The Power of Being Still

My older daughter threw a quote at me yesterday that I really had to think about. It was from the movie, The Karate Kid. Mr. Han, played by Jackie Chan, says, "Being still and doing nothing are two very different things."

Once she explained the scene from the movie I better understood its value. One of the lead characters in the movie had an encounter with a snake and was able to prevent it from attacking her by being still-slowing down her breathing, thinking of calm thoughts, etc. In response, the snake too became much more calm. Mr. Han's point was that just stopping any movement was not enough to calm yourself...and the snake. You had to make a conscious effort to stop and remain still-not just stop.

When is the last time you took time to be still? To listen to your breathing and slow it down. To really relax your muscles and engage in some positive visuals that brought your blood pressure in line with where it should be? I think too often we just STOP long enough to sleep or when we have to wait for something, and rarely enjoy the benefits of actually being still.

Another benefit of "being still" is that it encourages those around you to do the same. And when we are relaxed and focused, we all make better choices than if we are full of adrenalin-or trying to immediately stop its flow through our bodies (try running toward a cliff and stopping just before you get to the edge).

So today, why not take a moment or two to be still. You might find that you have a much better chance of dealing with all the things around you waiting to "attack" your time and energy.