make stillness a priority in your life

It has been a crazy ride so far this year. We have all faced both personal and professional crises and we’re not quite sure how the immediate future looks like. Millions of us have fallen prey to the terrible consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, a collective economic crash, and a worldwide movement fueled by racial discrimination and persistent systemic bias.

While there’s a long way to go till normalcy is restored, the best thing that we can all do both for ourselves and others is to make our own health and well-being a top priority.

We must take out time from our busy schedules to rest and recover. Sleep is of paramount importance during these times. In addition, we must create space to reflect, to be with our thoughts and feelings, and to connect with our deeper, wiser selves. 

We must make sure that we’re in constant touch with stillness. It’s okay to slow down, to march at our own rhythm, and to listen to our inner voice. To re-align with our values and to focus on the most important virtues so that we show up as the best versions of ourselves every single day. 

Stillness is much needed in these uncertain and dark times. Because only when we’re still, we attain clarity on what actions we can take to make things better for ourselves and others. As Ryan Holiday writes in his book Stillness is the Key, “You have to disconnect in order to better connect with yourself and with the people you serve and love. People don’t have enough silence in their lives because they don’t have enough solitude. And they don’t get enough solitude because they don’t seek out or cultivate silence. It’s a vicious cycle that prevents stillness and reflection, and then stymies good ideas, which are almost always hatched in solitude.”

In simple words, we must prioritize stillness in our lives. It will give us strength and help us navigate every circumstance that we go through, whether it be due to the pandemic, human injustice, an economic downturn or what have you. 

Let stillness guide you and heal you. And as you do that, you’ll inspire others to make rest and recovery a part of their lives as well.