Being Still

When its time to act you can hesitate. You have to take actions and you have to strike when the iron is hot. Taking action is very important and can be the most important thing to do at certain times, however there are other times when it’s best to do the complete opposite. ANd that is to be still. In the mists of a storm you can go out and try to take a lot of action because you may get caught up in the storm and it could cause you to get hurt, injured, or swept completely away. If there are troubled waters going on around you it is probably best to be still. Being still is another very beneficial trait to be equipped with especially when dealing with undesirable circumstances or situations that you can’t change or control. 

About 9 years ago I was moving to Los Angeles and I was so excited. I had hopes of working in a grand salon and doing celebrity clients. My imagination has always been so broad so I envisioned that I would come up quickly and that my talent would skyrocket me in the the limelight right away. That was definitely not what happened. I started out very positive and optimistic about my chances but when the reality set in and the real life circumstances came knocking I could see that I had probably bitten off more then I could chew with this endeavor. About four months in I had lost my car from yet another car accident, spend most of the money that I had saved for my relocating efforts, and was the furthest I could be from the hopes and wishes I had imagined for myself. I found myself in the lowest financial state I had ever been in as an adult and struggling emotionally mentally and spiritually. I was on the bus commuting from Santa Ana to Los Angeles everyday, barely retaining three clients a week, and extremely low on confidence in myself and my abilities as a person or a stylist. I had taken all the steps I knew at the time that were necessary, I had dedicated myself to showing up in the salon everyday rather I had a client or not, and I had did the most self motivating that I could muster for myself. I was in the mists of the storm and I had no choice but to be still. 

The set backs I encountered had really taken a tole on my spirit and my emotional confidence. Here I was low on opportunities and an even lower state of being. Now God has a way of telling you things. Sometimes he might try to tell you softly, then if you don’t listen he will tell you a little louder, then if you don’t listen after that he will tell you LOUDLY. When I look back on it God was trying to tell me to be humble and to slow down. I needed to slow down so that I could take things in. Sometimes slowing down and being still helps you to reassess the situation , take in more helpful solutions and maybe even  change course or direction so that you can stay on the “ right “ path. If your going to fast you could miss your turn. When you have a chance to clear your mind you can be in a position to receive answers to your questions. It’s not a race to get to the finish line, It’s a marathon. I had to be slowed down so I could pace myself while on my journey. Also while traveling you have to be humble and grateful for the road traveled. It was a lesson in taking my time and appreciating the journey. I had to learn how to be grateful for the things that I did have . By slowing down and being still you allow yourself the opportunity to discover the tools and aids that you already have. In this case it was my intellect; figuring out new ways to get to where I’m going, my body and strength; understanding that I had many abilities that enabled me to achieve, and my will; knowing that even through adversity I could still win. 

In the mists of the storm I had to walk, catch the train, and the bus to get work. While I did those things I had the opportunity to read. I read books that helped me to heal, nourished my warrior spirit, and motivated me back to action. When it was time to act I had the strength to act because I had spend the necessary time healing, and getting back on my spiritual growth. There were disciplines like my morning pages of appreciation, and prayers to God that I had stopped because my mind was preoccupied with trying to make it. I had humbling set back after humbling set back until I realized that I needed my spiritual and emotional nourishment to continue and survive my journey.
Thats why its important to just trust the process and when it’s time to let go and be still you have to allow yourself to trust in that process. Have to know that everything will be ok and that rather you can see it or not things are working out in the invisible on your behalf. 
When you have done your best and you have taken the action necessary to take at the time then all you can do from that point is be still. Be still in the faith of knowing that everything happens for a reason and what’s for you is what’s for you. A lot of times God’s protection can look like a storm but he may just be taring some things down so that new things have room to grow and form. That includes but is not limited to those structures and walls you have in your mind. You can believe one thing but then something happens that totally knocks those beliefs down. Then you have room to form new ideas and have faith that when you think your done, your actually just beginning. And we have an opportunity to begin again and again and then we can begin again even after that. 

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