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A Lesson from Sister

I can still hear my seventh grade teacher's voice: “David, go to your place! Be still and pay attention!” She didn't say “Be quiet!” but always “Be still!”, which implies not only a lack of noise but a lack of movement as well, a quietude of the whole person.

You have long since left the realm of schoolchildren, but these words are just as important—no, more important—because now you can know their real power: Practicing stillness and attention can change your life, especially as your practice gains power and effectiveness.

Here are a few questions to consider:

What is your way of being still? In which place are you likely to be when you are still—inside, outside, in a particular room or space? In what posture would you tend to be—sitting, standing, lying down?

Are you someone for whom being still is particularly difficult or challenging? Could you practice being still while walking?

When you are indeed still, to what is your attention drawn? How do you think about paying attention? That is, what does it mean to you?

Armed with this description of what paying attention looks like for you, you won't miss the opportunities to practice it. You will be ready when the moments for stillness come.

Sit down, be still, and pay attention!

—Sister Mary Odilo

Today pick a few moments to sit down, be still, and pay attention.