Article By: Iyo_Embong

“Through stillness, each fulfills its destiny.” – Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu

A good friend Tim just told me that “it takes more energy to be patience and to stay still than being busy running around.”

Some people have adopted the habit that unless they force heaven and earth to abide by their will, the world won’t be a very nice place. I guess it never dawns on these people that the earth will be just fine if we let it be.

The word “patience” can have some gloomy undertones for the mind as it implies “waiting longer”. However, as far as the mind is concerned it can never really understand what patience means, all it can do is develop “controlled impatience” – some people are good at controlling their impatience as a matter of discipline, they can get really good at playing the waiting game. The natural patience I am talking about has nothing to do with the mind at all, in fact it has nothing to do with waiting either, it’s just a sense of not waiting for anything – this what true patience really is, when you can sense a place in you which is not really waiting for anything.

I am sure you’ve heard it many times that once you desire you need to make yourself feel that you already have it, and once you create this feeling of already having it, it manifests easily. The mind, however, no matter how hard it tries, cannot ever genuinely create this feeling – it’s not the mind’s fault, after all the mind is just being sincere that it can’t see the physical evidence of the desire being manifested and hence it can’t feel now what it would feel when its manifested.

A lot of people struggle with their mind forcing it to believe that the desire has already manifested, the “fake it, until you make it deal”, but the truth is that the mind is not “gullible”, it can’t believe what it can’t see, that’s how the mind is – you can’t fake it, you are only fooling yourself if you are trying to make your mind believe something it can’t see.

Jesus ordered His disciples who were so busy to “come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Jesus knew that becoming super busy can lead one to become exhausted and empty. Check yourself today.  Are you getting too flimsy, angry? Maybe you are already running on empty. Too much work can make us weary, and pushing too hard can make us exhausted and tired, which in turn can affect the quality of our life.

Since last week, I have been busy looking after my mother and father with their Doctors and Hospital appointments. It so happened that when I got to the hospital last Friday I also found out that one Pastor that we know was also at the emergency. After thinking about my father who have worked hard all his life and Pastor who never seem to get tired on serving people – it got me thinking. It is interesting to note that we panic whenever we see our fuel or battery indicators showing that we are close to empty, and yet seem to pay no attention or care when our bodies and our spirit are shouting for a break or rest. Why are you working so hard? For what? For whom? When we truly listen, we go back to what is really basic and important again.

If we don’t slow down, sooner or later life itself will slow us down only to make us realize that our worth is not so much in becoming somebody, but in being a someone.

We listen best when we are silent. It is when we are on silent mode that we really listen to our souls, to life, and to God Himself, and this journey to a “deserted place” is such a refreshing, recharging, and renewing experience.

So much that needs to be done; so little time. Even rest has to be rushed before work begins again.

Do you find yourself irritable, and easily getting angry in your work? This is a sign that you need to slow down, or altogether stop for a while, and ask yourself: Why are you doing what you are doing, and for whom/what are you doing what you are doing? You’ll be surprised that the reason for all the busyness and the shouting is that there’s too much of you.

We all need quiet time. When do you go on silent mode? We all need a quiet place. Where do you go to recharge and reflect? We all need a quiet presence. Yes, we need a regular time, place, presence, person, or group “away from the maddening crowd.”

Perhaps this thought would teach us to slow down: “No point in using limited life in chasing unlimited money; no point in earning so much money if you can’t live to spend it; no point in chasing wealth and in the process lose your health; no point in gaining the whole world, and losing your peace, your good name, your family and friends.”

In the thick of the grind sparks and the flashbulbs, don’t miss the candle glow…

Article By: Iyo_Embong