Sit Still Enough to Know

                       

Dear Reader,

This morning I came across a simple thought:

“Don’t just do something, sit there! Sit there long enough each morning to decide what is really important during the day ahead.”
— Richard Eyre

At first, it seems almost backward.

We are taught to move… to act… to get things done.

Yet many of us have learned—often the hard way—that activity alone does not bring peace.
There are times when we are very busy… and still feel very lost.

We can rush into the day driven by impulse, fear, or the need to be seen.
And by the end of it, we may have done many things—but not the right things.

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Over time, through recovery and a spiritual approach to living, something begins to change.

We start to see the value of pausing.

Not as a way of avoiding life…
But as a way of entering it more honestly.

In those quiet morning moments—when we allow ourselves to sit, to breathe, and to reflect—
we begin to separate what is urgent from what is important.

And more than that… we begin to listen.

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Prayer can become a part of this stillness.

Not just in the asking… but in the waiting.

There is a difference between saying words and becoming quiet enough to receive something in return.

Scripture speaks to this in a simple but powerful way:

“Be still, and know that I am God.”
— The Bible

And also:

“Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings…”
— The Book of Mormon

These words suggest that guidance does not come from rushing forward—
but from being still long enough to be directed.

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In recovery, we are reminded:

“We pause… and ask for the right thought or action.”
— Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book

That pause becomes a turning point.

Because when we begin our day in stillness, we are less likely to be driven by old patterns—
and more likely to be guided by something better.

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This kind of stillness does not need to be long.

Just enough time to ask:

• What truly matters today?
• Where can we be of service?
• What is ours to do—and what is not?

And then… to listen.

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This is not a call to do less.

It is a call to live more deliberately.

Because when we skip this step, we tend to live by reaction.

But when we honor it—even briefly—
we begin the day with direction, peace, and a quiet confidence.

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A simple truth emerges:

Stillness is not a retreat from life—
it is the place where life becomes clear enough to live well.