The world is loud. Our lives are busy. Activity on the outside and noise on the inside makes having a quiet soul challenging. Some days are more challenging than others.
This makes quieting your soul feel impossible. But it isn’t.
I found a way to challenge my soul to be quiet and invite you to make quiet spaces in your life too.
By challenging your soul to be quiet you can calm your inner world.
By challenging your soul to be quiet you can calm your inner world. Click To Tweet
HOW I STARTED TO CHALLENGE MY SOUL
Every day I have a designated “quiet time”. It’s part of how I start my day.
I read, pray, listen to music, speak affirmations and scriptures over myself. It’s how I challenge my soul to be quiet and face the day with intention.
The book of Psalms says Be still and know that I am God.
But some days my soul doesn’t want to cooperate.
Sometimes inner noise intrudes my quiet stirring up chaos and anxiety. Thoughts racing, emotions all over the place and a fidgety body.
I used to try harder. I’d read more affirmations and/or scriptures. I’d listen to or sing worship music to challenge the noise trying to force my soul to be quiet. Sometimes it would work but other times it wouldn’t.
Commanding or lulling your soul to be quiet doesn’t always work.
Commanding or lulling your soul to be quiet doesn’t always work. Click To Tweet
HOW I STARTED A NEW CHALLENGE
I read an article that inspired me to give quiet meditation a try.
I’ll explain how it works but first I need to tell you about the grace. It was the grace in the article that really inspired me.
I’m a task-oriented person who used to approach things with an oppressive perfectionist over worker attitude toward myself. I have tried so hard at some things I’ve actually physically hurt myself. Without the grace in this article, this new challenge would have failed.
Grace made the way.
- Grace said to start small with just one or two minutes.
- Grace said to use a timer.
- Grace said you’ll get distracted and that’s ok. It’s even normal.
- Grace said it will take time and practice.
This quiet meditation was to be done daily so I decided on 2 minutes each day.
Being quiet for two minutes is a challenge.
Being quiet for two minutes is a challenge. Click To Tweet
HOW DID I DO?
I failed.
- I failed to remember to take 2 minutes every day even though I had it written down.
- I failed to consider it a priority.
- I failed to remember it worked when I did practice it.
Until the grace spoke up in my soul.
- Grace told me I hadn’t failed.
- Grace reminded me I had practiced the meditation half the time.
- Grace reminded me being distracted is normal.
- Grace reminded me I found a measure of quiet.
- Grace said try again.
I listened to grace and stopped beating myself with the perfectionist stick.
Grace gave me the courage to challenge my soul again.
Grace gave me the courage to challenge my soul again. Click To Tweet
HOW GRACE LED MY SOUL TO QUIETNESS
Some days the inner noise is louder than others. On one of those days grace challenged the whirlwind of inner noise I had going on.
It reminded me of the quiet meditation I could challenge my soul with.
Gracefully I tried four times.
The first time I failed to turn the timer on. The second time my attitude was wrong. The third time was later, after trying to calm myself by pacing and quietly praying.
The fourth time I was committed to truly challenge my soul to be quiet.
- I sat myself down and put my phone on airplane mode.
- I set the timer and did what the article taught me.
- Sit still with my eyes closed.
- Intentionally breathe in, and breathe out, breathe in, and breathe out.
- Focus on my breath.
- Intentionally relax my body with each breath.
- Be aware of the sounds around me but focus on my breath.
- When thoughts come to interrupt, dismiss them and return focus to my breath.
It’s hard work to quiet your mind and focus on your breath.
Grace.
Grace is allowing yourself to be ok with thoughts that come – just return to the breath. The goal is to develop awareness. This awareness gives us power.
Are you aware you’re tense? Notice it and breathe.
- I noticed tingling in my body from stress. Breathe.
- I noticed my hands on my lap were tense, tight-fisted. Breathe.
- I moved my arms to a place they could relax better. Breathe.
Going from thought to breath is like a dance.
Before I knew it the timer went off. I wanted to turn it back on again because my soul had become quiet and I liked it.
But we can’t live in the practice of quiet meditation—we have to learn how to take it with us. This reminds me of a line in an old hymn.
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home
The grace that helps our soul to quiet down can lead us through noisy days.
The grace that helps our soul to quiet down can lead us through noisy days. Click To Tweet
HOW CHALLENGING YOUR SOUL TO BE QUIET WILL HELP YOU
This quiet meditation teaches you how to govern your thoughts and make room for quiet. The quiet also calms your body. This is good self-care.
Challenging the noise and creating an inner quiet empowers you to be more intentional in your life. The rat race around you won’t find a home within you. Your life will have more peace.
Being able to quiet your soul enables you to hear the Spirit of Grace when he quietly speaks to you.
Having a quieter soul will bring you joy.
Having a quieter soul will bring you joy. Click To Tweet
WHAT NEXT
- Take ONE minute. That’s all, just one minute.
- Put your phone in airplane mode.
- Find a spot where you can be undisturbed for that ONE minute.
- Set a timer for one minute and sit.
- Close your eyes and simply breathe.
- Take ownership of inner quiet for your soul.
- After you do this let me know what you think in the comments below.
- Dare to decide you’re worth taking a minute to find your quiet – free download here.
- To take ownership of more areas of your life get the book Because You Matter: How to Take Ownership of Your Life So You Can Really Live
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