Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Strategic Monk

Home
Contemplative
Listening to Sacred Stillness: Finding Stillness in Everyday Life

Listening to Sacred Stillness: Finding Stillness in Everyday Life

Last updated on: December 19, 2017 at 9:23 pm by Greg Richardson

Listening to Sacred Stillness: Finding Stillness in Everyday Life 2017-12-19T21:23:11-08:00 Greg Richardson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

3300146442_673dbbd196_z

Finding Stillness in Everyday Life

What? Is this some kind of joke?

My everyday life is already filled with things I need to do, decisions I need to make. It feels like there is always something more to think about, to work out, to understand.

Where is there stillness in everyday life? Who has time to find it every day?

These are some of the responses I get when I talk about stillness in everyday life. Stillness may be fine for “spiritual’ people, but it seems to be more than normal people can realistically expect.

Everyday life is full of things screaming for our attention. With the demands of work, family, and everything else, how are we supposed to find time for stillness? We get distracted even when we try to relax with entertainment or exercise. There are too many things we would like to be doing to get to them all.

Even when we feel like we probably should be doing something we cannot find the time.

Many of us cannot find the time or a quiet place to listen to stillness. We might try every so often, but certainly not every day.

I experience things differently. Listening to sacred stillness is not one more thing I need to accomplish every day. Finding stillness in everyday life is not something for only super spiritual people to do.

Listening to sacred stillness is what holds every day together for me. Not like a frame or a vise. More like a pattern woven into each day.

Finding stillness in everyday life is not something I do to meet a requirement or follow a program. Listening often does not feel particularly spiritual.

Listening to sacred stillness is not something extra we are supposed to do. It is essential.

Time and Places for Stillness in Everyday Life

I am a recovering workaholic. There was no time or space for stillness in my life. Spiritually, professionally, emotionally, and intellectually, my life was about work.

I tried to look for stillness sometimes, but was not very good at finding it. It was as if something else always needed doing.

I did not make room for listening or stillness in my life. Everyday life was a blur of moving from one task to the next. I did not spend time celebrating when I accomplished goals. There was always more to be done.

I was confident there would be time to listen to sacred stillness after everything else was finished. Once I had all the pieces put together, working well, then I could slow down and listen.

It has taken me time and effort to understand how stillness really works.

Finding stillness in everyday life does not depend on good scheduling or a quiet place. For me, stillness is more about relaxing my grip on things than about organizing them.

My practice has developed and my understanding deepened over time. Some of my most remarkable encounters with sacred stillness have been in busy places.

Finding stillness in everyday life is not about going to a particular place. Some spaces help me pay more attention to stillness, but the sacred stillness is not there.

Sacred stillness surrounds us wherever we are and fills us from within. The stillness within us finds and listens to the sacred stillness in the world around us.

Following a practice may help us listen better, but the stillness is already there.

When we find stillness in our everyday lives we connect to something larger than we are.

Practicing Stillness in Everyday Life

Listening to sacred stillness in everyday life is not about being rigid or following rules.

Yes, we may develop practices and be dedicated to following them. If we decide to set aside 15 or 20 minutes each day to listen to stillness, we want to do that. It is important to remember it is not our practice which creates sacred stillness.

We are looking for ways to open ourselves to sacred stillness, not to control it.

Many people find it helpful to set specific times for listening to sacred stillness. They may prefer to spend time in the morning or in the evening. Some people set aside breaks for listening during their work days. There are groups of people who practice listening together.

Our listening practice can be as simple as sitting and rocking for a set amount of time. We may decide not to talk out loud a certain period of time. It helps some people to visit a museum or a particular website.

As we practice we will discover what most helps us and what distracts us. I find music pretty distracting and prefer to take a walk or sit somewhere I can avoid it.

We do not need a disciplined schedule or an established place. Those may be helpful at first, but can also become challenges later.

It can be helpful to remember we are establishing a relationship to stillness. It is not a subject we are trying to master or an animal we are trying to train or domesticate.

As our relationship grows stronger, sacred stillness draws us into more depth.

Listening to Sacred Stillness in Everyday Life

I believe in the power of sacred stillness. Stillness is a resource we have forgotten.

We can walk or sit and listen to the stillness in the world and within us. Sacred stillness enfolds us, holding us and giving us the opportunity to simply listen.

In the stillness we can release our grip on what we hold so tightly. There is a sense of peace and acceptance in the stillness.

We do not need to struggle or strive, or earn what sacred stillness offers us. All we need is to turn our attention to the stillness.

Everyday life is filled with distractions and expectations, regrets and fears. We pay attention, for a few minutes each day, to sacred stillness.

How are we listening to sacred stillness in everyday life this week?

Where will we find stillness in everyday life today?

[Image by AIM Neutron (On a break)]

Greg Richardson is a spiritual life mentor and leadership coach in Southern California. He is a recovering attorney and university professor, and a lay Oblate with New Camaldoli Hermitage near Big Sur, California. Greg’s website is StrategicMonk.com, and his email address is [email protected].

Blog

Sacred Stillness

Previous Post

December 16, 2017

Practices From the Inside Out: Head Toward the Light

Next Post

December 21, 2017 Practices From the Inside Out: Following Scrooge's Example

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Blog Book Reviews Everything Else Guest Posts Leadership Monastic Strategies Neighborhood Pilgrimages Sacred Stillness Spiritual Direction Spiritual Practices Work

Select a Month May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the name of the King who made Esther his queen?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Hezekiah Ahasuerus Jeremiah Barnabas