Dwell Slowly on Beautiful Things…
“It always pays to dwell slowly on the beautiful things – the more beautiful the more slowly.” —Atticus
When feeling stretched by all that’s on your shoulders or worried about world events, sometimes the best thing to do is to slow way down.
Breathe deeply, gaze softly upon the beauty around you or in a beloved photograph, and rest in the moment.
“The world may feel like it’s spinning out of control, but you don’t have to. Anchor into your breath. Slow your pace so that you can remain clear.” — Hania Khuri-Trapper
Sometimes all the rushing is just in our head as our brain jumps from one thought to the next. And other times there really is a lot to get done. In either case, “slow your pace so that you can remain clear” feels like really good advice amidst the chaos of these times.
And maybe a pause to gaze upon a flower or other beautiful thing can bring clarity and peace we didn’t even know we needed.
May you dwell slowly on beautiful things, those you love, and the gift of breath. And in this dwelling time, may you find peace.
Going Slow
“In an age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention.” —Pico Iyer
A Time Out
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
—Anne Lamott
If We Can Stop
“If we can stop, we have the chance to touch into something deeper than overwhelm. This practice of pausing, or stopping, helps the seed of our question to mature and ripen into the guidance and direction we need.”
—Kaira Jewel Lingo
For When I’m Rushing
Amidst the sunflowers
in full flagrant flowering,
I, too, begin to sprout
fat orange petals
and feel my head heavy
with growing seeds.
My mind becomes sun-drunk
and I gold and I spiral.
This is why you might see me
standing still in the garden
amongst the thick stalks,
though there is much to do.
Some animals freeze
as an instinct to survive,
and that may be true of me, too,
but I am not still out of fear.
Stillness saves me
not because I hide,
but because peace
seems to find me more
easily then and the body
unclenches and becomes
a blooming thing that lives
for the sake of blooming
right here where it’s planted.
—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, September 8th, 2024, daily poem, as featured on ahundredfallingveils.com
