The Art of Being Still...

To Be Still....

Sometimes the world sends us a message and we are too busy to listen. I have recently found emphasis in certain passages referencing the art of listening and being still. I am without a doubt someone who likes to move quickly through life. I have never had very much patience and never really understood why it is said that patience is a virtue. I mean really, why wait when you can have it now? Recently however I am realizing that when you move so quickly through the moments that add up to the sum of your life you lose a large portion of the magic.

Last night I was reading a book when I came across a passage referencing this concept. I fell asleep thinking about it because I felt like this message is much needed in my life. Can we master anything if we are not truly there in a full capacity? Can we realize that moment and listen to the answers in the earth's vibrations if we do not take a moment to be still? I do not consider myself a religious person but I am a spiritual person. I say that with tongue in cheek because though I try to have the hard conversations with myself and though I think deeply I am usually moving too quickly to actually learn anything. It seems every task I take is a process of many steps towards completion and I have become one of those people who realizes that sometimes I cannot quite remember the individual moments of the day, as it has all become a blur. Do we respect the task at hand when we spend the moments doing it thinking only of the next task at hand? Can we offer anything of ourselves to the moment if we are not really there? These are just some of the thoughts going through my head. I have perfected the art of completion. Mastered the ability to move through life quickly but am I willing to also learn the opposite and accept a full moment of being still? How can I possibly learn anything in this life if I do not take a moment to appreciate where I am?

 So today I took the first small step in learning to focus on the task at hand. I began fabricating this ring and I actually allowed myself to enjoy each stroke of the file, to watch the process of the flame on metal, to see the flow as the solder moved. I spent the time working on this ring only on fabricating this ring. I tried not to let my mind wander but to master the moment. I found a forgotten respect for my craft. I had forgotten to the point that I didn't even realize it was missing what an amazing experience it is to just fabricate one piece. I will admit that after the process, as fulfilling as it was, I immediately forgot all about mastering the moment and went back to warp speed.  Now at the end of the night though I find myself reflecting on how important this first step was. If I can be aware of this missing element in my life perhaps I can move towards satisfying it. In the past I have often thrown the words, "live in the moment." around but never really sought their meaning and never was it described to me as disrespect but when I read this passage I realized that truly is what you are doing, disrespecting the task at hand. Especially in the studio where these tasks are meant to fill my soul and balance my spirit.