inside the silence

After a debilitating stroke that left my 89-year-old mother-in-law wheelchair bound and convalescing in a long-term care facility, I was asked to do a personal history assessment so the caregivers can get a better understanding of mom's personality and needs.  When I asked her what she disliked the most, her response, "Silence."  "Silence makes me feel dead.  When it's silent, I have to fill the space with something or I get too anxious."

Our fast-paced, tech-driven world has most of us absorbed in doing, in busyness, with distraction.  Many of us can relate to the discomfort of being alone or left in a state of silence.  Can you?

It took me thirty years to surrender into stillness.  Diving deeply within to get in touch with the YOU hidden within is such an indescribable, amazing, and empowering experience. I was so busy that I overlooked the YOU that was so deeply buried within me.

Who has time for this nonsense, this hokey-pokey spiritual crap? Don't these spiritual people have a life?

That's what I used to think . . . But, diving deeply saved my life. Just when I thought I couldn't do it anymore . . . the rush to work, the rush home to make dinner only to speed-clean the house, the rush to get kids to sports and other after-school activities, the rush to get done homework and neglected projects , . . . only to rush . . . Rush . . . RUSH SOME MORE!

The rush can take YOU over if you don't know how to put on the brakes. Unfortunately, my kids were getting brainwashed; to do whatever they were told, to mindlessly rush in whatever direction instructed. To cope or escape, many of our overworked, exhausted, robotic kids are putting their heads into devices, into drugs and alcohol, or other forms of distraction to drown it all out – to turn it all off.

Our heads are so over-fried by stimuli . . . parents are splashing a little alcohol into their solo cups to accompany them to after-school practices and games just to make it feel like the weekend, to escape the structured rigidity of the hectic work week,  Kids are racing off when there's a rare minute to spare “to play” -freely with friends on Xbox, on iPads, or on iPhones.

Many of us are huffing and puffing, commiserating with each other, hoping for the weekend, a vacation, or a day off to just get away from it all.

Unfortunately, that longed-for vacation doesn't actually solve the root of the problem. Most of us return from vacations needing a vacation. And while away, many worry about what should be getting done.  In the meantime, mail continues to pile up. Work is waiting to get done. The vacation needs to be paid!  There's no escaping yourself.

So what's the answer? YOU! YOU hold the answers to every question. YOU hold the key to creating that longed-for sense of peace and calm. YOU can create whatever YOU want. It all starts with YOU.

When you can't seem to find your way, you simply must PAUSE --  to stop trying to keep pace with the world; to stop searching for answers from others. When you're feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and out-of-control, you can bet that your kids and everyone around you pick up your stressful, low vibe and feel it too.

                   Unless YOU control YOU, the world will step in and do it for you.

Here are 9 Ways To Stop the Rushing 
​ . . . instead of mindlessly jumping out of bed to hit the ground running, wake up a few minutes earlier. Trust me, it's worth it.
1.  Get out of bed and just lay on the ground and stretch. Simply move your body however it needs. Stretch your legs, your back, your neck and breathe.
2.   Next, come into a comfortable sitting position with your back erect, hands gently folded upward in your lap, and breathe.  Take natural inhalations from your nose, followed by long, slow, full exhalations from your mouth.  Do this until you feel connected and settled into your body. 
3.    Then, set your intention for the day. Tell the world how happy you are to be in it, alive and breathing. 
4.    Continue observing your breath. Simply watch your breath come in and go out. Don't try to control it. Stay as detached as you can, watching your breath as though it belongs to someone else. Let it all go.
5.    Jump into shower.  Visualize the water washing away any tension, allow all the stress to drop down into the drain.  
6.    Get dressed into something that expresses how you want to feel.  Pick a color and fabric that makes you feel uplifted and ready to begin your day.
7.   Throughout your day, try to remember to escape back to your breath -- at your lunch break, when you're waiting at the doctor's office, at soccer practice; simply go within and observe your breath.
8.   Appreciate YOU.  Show thanks to your body for how hard it works for you. Be kind with yourself. Be thankful for not having to think about having to make your heart beat.  Relish in the knowing that your miraculous body was created to work without you're having to think about it.
9.  TRUST in the knowing that all systems are working and are under control, so YOU can allow your mind to be put to better use . . . to unlock creativity & imagination, to find freedom of expression, to fulfill your life purpose,  and to re-discover your True Beauty Within.

So, use that amazing creation of yours to take control of your mind inside the SILENCE - to merge the body and mind using your breath. Once connected, the mind and body can do amazing things together, without feeling rushed.  A calm, focused mind can help the body to heal, can envision great things, and can trust an open heart. 

When you teach the mind to replace negative thinking with positive affirmations and do so consistently, YOU change. Everything seems more beautiful, more colorful.  New grooves begin to replace old ones and thinking positively comes more naturally. Positivity brings about gratitude and invites love, making YOU more magnetic. There's a shift that comes about . . . there's SPACE or room for spirit to enter. That busy, overwhelmed mind that once created a stressed, fitful body couldn't hear spirit knocking. But now that YOU  gave silence a fair shot,  YOU realize there's clarity . . . YOU have choice. 

Only a clear, actively calm mind in connection with a well-regulated, restful body can fully access spirit's pure, free-flowing energy.  The silence is where you find the answers, it's where life begins to enter to guide YOU upon your blissful, ever-changing journey into joy.

You don't have to believe in any particular type of God or practice any rigid religion.  It's all about focus.  Yes. Hokus Pokus FOCUS.  Re-direct your focus inwardly to turn your back on the world for just a few minutes a day in order to look within. Faith begins with YOU. YOU have the answers. Retreating into stillness will provide the peace you need to solve all of life's problems.

No expensive vacation needed.  No coach to hire.  Simple gratitude, mindfulness and breath are free and easy techniques that you can trust and rely upon whenever you need to escape to recharge and find peace. There's no need to waste your time, energy, or money depending upon others to fix your problems when you possess the tools to do the job yourself.