bcg blog

​Being Still or Still Being

Shhh ... Listen ... Hear that?
No - you don’t hear anything? Beautiful, isn’t it?

Quiet is a sought after destination for everyone looking to perform with excellence consistently, yet it’s one of the first things that escape our minds, and one of the last things we seek when we’re in trouble. The crazy thing is, we all know exactly where quiet lives - and where it doesn’t. 

It doesn’t live in our phones and it doesn’t live in the demands of our jobs.
It doesn’t live in Netflix series and it doesn’t live in our favorite book.
It doesn’t live in a night out with friends and it doesn’t live in family game night.
It doesn’t even always live in an evening alone at home.

Quiet lives where, and when, we are still. Stillness of mind and stillness of body seem to go hand in hand, and often do - especially when we are first learning to be still. For those consistently performing at their highest level, they find a stillness of mind in the midst of chaos. It’s this stillness of mind that we need to master.

Why Should We Care?
Most of us are “Still Being”, not “Being Still”.

Still being a victim. Still finding an excuse. Still complaining. Still worrying. Still wishing. Still not sure what we want. Still waiting for our break. Still hoping he’ll change. Still … Still … Still. It never ends.

If we would take the time to actually Be Still, we would gain the clarity needed to realize that so much of things we are still being is a waste of our time. Being still is our catalyst for action. It slows all of the commotion and trivial activity to a halt, allowing us to dissect and investigate what is reeling going on in our head, and heart. 

The absence of stillness results in exactly what we see so prevalent in society today - scores of people with no true identity of their own following a bunch of other people with no true identity of their own. We end up with copies of copies without anyone truly knowing what they want out of life. 

Why do you think those with true purpose and vision are so catalyzing? Because they’ve been still long enough to know what they believe, and understand that being still is the key to refreshing that vision. It allows them to persist and overcome challenges because of the clarity of their mission.

REAL TALK - Action Steps
Here are a few key steps to moving towards some Jedi / Ninja stillness that will help you slow down and prioritize stillness as part of our personal health.

• Put Down Your Phone
  
  • This seems obvious, but no one does it. Turn your phone off for 10 minutes per day. You pick the time, but stick to it. During that time, find a quiet place without distractions and do nothing. You could walk in nature or sit in your basement, but the key is to enter into the time with no agenda.
    

• Your Breath is Your Anchor
  
  • Stillness is centered in your breathing. During your quiet time, become aware of your breath and eliminate all other thoughts. There are several great breathing exercises to choose from outside of traditional meditation. My personal favorite is Box Breathing.
    

• Stay Present
  
  • The most significant gift Being Still provides is the ability to stay present - not in past mistakes and not in future opportunities, but completely in the present moment. This is the heart of mindfulness and living an intentional life. The present moment is where all of our power and impact lies.
    

Stop making excuses and justifying not doing it. You know it’s important and you know you’ll be better for it. Commit to being still. Put it on your schedule. Thank me later.

For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. 
We would love to know how we could help!

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