HOW many of us actually sit and do nothing?
Twenty-first century life drives the myth that we have to be constantly busy and constantly achieving, failing to pick up on the benefits of stillness. Even if we are sitting, it is rare to be surrounded by silence: sound from televisions, radio or computers, laptop or mobile phones and even household devices such as washing machines, microwaves or dishwashers, may provide background white noise, coupled with existing noise from traffic outside our homes. Sitting still in silence with no sound or visual distraction is an increasingly rare activity. Yet there are important benefits to be found in the still of a moment.
The temptation to deal with everything that comes our way immediately is both a blessing and a curse: we may have the technology to respond immediately to the demands of work and family, but do we always have to use it?
Sometimes simply sitting on a problem or an issue – and not offering an immediate response – is the best way forward. Words written or spoken as an initial reaction are sometimes ill-judged and said or written in anger or haste. Doing nothing and allowing a problem or an issue to simply ‘be’ is testing and demanding, but very often bears fruit. First responses to problems or issues are not always the most helpful and can inflame, rather than resolve. Written communication in the form of an email or a text does not always let the recipient understand the care, thought, diplomacy and tact that may have gone into choosing careful words – that may appear cold and calculated to those on the receiving end. Allowing a time for calm reflection allows grace to intervene and understanding to develop.
The temptation to deal with everything that comes our way immediately is both a blessing and a curse: we may have the technology to respond immediately to the demands of work and family, but do we always have to use it?
This is not an excuse for procrastination, but rather a time to step back and wait. Yet it is one of the most challenging things we can do as we live in a society that expects and demands instant answers.
However, summer is a time which offers opportunity to sit and simply be, rather than constantly fulfilling the demands of work and family. It is a time to allow us to step back from our lives and consider how we might change or reshape our future.
For it is in those still, silent moments that we are most likely to hear the voice of God – bringing with it the much-needed peace – and very often a solution to a difficult problem.
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