Stillness

As I searched my mind for a topic to discuss in this blog post, I continued to hit a wall of tiredness and blankness.  No ideas came rushing my way.  I considered doing even a single picture and inviting readers to tell me what they saw in it so I did not have to write a complete post.  While I still appreciate that idea- and may use it in the future- a light bulb finally illuminated my headspace.  During an extremely frustrating moment of my day while I stewed with fear, doubts and anger, a desire for peace stormed my soul castle.  I "glared" at the intruding longing, upset at its arrival because I felt peace beyond my reach in the moment.  Nothing inside of me possessed even a seed form calm to grow from!  In desperation, I pulled up my blog to keep busy.  As I chose first one picture, then another and another, a thought struck me.  If I cannot find stillness within my soul, why not look at photos I had taken during "better" days and find calm within them?  Even pictures of motion presented a sense of peace.  Thus, I write this post with pictures chosen before the content came to mind.  I will wrestle over each photo, trying to find the calm in its story.  I encourage you to try the same with these pictures, your own photos, or scenes occurring right now in the world around you.  I'd love to hear about the results of your search!

I began with an easier one :)  Here lies a sense of floating over the dark, ominous clouds, untouched by their troubles yet able to admire their texture from a new perspective. 

The quality of endlessness proves a controversial thing.  Desirable scenarios such as deep love, intimate connection, unconditional acceptance and joyful laughter most people desire in endless quantities.  However, switch the phenomenon to pain, separation, loneliness or loss and endless becomes the last thing one wants.  However, I find the clouds in this picture neutral.  It piques my curiosity: what would endless neutral feel like?  Predictable, secure, probably boring.  While it causes me to give thanks for the "color" keeping my life from becoming boring, in a moment of frazzled-ness I escape to the calm of neutrality in the clouds.

Rejoice with those who rejoice... this photo throws me a strange lifeline: although I wallow in pain now, joyful times exist and souls rejoice right now.  Each scenario comes to pass.

At the edge of the crowd, the subject of this picture watches.  Watches eagerly.  Maybe I feel left out or left behind, yet here lies stillness in watching from the side: not neglected, simply connected to humanity from a distance for now.

Here I find calm which arises from digging one's hands into the textures surrounding one and experiencing on this basic, grounding level: the peace of holding.

The peace of a new perspective shines, literally, through the holes scattered throughout the pot's walls.  While the pot no longer serves its original purpose of holding water, it holds warmth instead- warmth touching hearts with a comforting atmosphere.

Although maize and beans grow into strikingly different plants, they sit together here as seeds.  Seeds all waiting for soil, water, and a journey to growth.  They display the peace found in recognizing similarity amidst difference.

Children never fail to send joy into my heart whenever they smile, greet me or surprise me with an embrace.  Their innocence, complete trust, simplistic outlook at life and joy over "small" realities challenge me.  They carry with them a unique peace as they march through the mountains and valleys of life.

Here we see the stillness of the sunlight.  Its rays penetrate any emotion, shining on ugly realities and joyful scenarios alike.  It provides a constant amidst the chaotic world.

Sponges reap no glory for their hard toil providing cleanliness.  Nevertheless, observe the joyful colors of these sponges floating serenely across the bubbly water.  Why not find stillness in simple purposes?

Although I associate curiosity with activity or movement through growth, this photo seems to capture the stillness within curiosity that most miss.

Here lies the stillness of one's soul in dwelling upon the love pouring into one rather than examining shortcomings in oneself or one's life.

Nature never fails to provide me a soul-felt calm.  Yet this basket of produce strikes a new thought: why not find stillness from nature's every form, not simply quiet forests or lakes?

Despite hard work proving just that- hard- there's a sort of peace which comes from looking at the results of even one step, not to mention hours of toil.