And Trust your Heart

With the end of term last week time slipped away and I didn’t finish my weekly blog post on time. Was this procrastination? Was it lack of time management? Have I slipped off the yellow brick road? Should I reprimand myself for not getting everything done or is everything exactly as it should be? The way that we choose to look at things can make all the difference to the way we approach life and therefore our ultimate happiness throughout our life. I have come to understand over the last few months that taking time to just ‘Be Still’ and not pressure myself to do something every minute of the day is hugely important. We get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life so easily, often working really hard to please everyone else, and neglecting to take time out for ourselves. To take the time to sit quietly and allow ourselves space to calm our mind. We discussed months ago the difference between quiet thoughts rippling across a still pond compared to throwing the Empire State Building into a turbulent ocean and it not making any difference.

I mentioned two weeks ago (Week C10) this months reading of Scroll IX from Og Mandino’s ‘The Greatest Salesman in the World’ is about action, and discussed how procrastination is born out of fear. I know I was not procrastinating or afraid so my lapse must just have been due to poor time management!? Mandino says, “I act now, I act now, I act now,” and yet all through the Master Keys we are also being asked to take time to be still. Is this a contradiction of terms? What should we do? Be still or Act now?

I have come to the conclusion that we need to do both, at the right time. By first being Still and taking the time to quieten our mind and listen to our heart we will know what action to take, thus saving a lot of wasted time and effort running around like headless chickens and achieving little. So although I did not finish my blog post as scheduled, I was busy taking action in the moment over things that needed completing before the end of term. This was important because as I have mentioned previously this is not only the end of the school term for me, but also the end of many, many years as a woodwind tutor in a school that I have been very happy at, teaching some wonderful young people who I will miss deeply. So what have I learnt?

Last week my mind was turbulent. I did not sit and ‘Be Still’ as often as I would have liked and as a result I found myself not completing the things I intended. Now I can reflect and give myself time to ‘Be Still’ and listen to my heart, so in future when I act my efforts will be of more value and produce greater results. Work smarter not harder! I have set things in motion to ensure momentum and I look forward to a new chapter in my life.

“I remember the lesson of the firefly who gives off its light only when it is on the wing, only when it is in action. I become a firefly and even in the day my glow is seen in spite of the sun. Let others be as butterflies who preen their wings yet depend on the charity of a flower for life. I am as the firefly and my light brightens the world.” (Mandino)

In your busyness take the time to look around, to listen, to observe and give thanks for the fact that you woke up this morning. As I say goodbye to my pupils, I am trusting my heart and stepping into a whole new world.

“His heart told the boy what his strongest qualities were: his courage in having given up his sheep and in trying to live out his destiny, and his enthusiasm during the time he had worked at the crystal shop.” (Paulo Coehlo – The Alchemist)