Breath.
Just breathe.
Your to do list is probably as long as your day. In some parts of the world that seems like a major accomplishment. Many things need you in order to get done. But no, not here. You won’t get a pat on the back for that long list of things that need your attention.
I don’t want to encourage you in that.
So take a moment. Be still. Stop doing. Just for a moment. I don’t want you to think that’s the most important thing.
Because it’s not.
Sometimes we get so focused on doing things, that we don’t even realize the direction in which we’re headed.
We get so caught up in the process, craving the finished product, desiring a rewarded end, that we lose sight of why we began in the first place…. but even more importantly than that, we rush by faces, stories, names… as if they don’t matter, as if our to do lists and accomplishments hold more value than they do.
Our world is made up of one of the most treasured of things, and we don’t even realize it…
Those treasures are people.
That waiter serving you dinner?
That clerk bagging your groceries?
That woman in Walmart who accidentally bumped into you?
These people shouldn’t just be looked over, they should be valued. There is no coincidence to why they crossed your path today, tomorrow, or any day in the future.
Let’s not get so caught up in getting things done, that we lose sight of the treasures along the way.
Okay, now, back to you.
Breathe, in… out…. breathe.
Breathe, in… out…. breathe.
You probably read those words a little slower the second time, letting your breath catch as your eyes scanned the screen. You’re working so hard these days. Someone demanding that you take a breath may seem like a little light at the end of the tunnel.
When was the last time you really felt at rest?
It seems like each time you try to take a moment for yourself, another worry or anxiety creeps into the forefront of your mind, reminding you that you’ve got work to do.
Tell those worries to take a seat for a hot second.
We’ve got a different kind of work to do. I want you to spend fifteen minutes today being still.
I know, I know.
I sound crazy.
And since I’m not a doctor, I can’t prescribe it.
But I know the effects are marvelous.
Think of it as fifteen, sixty second capsules that you need to take once a day.
Be still… for just fifteen minutes.
In the hustle and bustle of us doing, we forget to just be. We forget that life is meant to be lived, not rushed through. We get dulled to the fact that experiences and moments are meant to be felt whole heartedly, not merely brushed by. We lose sight of how life saturates itself with so much meaning and wonder. And all of it simply waits for us, beckoning us to join it.
But we miss it.
Because we’re doing.
So step outside.
Look out a window.
Sit down.
Lay on the floor.
For fifteen minutes don’t do anything. Just exist- set aside your to do list and push worry, anxiety out the door.
This kind of work? It gets the good things done.
Your heart will thank you for it.
xo
AnnaFilly
PS There are certain times in my blogging career where I have one post planned for the day, but another begs to be written instead. Today is one of those days. Stay tuned for pretty pictures and today’s original post later this week. xo
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