[Morning Reflection]
Finding stillness.
As someone who grew up in a coastal town, the ocean forever holds a place in my heart. There is nothing more therapeutic for me than to sit on the shore, and listen to the majesty before me.
The ocean is endless, elegant, exquisite and eternal.
One the shore, I find a new perspective for my problems. The ocean teaches me that they are temporary against the backdrop of millennia.
My problems, while appearing large in my eyes, are nothing compared to the vastness of the ocean. My time here, while all that I have, is but a moment against the relentless and unending patience of the ocean.
Even though it moves constantly, the ocean helps me find stillness, perspective, power and peace.
Yet living far from the ocean now, I have to find within me the tranquility that it brings. No longer can I visit every day to walk upon its shore and bathe in its wonder.
I have to nurture stillness in my soul.
I have found that in order to achieve stillness, I first have to find what creates movements in my soul. Oscillations are a result of unbalanced or uncompleted events within my life, and are often a sign of unfulfilled needs.
In order to achieve stillness in my everyday life, I must live in balance with my own morality and find a peace in the face of my own mortality.
Stillness requires humility, self honesty, hard work and the ability to balance.
In humility, I think less about myself and focus on the needs of others, freeing myself from the misunderstandings of my own life, and allowing me to learn truth as I help others find their peace. I must accept others for who they are, which requires a deep humility that I struggle with every day.
In self honesty, I am able to see my flaws and realize the inconsistencies of my soul.
In hard work, I am able to correct those inconsistencies and find a better path forwards in my journey through this time, and in balance, I find a way to exist in the universe despite the competing demands on my soul.
If I am to find stillness, I must search within so that I may serve without.
Stillness is silence, balance, peace.
Stillness is worth the struggle.
-- Dr. Alan Barnes
@maddrbmusings