There is no day that is completely similar to another, even if our impression tells us otherwise. Days and weeks have their fluctuations. The alternation of highs and lows can only exist to teach us exhilaration and resilience. Quietness, which is often mistaken for monotony, plays an essential role in life: it offers us a break in a race that can often seem frantic. The slowing down and even the slowness are useful to teach us the virtues of planning which is impossible when we are caught in the tumult of the action.
These moments of retreat are opportunities for recollection and contemplation designed to grow the seeds of our meditation on the world. When we stop running, it is really at this moment that we can admire a landscape or correct our trajectory. That’s pretty much what happens when the swell disappears and we can finally see the horizon. A day without wind is not necessarily a lost day for a sailor. There are always tasks he has neglected while absorbed in the heat of the action.
To tame the calm is to recognize its benefits and to accept this dimension of life that we tend to underestimate. Choosing to develop yin and yang characteristics, both inwardly and outwardly oriented, is essential if we are to develop tenacity in the face of the world’s variations. Cultivating these two aspects will make us more complete and prepared for the tumults over which we have no control. It is only our mind that we can learn to dominate.
