Reconnecting
In stillness you can hear yourself think. In stillness you can remember who you are.
In stillness you gain perspective. In stillness you connect to purpose.
As I’m winding down this week with the prospect of some upcoming vacation time filling my mind with thoughts of free time and frolic, this quote above from Mr. Marston reminds me that I don’t need to fill my days with frenetic high energy activities in order to get the most out of my vacation. Instead, I should be seeking opportunities to do less.
Seeking to do less has always been a win for me, in all things.
Doing less doesn’t mean being lazy. Doing less doesn’t mean being ineffective. Doing less doesn’t mean disengaging and tuning out.
In the process of doing less, I can focus on doing what’s right.
Instead of trying to put out every fire, or to have an answer to every minor problem, or to have an opinion on every matter of national security, or to be kept up-to-date on every detail for projects I have limited input on, I can channel my resources and energies into creating, solving, or experiencing whatever it is that is most meaningful and impactful to me and the people that are counting on me.
One way I have found success in attaining stillness is a daily meditation practice and regular hikes in the woods and mountain trails of Colorado.
One of the beautiful things about hiking in Colorado is that with minimal effort or commute, I can often find trails where I might not see another human for several hours. When it’s just me, the birds & chipmunks, and the sounds of winds whispering through the pines and aspens, there is something so incredibly soul-nourishing about this silence and stillness that defies my ability to adequately describe.
I’ve already got one 15-mile round trip solo hike planned out for next week and I hope to find a couple more.
The important thing for me is to not go into any of these excursions with expectations of world-changing epiphanies, but to just be present. To breathe. To be open. To listen to the world around me, and the voices in my heart.
There’s no better risk/reward trade out there than spending time quietly reconnecting with myself, remembering who I am and bringing my purpose into focus.
…and maybe I’ll come up with a great trading idea!
