Still Like Water

Have you ever been overwhelmed with the constant need to do?

It’s usually difficult for me to just sit back and let things happen, especially when I’m rooting for a certain outcome. Often, in our culture, we’re taught to fight for the things we want, lest they slip from us because we didn’t move quickly enough. While that’s often good advice, it also has a downside.

Grind culture is eating us alive, and some of us don’t even realize it.

I think that’s why, here in the west, the concept of meditation is so fascinating to people. It honestly goes against everything we’re conditioned to believe about ourselves. It tells us that sitting still and tapping into our inner being is worthwhile. It tells us that we’re more than mere machines who pay bills and climb corporate ladders.

Even sleep is often encouraged merely as a way for us to be more productive when we wake up. But simply sitting still? What good does that do, monetarily speaking?

It’s so important, though. I’ve been meditating regularly for the better part of a year, and the changes I’ve seen in my life have been gradual. One of the biggest changes is my ability to sit and observe my own breath, which translates into observing my circumstances, my heart, my relationships and my choices in life.

It’s not laziness. It’s a daily re-acquaintance with my spirit, and an acknowledgement that I’m more than my next paycheck, my latest degree, or even this blog post. It’s okay for me to simply exist for a few minutes, for no purpose other than to commune with myself.

If that’s not beautiful, I don’t know what is.

Until next time,

-D.