Our minds are amazing. I find it fascinating that I can recall the phone number of my best friend from 2nd grade. Actually, I don’t know her number, I know her parents number because there was a time when phones didn’t do the work for us, and we had to memorize numbers or have a physical address book.
From 7th grade I remember learning and memorizing prepositions. “before behind below beside between beyond by…”.
And somewhere along the line I learned Newton’s first law of motion:
An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
We see this play out in the fitness world all the time. The longer we go without exercise, the easier it is to continue a sedentary life. Physics teaches us that the hardest part of getting any object –including ourselves – in motion is the beginning. But once we have created some momentum and made exercise a habit, we are in motion and it is easier to continue in motion.
What I have found is that TRUE HEALTH requires balance. “Work hard, play hard” was my mantra for many years. Rest and recreation sometimes got pushed off the priority list (yes, this from the girl with the degree in Recreation!). These days, my life is all about BALANCE. (I’m a Libra through and through; regardless of what new astrological sign they say I am!). When my workaholic tendencies take over and I skip rest or recreation, my work, productivity, energy, health, relationships – everything in life, suffers.
In The Master Key System, Haanel writes
Over-work or over-play or over-bodily activity of any kind produces conditions of mental apathy and stagnation which makes it impossible to do the more important work which results in a realization of conscious power. We should, therefore, seek the Silence frequently. Power comes through repose; it is in the Silence that we can be still, and when we are still, we can think, and thought is the secret of all attainment.
In the past, I would “run” through my day from the minute my feet hit the floor in the morning. This left me burnt out and frazzled. And the more tired I got, the less productive I became.
By spending time daily, every morning, seeking the silence, I am refreshed. I have clarity, focus, higher energy and increased productivity. I find I have more love for myself and others.
Whether you call it prayer or mediation or communing with God, it is important to “Be Still.”
It is in the silence and stillness that our mind is renewed and power restored.
