In this world of rapidity, haste, and urgency, where instant has become the norm and the norm has become tedious, the importance of Quietness and Solitude has seemingly been forgotten. We fill our daily schedules to the point where there remains little, if any, time to simply sit quietly, close our eyes, and unwind. We participate in every imaginable activity; we flutter from community event to social outing; we hurry to work, hurry to the gym, rush home, race through a meal in order to dash back out the door again until we fall into bed in the attempt to cram in a few hours of sleep before we start it all over again.
Life around us is bustling and bursting, blaring with boisterous babbling and blatantly brazen brashness that bewilders and befuddles. From the minute we bounce out of bed, we fill our eyes and ears with sound and images; we hurry our hands with smart technology; we drink copious quantities of caffeinated energy drinks so we can rush to and fro, rarely taking a moment to smell the roses or sit among the lilies. Yet Peace Pervades Peacefully. Tranquility Settles Tenderly. Serenity Rests Calmly. And the only way to attain these Treasures is to do the same.
Turn off the tunes and open the window so you may listen to the birds singing. Stop from rushing and Sigh in the warmth of the afternoon breeze. Forego meeting the crowd at the pub and Walk quietly along a burbling stream to listen to its purifying laughter. Turn off the lights and Gaze at the stars to wonder with awe. Put down the i-device and pick up a daisy to pluck its petals pensively or Run your hands through the feathering fronds of a whispering willow to feel tranquility seeping into your soul. Sit quietly in contemplation of the singular Majesty and Mystery of your own beating heart and Take stock of each Precious breath.
In that Quietude, where technology pauses and the human condition returns, the simple, understated gesture of folding your hands, closing your eyes, and bowing your head can have a far greater and more lasting effect upon your day and your life than any latest tune, text message, tweet, post, or energy drink. In that Silence, where all the rushing stops and a measure of Harmony returns, Peace will Pervade. Tranquility will Settle, and Serenity will Calm; teaching the mind that Opens to their gentle Presence that all the Wealth and Power in the world cannot replace the Blessing of a single moment spent Touching the Spirit.
