Calm
Calm. The word conjures up images of relaxing in a hammock, unplugging from the world, or maybe listening to nature or some relaxing music. It is amazing how simply focusing on the word can immediately slow my pace and open up opportunities to feel calm. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy feeling calm.
When I feel calm, my heartbeat slows, tense muscles loosen, and breathing invites tranquility. For lack of a better word, it creates a Zen state. I imagine my cells and atoms gathering in a peace-full energy. Doesn’t that feel nice?
Before I sat down to spill these words on this electronic canvas, I was feeling harried and rushed, even a little overwhelmed. Now that I’m focusing on what it feels like to experience calm, stresses fall by the wayside, and my disposition feels softer. That’s nice. Can I stay here for a while?
Let’s imagine for a moment what calm looks like. Perhaps it’s like a still pond on a windless day, reflecting the serene beauty of its surroundings. It’s clear and reflective. I think that’s what happens to our hearts and minds when we allow ourselves to feel calm. That’s what I experience, anyway.
When things are in chaos, it’s easy to get caught up in the energy of that. Calm is usually the farthest thing from my thoughts when that happens. I’m still in training, but I enjoy being aware of the chaos and remembering that calm is still an option. I know, I know! It’s hard to remember what calm is all about when someone is needing this and someone else is needing that. Maybe you’re trying to get this done, and the world around you didn’t get the memo. Even then, though, calm is an emotion available to us at any moment. We just need to remember it.
What if we could bottle up our calm moments and then let them spill out when things get more chaotic? Wouldn’t that be nice? Go ahead, break that bottle filled with calm and let it spill out all over everything. That’s a nice sort of mess to have around. Spilled calm.
Emotions make our lives colorful…
Explore more feelings in the Stayin’ in Touch – Positive Emotions book. You can play with them when or wherever you like.