“The only thing that I know, is that I know nothing”
Monday 2 November 2020
The Cave
Wednesday 11 November 2020
Pressure or Present?
Be present.
And if you’ve had trouble with this in the past? That’s okay.
That’s the nicest thing about the present.
It keeps showing up to give you a second chance.
This quote from Ryan Holiday’s book, Stillness is the Key was too good not to share.
Stillness, mindfulness or the present are words that have become charged. We hear these on the regular nowadays, being promoted by our favourite Instagram influencer, podcast host or author.
And it’s because this message is incredibly valuable – now more than ever, we are realising the value of slowing down, taking a second to reflect, and giving ourselves the time and space to be mindful.
However, there is an art to communicating a message for maximal impact, and I think Ryan Holiday here, does an excellent job.
What I particularly enjoy about this passage is that it doesn’t pretend to be doctrine.
Unlike many who attempt to communicate this, Holiday’s quote is charged with empathy – almost as if he understands the difficulty of finding a minute to be still, rather than to be instructed from a place of superiority.
Stillness is difficult, and you are not a terrible person if you don’t know how to be present; regardless of how many people tell you that you should be meditating right now.
You’ve got kids; you’re flat out at work; you feel that there isn’t enough time in the day – the last thing you need is someone telling you that you need to meditate. You already know this.
Instead, come to the conclusion yourself, or engage with people who actually understand and empathise; who care about your growth, rather than how awesome they can come across because they told you so.
So regardless of where you’re at – struggling to stay afloat, or guilt tripping yourself because you don’t meditate – the fact that you just simply make an effort, is enough… for now anyway.
And if you don’t nail it the first, seventh or hundredth time, that’s okay. Because in the words of Ryan Holiday, “[the present] keeps showing up to give you a second chance”.
