“At the still point of the turning world… there the dance is… and there is only the dance.” T.S. Eliot
We are in a time when things around us are going off the rails, speeding up, and changing faster than we can track. Technology, climate and environmental change, racial reckoning, institutional breakdowns, artificial intelligence, the global economy, the way we work and relate, how we bank, get around, get entertained. The overwhelm is real.
Unfortunately, overwhelm is also catchy. You can be having a perfectly nice day, and your neighbor spews out, “have you heard the latest about (fill in the bad-news-blank)!” Suddenly your nice day does a 180, and you’ve caught the anxiety bug. How do we now recover and recenter?
Overwhelm is the result of outer demands and fears exceeding our inner resources.
Inner resources emerge out grounded beliefs, thoughts, and actions. These inner resources are rooted in a deep inner knowing that stabilize us. These have the power to calm our shaky outer perspective. They enable us to corral the spinning chaos and place it a wider and wiser frame.
This inner resourcefulness emerges out of a contemplative way of being, a spiritual trust and practice. And if we are going to keep our balance amidst the winds of change and challenge, it’s not an overreach to say that contemplation is no longer optional.
The challenge is that contemplation is a lot like Goldilocks: The conditions have to be just right for it arise. If it’s too hot (i.e., too much anxiety or speed), its quieter, subtle ways get drowned out. If it’s too cold (i.e., we’re numbed-out or there’s not enough attention or intention), contemplation doesn’t get activated.
But the challenge is surmountable! Despite the demands of our warp-speed world, you and I can access and nurture the contemplative corrective. And when we do so, we are naturally a force that the world needs.
Contemplation can be supported by simple practices:
Seek out what soothes you: a walk, a prayer, a poem, a hug.
Express appreciation to your loved one, meditate, savor a sacred verse, sing a song you love.
Listen to music, hold your pet.
Each of these small steps can be a leap into a different world, one that renews you.
The world needs contemplative, soulful people like never before. Contemplatives carry an energy that heals. Contemplatives carry a rhythm amidst arrhythmia. Contemplatives can share a warm-heartedness that is a balm to the many who feel left out in the cold.
Through your contemplative practice, you can be a force the world needs.