Be still and know that I am...
This phrase is borrowed from the well-known Christian Biblical psalm 46:10
Be still and know that I am God.
Within the totality and context of this psalm, God implores the people to cease their conflict, acknowledge his presence, and appreciate the place of a higher Deity in their lives. It is a plea for calm and a request for peace during a time of turmoil and confusion. It is a call to censor the mind, bring it to rest, and allow the heart and soul to listen and respond instead. Whether or not one is religious, these words serve as a reminder that we all need to pause regularly for reflection in our daily lives.
As human beings, we are social animals, and it is within our nature to crave for and thrive on connection with others. Some people may be more reclusive and shy away from the crowd, favouring the quiet of their own presence, but this does not mean that they don't still need or occasionally still seek out the company of others. The constant noise and busyness of the outside world, however, and the cacophony of the voices within ourselves, serve only to disrupt us over time from our true purpose and authentic self. We, therefore, need to provide space in our lives to embrace solitude and silence. To remove all forms of distraction so that we can reconnect with our intrinsic beings. In order to do this, we need to censor those voices in our lives that prevent us from experiencing a life of true fulfillment, and this means both the voices within and those from without.
As creatures in an advanced Earthly evolutionary state (compared with others in the animal kingdom), we are each blessed and imbued with a multi-faceted, complex amalgam that comprises our personality, layered on top of a sub-strata of values and beliefs. We are rational beings but we speak with a multitude of voices, some of them sitting at the forefront of our character, others hiding in the shadows.
We each have a choice as to which parts of the me we choose to censor in our daily interactions with others and which parts of the me we choose to show. For some, this is a necessary and conscious process that they undertake in order to integrate with society and find their place within a plethora of different social circles, whose interests and ideas may not overlap. For others, the process happens off-camera so to speak, within the subconscious workings of the mind, such that they appear to have an inherent ability to connect across the spectrum of humanity, without compromising their authenticity. It is this ability to connect on different levels with different individuals in a way that allows you to understand competing perspectives and appreciate differing viewpoints, without the threat of sustained dissonance and aggression permeating the narrative and leaving bitterness in the aftermath of connection, that we should all strive to achieve.
Then again, you have those who choose to present a facade of themselves; some who come well-intentioned, whilst others who come from a darker place within. They both pretend to be something that they are not. They censor parts of their being that they don't want others to see, for fear that these parts may drive people away as opposed to drawing them in.
When we choose to censor a part of our personality that makes us feel less than in comparison with others eg: shyness, timidity, impotence; when we seek to suppress these parts of our being in favour of a facade, we attempt to live in a world construct that does not fit us at a soul level. We suppress who we are in order to protect ourselves, to prevent exposing our vulnerability to our peers, for fear of rejection. We may do it with good intention for ourselves and with no harm meant towards others eg: an introvert may actively suppress their desire for seclusion and push themselves in order to engage more, to connect more. Unless this is done carefully, with insight and measure, it can slowly destroy who we are and push us beyond our own emotional and mental capability and capacity, potentially to a tipping point, which if reached, can result in irreversible damage to our being and an unhealthy denouement. When we drive our innate needs deep beneath the surface, the mental health issues that can derive from such displays of inauthentic behaviour are immense and are sadly commonplace in our society.
Then there are those voices within our personal space or our professional spheres which will stop at nothing and think little of placing their innate drive for ambition and achievement above the needs of all those whom they climb over in the process, as they haul themselves up the proverbial ladder of success. They will use, abuse, and manipulate. They are motivated variously by greed, power, and lust, and will trample on the hearts and minds of their fellow human beings, without blinking an eye, in sustained pursuit of their desired outcomes. Because to them, it is their selfish right. Sometimes we will witness a brazen display of these qualities in full view of their victims, who are often powerless to oppose them (think corrupt world leaders in governments scattered around the globe). But others; others will do things far more surreptitiously. They come forth as reimagined avatars, wearing the silks of another. They draw in their victims, showing the world a raft of different faces. They remain centred on the original nature of the animal that once burned brightly inside each one of us. The animal whose essence still flickers within a few and whose flame is ignited willingly by those who choose to rely on instinct, survival of the fittest at all costs, reactive aggression, denying the evolutionary phases that humanity has progressed through over the millennia. Evolution tells us we have moved on from base instinct towards moral fortitude, but somewhere along the line, a few have lost their way. They have chosen to censor those little voices within that appeal to any remnants of good that may remain.
Always, these little voices within us seek gently to chide our misguided souls. The voices of reason, truth, integrity, goodwill, and conscience are often suppressed, denied a place, censored by arrogance, greed, the need for power and control. Those little voices which ordinarily pound angrily within our hearts, within our minds, when poor decisions are being made...those little voices cry silent tears when a soul is lost to the void.
And so I ask that each and every one of you find time for reflection; time to consider your place in the world. Time to censor and shut out the external noise that pollutes your space. Time to quieten and quell the ongoing wars within your own mind. To find a quiet repository where you can be at one with yourself and your own thoughts. Where you can censor everything around and inside of you that seeks to interfere with tranquillity.
The opening lines of Max Ehrmann's 'Desiderata' tells us:
GO PLACIDLY amid the noise and the haste and remember what peace there may be in silence.
and closes with the words:
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. Desiderata,1927
So, when all is said and done, will you choose to remain true to yourself, true to your passions, your beliefs, and your values, despite the allure of worldly pursuits? Will you choose to censor the voices that hide in the shadows enticing you to make poor choices, and allow the little voices of reason, truth, light, and conscience to shine? When you connect with others, will you go forth as a reimagined avatar wearing the silks of another, or will you remain an authentic, honest, and trustworthy human being, striving to live up to all that you were meant to be?
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