I Just Stopped

Just now. Well, a minute ago – 13 minutes and 43 seconds ago, actually.

I stopped. I stopped moving. I stopped thinking. I stopped DOING.

I spent 13 minutes and 43 seconds BEING.

Okay, I spent about 7 minutes and 43 seconds BEING. I spent the first 6 minutes feeling restless and fidgety and uncomfortable. I played a calming raindrops meditation with some soothing music in the background, to clear my head, to recenter my being. And I thought. For 6 minutes I squirmed and thought, about all I’d gotten done today and all I still have left to do. I thought about the emotional pain I’ve been living through (putting myself through) and the love I’ve received. I thought about some others and what they might be going through.

Then – I remembered – take a deep breath and let it out, slowly, and with it, let everything go. Everything. Just BE.

And after the second deep breath I began to cry. I let the tears flow. Until they were all gone, for now, I let the tears flow.

After that it was easier. To spend the time BEING instead of DOING, or THINKING OF DOING.

When I felt a smile cross my lips, when I felt my cheeks pull up toward my eyes, I stopped the quiet time. I can continue. I am back where I belong.

I don’t know if you spend a good part of your day jumping from one task to the next. I do. I set timers. I take stretch breaks. I drink water. All that shit is DOING shit. Sometimes – and I forget to do this A LOT – sometimes we just gotta stop. And practice BEING.

Thanks for listening.