This virtue comes to me to me as a sign that silence and stillness is the order of the day. Troubles seem so oppressive, weighty and finding my courage is a chimera. I have noticed my mental jabber; thinking badly of others, obsessing over irrational fears and selfish desires, simply losing focus and appreciation for the world around me. Last night I read a quotation by Leonardo da Vinci that helped shift my frame of reference. It reads:
"While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die."
What this means to me is that this physical life is precious and I should not waste it. Letting myself fall into negative thinking - which affects my speech- only wastes time, it sends me backward in my personal development, so that I must spend more time trying to make up the difference. It hurts me spiritually, and it can terribly wound others. On the collective level, it hinders the development of civilization. Being still and reflective is what is called for today, not feverishly looking for solutions but tapping into the calm and peace at the innermost degrees of my being that tell me that all will be well. As I connect with this peaceful presence I will catch the tranquility that is always there amidst the chaos, and soothe my soul.
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