BLOG 124: CHILLAX

“All mankind's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet place alone” Blaise Pascal French Philosopher, mathematician, and scientist, thought to be one of the greatest minds western history.

CHILL OUT!!! How often do we hear those two words... and how often do we not do exactly that! Such a pity as I truly believe that the inability of humanity to chill out is probably our greatest failing. (This belief is not revolutionary, old Blaise Pascal was saying much the same in the 1600's).

It's not difficult to understand that pausing helps one understand where one is, and more importantly where one needs to go next. And yet we just don't seem to allow ourselves the time to do this. It's almost as if we believe that in taking time to take stock, we would somehow lose our place in the forward march... that we may be trampled by the rest of our species unrelenting surge forward. Which of course is total and utter hog wash! WHY would anyone wish to keep pursuing a path without evaluating if the path that one is on is even the right one?

It is a liberating experience to just sit somewhere on your own and be quiet. Actually not only liberating but illuminating. It is only by sitting quietly we can appreciate how busy (appropriately or otherwise) we actually are. It is only by not propping everything up for a moment that we can see if it can stand or fall on it's own merit. It is only by not saying everything that comes into our heads for a moment that we can see if it ever needed to be said. Clarity often comes not by endless debate, discussion or action but just by taking a pause.

So many of the actions we choose to take happen because it seemed like the logical next step. The Domino Effect. The domino in motion WILL fall on the next which in turn will fall upon the next infinitum. A domino doesn't go sideways or back ways, or up in the air... the logical place to fall is forward. It's the pace that dictates the movement. Dominoes once in motion cannot pause, they just do what is predictable. Which is fine if you are a domino. But chance are you're not! (Web scan didn't reveal too many rectangular tiles covered in dots among the 18,974 active readers!) So given that like me you are a person, wouldn't it be great to make decisions that are creative, individual ... and above all right? It's a proven fact that we make our best decisions when we pause, regroup then act.

Funny enough, we seem unable to trust this obvious piece of logic. It all seems just a bit tree hugging hippy-like to chill - surely action is the only way to get things done. We feel that if we just keep on moving everything will work out, that a good result can only be obtained by action.

Of course we know that we are not infallible. But we live our lives like we were driving with the sat nav on - so much more expedient than parking up, getting out the car and looking at the landscape. Who has time to stop and drink in the landscape when we have a destination to get to? So on the odd occasion that we do feel hesitant about the next step, we simply just turn our head to the person next to us and ask their advice.

It is a stunning fact that we somehow think that the answer is somewhere if only we know who to talk to about it. You assume that for an objective point of view one must go outside yourself. But stop. There is someone who has known you from fertilisation onward... this person has a vested interest in ensuring the best for you. But do you ever give this person a chance? NO. But who is this person you ask? Well ding bat it is YOU. It sounds almost too simple to be true but by finding somewhere to sit down and be quiet... you get to hear something you can't hear normally. Your inner voice. By being quiet, you begin to hear it... and learn to trust it, and surprisingly find out that it's prompts provide directions to the answer you need.

But chilling out isn't just for finding solutions to life's dilemmas. How many times do you hear the words.. be creative? To function in the modern world one must have new ideas... one must create. Despite the thinking of 1980's (where sitting around in a room shouting random ideas became vogue), the route to true creativity comes through silencing the chattering mind. Empty your head and think of nothing. Thinking simply is cogitating things that have happened already. By just chilling out you allow the mind to create something new.

Actually while you enjoy sitting around being empty headed... chilling out gives you the kind of rest that sleep only wishes it could. Chilling out is really good for your health. When you chill, you are totally concious but in a state that allows the body to give your mind a chance. The rhythm of your body slows, the drawing of breath slows, the pounding of your heart slows. This is inner silence, YOU letting do and letting be. More that relax... it's Chillax as the teenagers say! Sit down and be quiet - then go back to rushing about – then sit down and be quiet. It's a natural rhythm like waves on a beach... in fact like all of nature... active-inactive-active-inactive. It's actually how things that succeed work. Anything that breaks this law of nature eventually goes into premature permanent non-activity.

The world really does not crash around ones ears if you retreat to your quiet place. All hell does not break lose the moment you take your eye of the ball. In fact chilling out allows you to not only see the ball clearly but also your options... catching may not be your only one. Honestly I don't hold with all that hippy dippy stuff. Chilling out does sound a little tree hugging hippieish I know. BUT I really do think that if we all made time for just chilling out, we may make better choices than some the ones we make whilst we are at pace. You'd have never find Isaac Newton hugging a tree... but you could have sure find him chilling out under one... and look what happened as a consequence of that!

Chilling out creates possibilities. It widens vision. It clarifies hearing. It makes people nicer and more aware of their place in the bigger picture. It's also VERY VERY good for you.

So try it PLEASE.

Before you knee-jerk into the next action... pause.

Chillax.

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