“It takes practice to hear your true desires. Your passion will often come as a whisper or a serendipitous event that reminds you of what’s important and what makes you happy.”
When I read this quote by Eckhart Tolle about practicing to get below “the noise of the world”, the reoccurring concept of being “still” with ourselves in order to gain insight, is a concept that most folks are unaware of.
As Tolle describes . . .therein lies the secret about how we find out what is really important and what makes us happy in a world that is chaotic and often scary and confusing. Today, as you know, so many folks are on a quest for the meaning of life and the pursuit of happiness. You can see it everywhere.
I can tell you that I love this journey. I love it when you meet up with friends and the conversation goes deeper than the political battles or entertainment gossip or what your cooking for the holidays. I love seeing my yoga class filled to the brim. I often wonder about their quest and the journey they are on. Isn’t it interesting how some people begin this search early on? I think of my 25-year old son who began the quest a year ago. And, my own journey not beginning, until I faced tremendous adversity in my life, some twenty years ago.
Below the noise of the world, we can uncover many things. For some, it’s about getting perspective on life and relationships. For others, it’s about being thankful for the many gifts we’ve been given. It could also be a realization that difficult and challenging times might be just simply be a transitional phase.
What has struck me more recently is that when we attempt (really attempt) to take away the “noise” (whether it’s shutting down to take a walk in nature, turn off the distractions of the radio or TV, lighting a candle while eating breakfast or dinner, taking a run at the gym or settling down to read an inspiring book) . . . that the those whispers of insight about happiness and importance really do come up.
It seems like we just have to make the space for the insight to surface. Without sinking below the noise of this very chaotic world, it seems like it’s an endless battle to get to that place of stillness. I am curious. . . as we move into full stride of the holiday season . . . whether you are working your way in understanding your true desires for this lifetime.
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