Quiet
Mind
“The
best cure for the body is a quiet mind.”
Napoleon
Bonaparte
Monday morning at Lake
Martin, and the only sound is crows fussing at a hawk. My friend,
Rebecca, brought me here to have peace and quiet, time to recover mind and body. I don't know about you, but I have trouble resting at
home—there is always too much to do, and I can't keep myself from
at least attempting to do it. I understand that quiet mind should not
require going to a quiet place—that it should be something one
carries within—but I'm not so good at it. Sitting here on the porch
with the lake spread before me, and the sun hanging just above the
trees, quiet mind seems to be part of the landscape.
Napoleon Bonaparte, born
in the 18th century, obviously knew the benefits of
solitude and silence when it comes to healing, as well as leading. I
certainly don't think of him as a peaceful man, but a successful
battlefield General must have nerves of steel and clear thinking. He
had both. According to American writer, Mike Yaconelli, “Boldness
is quiet, not noisy.” And then, there is the instruction from Psalm
46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” What a hard time we
have applying that to ourselves—at least, I do.
Not everyone has the
luxury of retreating to a quiet place to rest and recover. I realize
what an incredible gift that is. We have to make our own places of
solitude within the busy noise of life. In order to do that, we must
have a modicum of boldness; the courage to recognize what is required
for us, individually, to achieve a peaceful mind and healthy body,
and make that a priority. We, in America, live in a culture that does
not support self-care other than working out at a gym, or running. Our ideas about how one achieves wellness all involve
activity, even when Yoga and Pilates are included. Choosing, instead,
to be still and quiet is almost an act of subversion. Yaconelli
writes that boldness is not something we are born with, but is a
choice we must make every day. Today, I hope you will be bold enough
to join the revolution of quiet mind and healing.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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