Stillness By the Water...

I have always liked stillness.

Stillness is that place where the "noise" of people, industry, politics, strife, social media, endless fear scrolling and other large portions of the human experience falls away, and all that remains is this moment and simply being in this moment.

Being in stillness doesn't necessarily mean being alone... once in a great while, you might encounter someone with whom you can be in stillness.

But it's rare.

Wonderful when it happens, though!

I have usually found my stillness near water; near the ocean; near lakes and rivers. Flowing water and breaking waves... or quietly lapping wavelets... helps me let go of the noise.

At times I fine it ironic — and maybe slightly disturbing — how the thing I love most in life is actually what scares the vast majority of people the most.

Knowing your authentic self and actually liking what you find — even if it doesn't fit the societal norm for How You Are Supposed To Be — is a powerful thing, and usually something that only happens in stillness.

It's where you truly get to "meet yourself."

Back in "another life," a friend/mentor once pointied out that our aloneness tends to increase in direct rpoportion to how well we know our authentic self, and how much we live authentically.

Thank you, Russ, for that... I hope you are in authentic peace wherever you are, now.

When the masks and facades we present to the outside world fall away and we simply become, it is also the point where we face the vastness of aloneness... and where we recognize how few people actually have the courage to be themselves.

I remember clearly how many people in my circle of (not exactly) friends were going stir crazy during Covid lockdowns because they felt "confined" and "consigned" to be only with themselves.

All the usual points of distractions were gone; not available.

What do we fear?

For many, it seems to be that we are not enough, when we are just being ourselves. Not ambitious enough; not lovable enough; not pretty enough; not funny enough; not intelligent enough... the list can be long, and it is often presided over by an "inner critic" that eternally points out these perceived shortcomings.

Water is the spiritual representation of our emotions. Our feelings, and the depth of those feelings. We experience them in stillness.

Very few are deep divers; most roam around in the shallows. Which has its place, to be sure.

This, perhaps explains the journey as well as any I have every encountered. John Koenig could be my spiritual brother...

And with that, I shall take my leave for this time around. I hope everyone is having a good and beautiful weekend... and if you are feeling the aloneness... know that you are not alone. Not really.

How about you? Are you comfortable with stillness? Or does it make you uneasy? Are you comfortable with your own company? Does the thought of being ALONE with yourself make you happy... or frightened? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — Not posted elsewhere!)

Created at 2025.03.22 22:55 PDT
x930/2164