All of these “S’s” are hard. This one is hard, too. I know. But I got to wondering as I discovered the Five S’s that if the reason they are so powerful, especially if used in combination with one another, is because they are indeed difficult to practice. I think that may especially be true for people with leadership responsibilities.
But then, I also thought about the adage “anything worth having is worth working for.” Putting all these S’s in practice may be work, but this one…stillness… means we are NOT working. In fact, it’s the absence of work for a while.
Author Martha Beck says that doing nothing is the most productive activity you will ever undertake. By doing nothing she means literally doing nothing. Not problem solving. Not planning. Not even prayer. Doing nothing is being still, quieting your mind and just being.
This is so hard in our social media world. All kinds of noise, both audible and visual, crowd into our minds leaving us exhausted. So just for a little while be still. Shut everything out. Turn off your mind. Close your eyes. Think of nothing. Be STILL.
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. – Exodus 14:14 (NIV)
