Everything that we are seeking is within us. We would find the answers to all our questions, if we could only learn to be still.
Our habit of constantly projecting outwards keeps us moving in the wrong direction. No matter how engaged in the world we are or how productive we are, if there is no grounding in inner stillness, there is chaos. If not inside, we create chaos outside.
Can you imagine a moment when you are by yourself in stillness, without needing anything from outside? Without your phone, without your television, without your book. The day you learn to be comfortable by yourself, a whole other universe that is hidden within you begins to reveal itself. There are galaxies within us. All of the oceans, rivers and valleys are within us. We can find them only when we become still.
Being in a state of acceptance and appreciation helps us connect with our inner stillness.
What happens when you are appreciating something? Imagine looking at a beautiful flower. You are absorbed in its color, shape, and beauty. You are not thinking about yourself at that moment. When you are in a state of appreciation, everything else disappears. This is the beauty of appreciation. It takes you away from your story, your problems, your challenges, your likes and your dislikes.
There is no end to the mental confusion we create for ourselves by the constant thinking about “me and mine”. When we take a break from the incessant focus on ourselves and our problems, there is a little freedom, there is a little space for something new to emerge.
Whatever we are able to appreciate, be it music, be it a flower, be it a tree, be it a river, a mountain, whatever, can give us those moments of stillness, and that alone is meditation.
Appreciation plays a great role in our life. No matter what’s going on, may we be able to just stop, take a step back, and find something to appreciate. Appreciation brings sweetness in our hearts. When there is sweetness in our heart, stillness comes naturally and we connect with the wealth of knowledge that is already inside of us waiting to be discovered.
