A Tiny Core of Stillness
Water has a calming effect irrespective of its form.
The stillness of a lake, the gentle flow of a stream, the rhythmic waves of the beach, the vast expanse of the ocean, and the cascading flow of a waterfall — each offers calm in their own way.
I remember spending countless summer afternoons sitting at the Marina beach, under the shade of a closed bajji shop, looking at the waves and listening to the music of “The journey”.
Back then, I had no job, and was making very little money from my freelancing gig. I had very little going on in my life, and I had nothing much to look forward to. But, being there at the beach, and looking at the waves, made my world fade away. I felt better every time.
Now, a decade later, I find myself in a different place. I have achieved many of the things I once lacked and wished for, but with progress comes a new set of problems and challenges. I guess life has a way of sneaking up on us.
When things got tough before, I used to be clueless (I still am!). I would panic, become anxious, and my brain would get overloaded with too much thinking, which only made my anxiety worse.
Recently, I found myself in a similar situation that left me feeling angry. But then, I decided to take a step back and see how I could handle this better. I sat in a tea shop, trying to process my emotions, and I got reminded of the poem “Nothing to Save” by D.H. Lawrence.
There is nothing to save, now all is lost,
but a tiny core of stillness in the heart
like the eye of a violet.
I realized, irrespective of everything that's going on, we have a piece of calmness within ourselves — like water that has a piece of calmness underneath, irrespective of its form.
I guess that little piece of calm is enough to keep us afloat when things become difficult. Finding that calmness amidst all the chaos is not easy. But, it is essential to keep us sane.