Get quiet; get clear.
Please discuss. How does this play out in life?
I’ll start us out. Often when we’re faced with difficult choices, it is amidst chaotic circumstances. Whether it is a raft of competing situations, mental turmoil and emotional drama, disagreeing loved one, or possible high-stakes consequences, it seems there are usually plenty of static and distractions around hard decisions.
In the end, we are the only ones who can elect our course of action. Even abdicating the decision is in itself a choice. When we are in the predicament of choosing in the middle of upheaval, how can we ensure we decide wisely?
To eliminate external interference, we go internal. Finding a quiet location—our car in a parking lot can work in a pinch—we engage in a contemplative practice like prayer, meditation, or inner dialogue. Breathing slowly, deeply, rhythmically, we allow the buzz of other distractions, other peoples’ opinions, and our own thoughts and emotions to fall away. Soon there is only breath and our focused awareness.
In this dedicated internal space, we invite connection with divine consciousness—god, creation, gaia, source, infinite love—however we are comfortable relating to it. We know we’ve connected when a sense of peace, calm, and certainty fills us. In our conjoined state of awareness, we ponder our dilemma and pose our questions.
We trust implicitly the insights and answers that arise are true and beneficial for us. We can apply these criteria to verify what comes to us: Is it kind? Is it loving? Is it helpful? Clarity achieved, we are able to choose our course of action confidently.
Today’s message reminds me of the immense value of inner stillness. It is my best and most benevolent resource in trying times. My inner knowing, when conjoined with the divine awareness, will show me the way. I AM an intrinsic part of divine interconnection. Psalm 46:10—“Be still and know that I AM god.”
How about you? How does contemplative practice benefit you?