From the book “The Power of Stillness:”
“Rather than an unrelenting burden of striving, progression can be experienced as a constant excitement of endless expansion. So many of the precise details of earth life converge to allow a unique and ongoing adventure of choosing and becoming.
Growth and learning can be pursued in a gentle and deeply patient way that reduces stress and suffering. Handling and pushing ourselves (and others) roughly toward progress is anti-Christian.
Goals and plans can be approached as meditations on unfolding hopes and intentions rather than something to merely get done.
Mindful growth begins with powerful acceptance, grounded in the love of God for us right now—in the middle of our messes. Mindful presence helps us to stay calm and less reactive, thus increasing our agency to make choices in line with our core values.
Acceptance is not the same as resigning oneself to challenging conditions forever. Rather, it is to be here and now, in a calm and wise way, enough to know what to do next.
Stillness is not the enemy of seeking. It is not an escape of seeking. It is not an escape from reality, duty or action, either. Any opportunity for contemplation can help settle our hearts and ground our decisions in a deeper wisdom—thus increasing our power and effectiveness.
By Authors Jacob Z.Hess, Carrie L. Scarda, Kyle D. Anderson, Ty R. Mansfield, The Power of Stillness (Deseret Book, 2019) 121-22
(Posts with a preamble asterisk * are for a more general audience, and not specific to teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)
