Learning To Be Still

Do the noises in your head ever get so loud that you can no longer hear yourself think? Not to worry, I'm not losing it, but there are nights when my brain seems like it's on overload. We tend to replay the events of our day in our mind. We re-listen to a conversation over and over, word by word. We wonder about what we could have done differently or better. We plan ahead. We make mental lists. Don't even get me started about the nights when insomnia has settled in and lets you know that it's not going anywhere and you won't be getting any sleep any time soon.

What do you do? Do you get up and take a walk around the house in the dark hoping to reset? Do you wander into the other room and read on the couch or turn the TV on for a distraction? Maybe get a drink of water?

For me, this happens more often at night, but there are also days when my head is spinning from storing up too much information at one time. I find that I need to search for the quiet and learn to be still. Sometimes it's the only way to clear my head. Where I work we have a memorial garden behind the church building. It's a great place to sit on a bench and watch the squirrels run around and listen to the many birds chirp their afternoon songs. It can be just the distraction I need. I need to seek out the quiet. It's only then that I'll be able to take a deep breath and listen to myself breathe. I need to learn to be still more often and try to block out the noise and the distractions. I know my heart and my gut will guide me and I trust those instincts (well most of the time anyway), but I also know that I need to be able hear my own internal voice.

If you're feeling a little overwhelmed (and who isn't at some point?) then make some purposeful time for yourself. Be selfish. Take a walk. Go for a ride in the car. Sit outside and just close your eyes and feel the warmth of the sun on your face. Give yourself permission to take a time out. You'll find the right time or place where you can find your stillness and then you'll be able to hear what's most important.

Where do you find your inner peace?

Is it a place or something you do?