’s so hard to get back on.
Without stillness, quiet time and pausing to listen I wasn’t able to hear what I needed to say.
Wisdom comes from the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking and listening activates our non conceptual intelligence. Let stillness direct your words and actions. Eckhart Tolle
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