Getting Quiet to Get to the Inside of Me

“We need to acquire a heartful mind. This seems best done through the cultivated discipline of solitude, and the habit of recollection and auto-biographical thinking…going through the day with a quiet mind…. To make certain that he orders his time to conform to his hierarchy of values….Solitude begins when a man silences the competing voices…and listens to the dictates of his own heart…time…to discover my desires, my rhythms, my tastes, my gifts, my hopes, my wounds.”  –Sam Keene

Yes, solitude is so important and countercultural. Each of us has to make time to get in touch with him/herself, to quiet the self, and to be more self-aware. This time helps us stay true to our values and to order our lives accordingly–to discover everything about ourselves.  When life seemed the darkest, I went to beautiful places once per month for a day or two to sort life out. To pray. To read to understand. To rest my nerves. To heal. Probably THE most important soul-searching of my entire life! I try to practice the solitude habits of Departing Daily, Withdrawing Weekly/Monthly, and Adjourning Annually. I feel something unsettled within me when I don’t adhere to this new wellness habit.