What Calms You? #139
There’s a stillness in winter you can experience when it’s quiet enough and you’re outside with a gentle snow falling which is magical. Those of you who are not from cold weather climates may not have experienced this – it’s an occasional thing, not your daily experience if you’re outside in the cold.
Those who partake in snow sports know this experience. For me, it happens when I’m cross country skiing or snowshoeing in the evening away from city noise and bustle. I’ll stop moving, keenly aware of my surroundings and experience. I can feel the snow gently land on my face, then slowly melt as it meets the warmth of my skin. It’s a calm that’s hard to describe to others if you’ve not experienced it as it envelops you and provides an awe-inspiring stillness in your soul. When here, I am peaceful, clear and most of my concerns melt like the snowflakes on my skin.
While on vacation this week, I had a similar experience on the paddleboard. While it wasn’t the same stillness, I was the only one on the lake which was like glass. I was present to the stillness and the warmth; it was mid-morning and quiet. I stopped paddling and took it in. The quiet, calm and solitude enveloped me as it does in the winter, and I drank in the extraordinary beauty all around me.
I found clarity while taking it all in; the scope of my concerns reduced as I gained perspective.
As a leader, what calms you and helps you gain clarity? If you can’t cross country ski or paddleboard in pristine conditions, how do you practice readily to build your confidence, find peace and solve problems? Where do you find enough stillness to gain perspective on the worries and concerns of today? Do you have a practice for creating clarity? If not, learn more here.
Categories: Sue's Daily Blog
