Thirty Seconds

Stillness for 30 seconds. It’s a lot harder than you think.

Heck, it was hard for me to stand still for a mere half a minute to film a video about a year and a half ago. Earlier that day, I was hit by the sudden inspiration to make quick videos where the viewer could just stop what they were doing and take a moment to breathe and be still.

I was on a streak during that time where the minute inspiration struck, I listened, and tried to follow through as soon as possible in order not to lose the magic of the moment. Yes, I was listening to my Team better than I ever have. And I have to say my alignment was at its best.

Armed with my cell phone and on a mission, I went outside and I made a bunch of 30 second videos trying to capture the peaceful and beautiful surroundings that is my property. I was excited to bring others a simple, quick moment where they could turn off and just be. A moment in time when they could set aside the man made noise and reconnect with the song of our planet and their souls.

Upon review of these clips after going back inside my house, however, I discovered they were anything but what I wanted to convey. I had 10 of these 30 second video clips. And in all 10, I was moving the camera around trying to show the best of nature. I swept the camera view around trying to capture sunlight through the trees of our woods, zoomed in on flowers and dragonflies, and then swept around again trying to capture anything else I thought would be of interest.

The result? None of them were peaceful. They were busy and distracting as the scenes swept by on the video clips. They were rushed trying to capture everything in 30 seconds. The camera person (moi) was impatient.

In that moment of sheepish acknowledgement of what I had done, another realization hit me. I didn’t even recall all the sounds of the birds, squirrels, and cicadas around me, even though they were clearly on the videos. Had I been in the moment? Had I just allowed myself to be without distractions? Not a chance. Ugh!

In the search for the perfect social media moment, I had missed the mark big time. I had tried to move around nature instead being still and allowing her to dance around me.

I scrubbed all those videos off my phone and walked back outside. I picked a spot about halfway up our water feature—of waterfalls and ponds coming down the hill. To the side I could see all the summer wildflowers, rife with Canadian goldenrod and wild roses. The trees towered at the top of the hill. Satisfied that I had the perfect spot to capture it all within the frame, I began recording.

Then I stood still. And it was hard to stand still. I didn’t realize how much my body had this need to constantly be doing something. Ever since all my medical issues made me have to slow down and actually rest, I had been finding it hard to allow myself stillness because I felt like I was not contributing anything to anyone. This was a big source of frustration and feeling out of sorts.

Taking time for myself was foreign to me. Even my meditations were not still because I was writing down lots of information from all the messages coming through. Nope, standing perfectly still and simply being in the moment with what was right in front of me was hard. Watching the seconds count up on my cell phone recording brought only feelings of impatience, even though it was just mere seconds.

Lordy. If anyone was in need of this new project of mine, it was me.

And then suddenly, it was no longer hard as I surrendered to the fact that I was going to be standing there for the full 30 seconds. I realized my ears were hearing every leaf rustle in the breeze, and the sounds of all the birds and insects…to include the squeak of Munson Millie, the groundhog who lived under our barn shed for 5 years before she passed away. I was able to notice the wildflowers dancing in the breeze as the tree branches swayed. I felt connected. I felt small in the grand scheme of things, but yet large in awareness.

Then 30 seconds was over and I knew I had captured perfection in one take. I didn’t have to pan or sweep to prove that the scenery was breathtaking. Nature was already perfect and didn’t need me to manipulate her to be so. I was in awe of her and in awe of how good it felt to drop everything in my thoughts…even for the briefest of moments.

We live in a world of constant thought and movement where tasks, work, problems, stress, bills, family, friends, and just plain daily living occupy most of our time. How many times have we put ourselves on the back burner because we believe we just don’t have the time for self-care? If I were to ask someone what they believe self-care entails, most would respond with having ”me time”, eating healthier, exercising, clearing their calendars, etc. Which then leads to, ”But I don’t have time for all that because I have too much to do and I’m taking care of others.”

Psst! Hey. You do have 30 seconds, don’t you? It’s not adding to your day. Just replace the 30 seconds you would have spent checking your texts or social media. Make yourself a priority and unplug for a moment. Take 30 seconds to be perfectly still without thinking about anything and just be in the moment. Not as an observer, but as one connected in the same moment as what is before you. Be in nature or stare at it from your windows, watch a puppy breathe in his sleep, stare at the horizon before getting into your car, or whatever isn’t about anything that might remind you of the hundreds of things you still have to get done.

Set your watch if you want. You may find it hard the first time—just as I did—and the seconds may feel like hours. But as you do this daily, you will realize what a gift it is when you can stop, just for 30 seconds a day. A moment in time to take a break from being the you created by society, expectations, and environment to be the real you, the soul in manifest form. In time, the thought of even setting your watch will feel insane.

You deserve this kindness to yourself.