Really…How Hard is it to Sit Still??

I take a lot of advice from my mother. I trust her process because I can vouch for her outcome. So, when she told me that one of the first things she taught us was to sit still on the couch in our church clothes while she got dressed, you had better believe I started those same lessons of “sit still and don’t move” with my girls early on.

Fast forward 12-14 years and we are still working on that skill. Why? Because sitting still is HARD!

(Honestly, I’m still trying to learn how to do it right)

French philosopher, Blaise Pascale once said, “Most of man’s troubles comes from the inability to sit still”.

Sitting still is probably one of the hardest things to do, especially in today’s world.

Our brief lessons on finding peace in the quiet times at home during quarantine shutdowns have come and gone for most of us. We are back in the routine of “rush, rush…go, go”.

It’s amazing how quickly we forgot the serenity we experienced when we were mandated to take time to rest, reflect and sit still. We have replaced that time with “busy-ness”, once again.

There are so many reasons to be on the go. We are racing around trying to make life better, yet we are stressed and cranky. Many of us are spiritually, and emotionally running on empty.

Being still allows us to refuel and reflect.

When we sit still and do nothing, we allow our minds to reflect on our surroundings and gain perspective.

Think of it this way:

When you are on a merry-go-round, it isn’t until the ride completely stops that you start to understand where abouts regarding the world outside of the merry-go-round.

Being still helps us to get in touch with our feelings and emotions.

Unfortunately, this may be one reason so many avoid being still. But getting in touch with feelings and emotions allows us to make room for creativity.

You are more creative and productive when you are stilling still. When we are sitting still, we can reflect on the decisions we make or are getting ready to make.

Being still does not mean “time to sleep” but it does mean rest.

My girls have always been opposites when it came to bedtime. My youngest would fall asleep within seconds of us placing her down in her crib and my oldest would do anything BUT fall asleep – she would talk and sing to herself, play, and of course, cry. The nights she cried broke my heart the most.

I knew she was extremely tired, but she would fight it. Her fight to stay up and be a part of the world reminds me of me!

Sometimes we fight rest, but even GOD rested. If He saw the importance of relaxing and taking a “time out”, then who are we to not sit still and rest?

Being still does not mean you are unproductive.

I hate to sit still and do nothing because I think I am missing out on something or even worse, being lazy.

But I’m learning…

There is wisdom in sitting still.

There is peace in sitting still.

There is faith in sitting still.

Find some time each day to STADN (sit still and do nothing)!

Turn off EVERYTHING. Just sit and think about nothing. Don’t force yourself to think about any issue – just watch the grass grow or the sun go down.

Stay Tuned…

I introduced “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” to my students a few months ago. Their response to the song was more than I was expecting – they LOVED it , and they still reference it today.

We all need rest. We all need time to do nothing and reflect.

Listen to the mellow voice of Otis Redding and don’t just enjoy the surface of the song. Dig into its meaning and purpose and know that you are not really wasting time when you sit still, you are revitalizing it.