H.U.G Corner: Thought of the Week

Quiet Mind: One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World

Most of us spend our days staring at the huge Mountain of Too Much. Because most of us have too much of everything in our lives, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.

One of the results of the Mountain of Too Much is that our attentions spans get shorter and shorter, simply because there is less time for everything and we have to move quickly or be left behind. And our culture accommodates this pace.

The format of this book is an example of that accommodation: short sections, easily read in a brief time. So also are the ideas behind this book- ways for busy people with full lives to become spiritually awake and recollected, to relax, and to manage stress.

The challenge is balance. Do we have the ability to pay attention for only a short span of time? Or can we still call upon the often-needed skill of concentrating for long periods, with ongoing attention? Can we stay with a good process even though it is long or old or out of style?

Or are we compelled to “skim the surface of experience, then quickly move on to something new” just because it is new? For if we only skim the surface of life, we will, necessarily, become superficial.

Time spent doing nothing is an antidote to superficiality. It encourages and develops the skills to focus and pay attention for both the short and long hauls and helps us to probe below the surface, not just skim it.

Identify a project that requires ongoing attention and ask: What kind of quiet time do I need to support and encourage my ability to stick with it?