Mindfulness

I come to this season needing to slow down. Life has become too hectic again. There is so much that I have to do, and too much that I want to do. The holidays only add on extra chores and more activities. 

I need time to do nothing, at least for a few days, and move at nature’s pace. I want to be mindful of what I’m doing and speak only from my heart in my interactions with others. I don’t want to bounce through every day like a ball in a pinball machine. I need to feel grounded again. And I want to be surprised in simple ways. 

I need to step away from tasks and just breathe, free of expectations. But I have to be patient and wait for the season to reveal, in its own time, what it will reveal. I cannot force insights to come. I cannot entice wisdom to descend. I cannot pressure the unexpected to happen. I have to trust and be receptive of gifts I don’t anticipate and which I may not think I need. 

Sitting still and listening to the quiet is hard in this season. The celebrations, music, and festive lights distract from what I need. What I need is what lies underneath. This is a time of waiting, and I do not wait well.

Slow me down that I may listen to the quiet of nature.

Slow me down that I may hear what people are saying behind their words.

Slow me down that I may be present to this moment and to the hearts of the people here.