Quietness

So I've been receiving emails from my school with friendly reminders like this: "Hey, don't want to bother you, just wanted to remind you that classes start the 26th. That's cool, right?" And I think, "Hey, school, thanks for being so cool and reminding me about that!" And then I'd sigh a big sigh of relief because the 26th is a Thursday, and I don't have class on Thursdays or Fridays, and then the next Monday and Tuesday are the Labor Day 4-day weekend, so I don't even really start school until the 4th! Awesome.

REALITY CHECK. Turns out the 26th is a Monday. I have class Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. And to top it off, I copied down someone else's work schedule so I had to go back and re-plan my entire week! So while nothing really changed, I am still trying to orient myself around this "new" schedule. But then on Thursday we leave for vacation, so while my poor inner calendar is all a-tizzy, I can't really be that upset about it. But more about vacation later!

In other news, I got my textbooks. Effie, who loves boxes, was thrilled.

Honesty! This last week I've been working on ground floor living. It's been mildly successful, but I am earnestly looking for a better way to remind myself throughout the day than to say to myself, "Oh, that wasn't completely straightforward. I'll have to do better next time." So if anybody has any good suggestions on subtle but effective self-reminders, I'll take them. 

This week I've also been pondering quietness. We all know the sayings and proverbs: "Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise..." (Prov. 17:28), etc. But those are more about keeping your mouth shut than finding a peaceful inner quietness. I've been struggling with focusing my thoughts and keeping my mind quiet - most of the time it's like a rave up there with things bouncing off the walls and making lots of noise. So on this path to simplicity, I'm finding it very important to learn to be quiet. 

The goal is to have this happening in my head, all day.

Why is this becoming so important to me now? Well, I'm entering a season of what feels like mounting chaos. Good chaos, mind you, but chaos nonetheless. Classes are starting (on Monday, not Thursday), I've got a great new job at an elementary school, a possible theatre opportunity, plus keeping up hours at the shop and making time for my marriage and my family, not to mention my health - it's starting to wear on me, and I haven't even started! So for the next couple of days, before the madness begins and I'm scrambling to attain some semblance of peace, I am focusing on quietness. 

Here's what our trusty friend Merriam-Webster has to say about quiet and peace:

Quiet: (n) the quality or state of being quiet; tranquility

            (adj) marked by little or no motion or activity; gentle, easygoing; not interfered with; enjoyed in peace and relaxation; secluded

            (v) to make secure by freeing from dispute or question - technically a legal definition, but I found it meaningful and relevant.

Peace: (n) a state of tranquility or quiet; freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions; harmony in personal relations

             (obsolete intransitive verb) to be, become, or keep silent or quiet (14th century)

(Emphasis mine)

As I get older, I find myself not just wanting, but needing quiet times and spaces. I can feel the cogs jamming up if the noise level is too high for too long, or if there's too much going on - my mind and body need a space to find quiet. Daily. So what does this mean for this upcoming season? Intention. I have to be purposeful about finding quiet - not an easy task where we are currently living, but if it means getting up early or getting out of the house, so be it.

How I find quiet:

• Yoga and meditation. This is a huge one for me. My favorite yoga studio is kind of a haul since we've moved and I can't find a spot in the house in which I feel comfortable getting my yoga on, so this is a challenge. I did manage to make it to a class this week and am signed up for one next week, so I'm working on this.
• Reading. Again, a challenge when every minute I spend reading for myself is a minute I probably should have spent reading a textbook, but I'll address it anyway.
• Having a cup of coffee outside in the morning. This is simply a matter of setting my alarm a little earlier and training myself to not hit snooze six times. Being outside is crucial to this - connecting myself to the earth is 
• Removing myself from electronics. I. Am. Addicted. To. Pinterest. Specifically the Geek section. This one is NOT a challenge, it's as easy as powering down. Okay, maybe it is a challenge.

Seriously. Every day.

Quietness is a challenge. It's a project. I'm not the first to undertake it; Hindus, Buddhists, Quakers, and so many others  have dedicated components of their spirituality to silence and inner quietness. It's a worthy and sometimes difficult goal, especially in our constantly moving, talking, jabbering world.

So for the next few days before the trip, I resolve to dedicate my mornings to practicing quietness in a way that will carry over throughout the day. I resolve to focus on thinking more intentionally and speaking less. And when we head to Aspen for our vacation next week, I resolve to power down completely - no phone, no iPad, no internet, no Facebook, no Pinterest - for the five days we're gone. I resolve to thoroughly experience and enjoy the quiet we will be given for those days. 

I plan to post once more before the trip, so until then, here's a picture of my cat refusing to drink out of her own dish:

Because why drink out of your fancy expensive water dish when you could drink out of Mom's cup?

"Ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent."

Psalm 4:4

"Let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit."

1 Peter 3:3-4

"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without."

- Gautama Buddha

"Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances."

- Mahatma Gandhi

"In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness."

- Mahatma Gandhi

"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls."

- Mother Teresa