Hello Everyone!
I woke up this morning with these words in my mind!
Last night a very good friend who is my 'soul sister' and I were chatting and we decided we were both so used to 'doing' ALL the time that we had forgotten how much 'doing' actually is in 'being' still and in silence!
I had visited the beach the day before and at the Virginia Beach beach I visited, there was about half a mile of sand it seemed before you arrived at the water. I didn't notice on my way down but on my way back, about 2/3 of the way back, I had left the noise of the ocean behind and there was this little 'zone' of silence and stillness. It was really palpable and felt lovely.
I stopped and just stood there - luckily there were not many people - and felt everything in my body relax as the silence almost held me. It was so calming and peaceful. It reminded me to be more conscious of making time to just stop doing, be still and feel the silence - it's tangible and restorative.Have you ever experienced that? If you have - relive it as often as you can as it will restore your energy and state.
Then, as synchronicity would have it, I randomly found a fascinating YouTube video on a prophesy made by Edgar Casey decades ago. As it happens - he lived most of his life in Virginia Beach where I currently live and I have visited the center several times. It's fascinating as it has all the records of his work.
In the video, they describe what he said about people over 60 and how this particular time in our history is when we come into our most rewarding time of life - depending on how we choose to view it. Rather than feeling we have lost relevance, meaning or purpose - he sees it as an invitation to dive deeper into our essence, into truly knowing and having faith in ourselves. Without the distractions that much of youth provides, without as many financial, parental and time burdens, we have the time to dive more deeply into ourselves and be more aware of that essence - in other words, who we really are.
We can choose to acknowledge our regrets, resentments, grudges and any other unresolved emotions and let go of what no longer serves us. He says 'not to forget but to understand' and then with compassion, grace and humility, we can let go of the hurts and pain and transform that into the wisdom of our lived experiences, which can then be shared and provide encouragement and direction for younger people - particularly at this time when there is so much chaos and uncertainty in the world.
If we resist change, cling to old patterns and routines, then instead of truly having one of the richest times in our lives and serving a huge purpose, we can shrivel, become disheartened and potentially miserable!
That was very encouraging for me LOL! I turn 71 next month and have had waves of feeling irrelevant and that I have passed my use by date!!
The reason I mention his video is that he also mentioned stillness and feeling peace in your own soul. And to be willing to listen in the silence - to your own wisdom. And that wisdom is the ability to perceive what is really before your eyes. Not just what we think superficially. Our lived experiences, if we let them, have trained us to 'see' more than what the eye perceives and think how valuable that is for others. Sometimes a word spoken calmly can change an entire situation; a welcoming genuine smile can transform a life - and truly being present with someone in your heart is always life changing.
If you are 60 or older - you are not done yet!!!
So….how does that tie into STOP. START. SETTLE. SUCCEED?
Well….I am glad you asked LOL! Cos I was rambling a bit!
This formula I suppose you would call it applies to ANY age!! Because everyone seems to be uber busy and distracted, lost in uncertainty and bordering on burnout and feeling stressed. It's the burnout buster strategy if you like!!
The first step is to STOP DOING! Not altogether obviously! But to carve out a period of time each day where you give yourself time to do the burnout buster strategy (BBS) and also do it whenever you notice you are feeling anxious, stressed or your stomach is churning.
We all seem to have programmed ourselves or been conditioned by society to value 'doing'. If we are not 'doing' something then we are not achieving anything and therefore less than worthy! Of course, I am generalising but you know what I mean. Sitting and relaxing is often associated with guilt - especially for women! So give yourself permission to stop doing just for 10 minutes!
The second step is to START BEING. Become very present and still. Feel into the moment and feel your body and what is going on inside it and outside it. Remember, you are a spiritual being embodied! So feel into your temple (your body for those of you who don't see it as that!). See if you can find a spot in nature or at least somewhere with no noise - especially traffic noise! That deep silence that is so nourishing. Or as little noise as possible! Or find a YouTube or podcast that is just silence embedded with solfeggio frequencies!
Then focus on being still. START being in stillness and silence. For as long as you can manage and as often as you can manage. You will be surprised at how everything in your life and energy levels changes. If you can find a secret spot it's even better! Or create a space where you can be still, in silence. For many, this would be really uncomfortable as first - but be patient with yourself and start small and build up to doing it for 20 minutes if you can - or more!
Once you have become present, still and hopefully found some silence, then SETTLE into your heart. This is your seat of wisdom, peace and rest. If you can stay in your heart all day you are doing better than I am LOL! But it's my goal - to live from my heart space all day. From there you can feel, but also perceive accurately so you can deal with everything with more grace. Your heart knows. Your brain thinks. There is a big difference! Feel into your knowing by focusing on being in your heart space, being still and listening.
So there you have it!
Another path to what I consider really succeeding. By starting to be more often, being more present, discovering and knowing who you really are, resting and restoring in stillness and silence, staying in your heart, you have the hallmarks to succeed at everything in life!
Let me know what you think and how you feel about these concepts - and if you were able to do the Burnout Buster Formula! Or if you have a better name for it I would LOVE you to let me know!
And I would love you to subscribe to my YouTube channel, Instagram and any other SM channel you visit! You can send me messages in any of the platforms and I hope I will find it! LOL.
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I created a little canva poster to remind you of this - click on this link to download it!
