Six Minutes
“When was the last time you spent a quiet moment just doing nothing – just sitting and looking at the sea, or watching the wind blowing the tree limbs, or waves rippling on a pond, a flickering candle or children playing in the park?” ~Ralph Marston
Professor Tim Bono, Washington University in St. Louis, assigns upperclassmen a test of sitting quietly for six minutes. No TV, no phone, no radio, just sitting quietly and focusing the mind on something pleasant. Only 67% of the students were able to complete the assignment following both of the rules. The biggest distraction for those unable to successfully complete the test was the phone.
It is harder and harder to set aside quiet time in our wired world. It feels like the Universe has stepped on the accelerator and the entire world is speeding up, revving faster and faster. Quiet time is essential to our physical, emotional and spiritual health and well-being.
I invite you this week amid the hustle and bustle of the season, to take the six minute test.
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be.” ~Anne Frank
