One of the greatest gifts that I received early in my recovery and family of origin work was the wisdom of a mentor who invited me to learn about stillness. I typically wanted to know what to do next in any given situation and she was encouraging me to practice being. It was very uncomfortable. I was conditioned to acknowledge the problem and then take action to solve it. We were "doers" in my family. We were "hard workers who knew how to get the job done."


   I remember one day I had a decision to make, or so I thought, and I sought her out for advice. I wanted to know what action to take and at the same time, be certain that it is was the "right" way to go. She held her ground with me and was both firm and loving. 


   "In eastern cultures," she offered, "waiting is an action." 


   I'd never considered that waiting was an action and that many times, it was the "right" action to take. 


   After years, this is anchored in my body, mind and spirit. I know that when there is a choice of actions to take, whether in my professional or personal life, the best thing that I can do for all involved is wait, be still and trust the clarity will come. Often in the action of waiting, circumstances unfold in such a way that the choice of any other action is made for me. In other situations, waiting gives me a deeper sense of lucidity and the next right step naturally emerges; resonating powerfully within me. 


Reaching out to others, prayer and meditation, breathing deeply, trusting a Higher Power and letting go are just a few of the tools for living more authentically that I learn in my spiritual program. 


Today-if clarity is not ever-present, I choose to wait as my action. I trust all will unfold as is should according to what is in my highest good. As long as I do my part to care well for myself and do my best to live within my own value system, I know my Higher Power will do the rest. Stillness becomes my comforting companion.