Just stand still
🌞
It seems, of late, that the world is falling apart!
How does it feel to read that? Have you been feeling that way yourself, or are you wanting to reach across the internet and tell me how wrong I am; how I need to think more positively, have belief in a brighter future?
Confession – that statement was me paraphrasing the overwhelming sentiment in mainstream media, an information source incentivized to tell us what we are most likely to pay attention to. And, given that we are programmed to focus more readily on the bad (i.e. “Watch out, that sabre tooth is about to eat you!”), it might not always be the most reliable compass when you’re struggling with which path to choose next.
My perspective is more sanguine. I would say that we’ve seen it all before, perhaps not in our lifetimes, perhaps with different technologies, different cultures, but it’s at least a familiar disaster staring back at you from the morning tv/paper/app/blog/podcast.
Change is inevitable and the world will continue to eat itself, over and over again – this is why we develop symbolism such as the Ouroboros. So what can you do? You can choose to be swept away, becoming a willing participant in the chaos. As I’ve said before – any choice can be valid if you’re brave enough to face it.
My choice, however, and the path recommended by philosophers across the ages, is to stand perfectly still, whenever possible. I am not living in ignorance, as the world ‘goes to hell in a hand-basket’, but I am giving myself space to be curious, permission to not climb in the basket; to not seek comfort in the crowd.
There’s a lot to be learnt form others and the world around us – but I would argue strongly that if you don’t begin from a place of conviction, from stillness and certainty, you are at risk of being directed rather than learning. You have a glorious privilege to change your mind – but for that to be worth anything at all, you must first know it!
Here’s some of what I’m reading this week, in order to challenge, learn, and grow:
“All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” – Blaise Pascal, Pensées
“We are restless because deep in our hearts we know now that our happiness is found elsewhere, and our work, no matter how valuable it is to us or to others, cannot take its place. But we hurry on anyway, and attend to our business because we need to matter, and we don’t always realize we already do.” – Ryan Holiday, Stillness is the Key
“Whatever anyone does or says, I must be good. In the same way gold or emerald or purple were always saying this, whatever anyone does or says, I must be emerald and keep my color” – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.15
Finally, I hope that you remember to make time for yourself, try to take care of others, and search for joy in whatever you’re doing. Don’t worry if you don’t find it every day; just keep looking, just do the work – it’ll come.
Cheers,
Kyle
If you are searching for a line to live by, you could do a lot worse!