Quiet Moments

Holiday season is a time for reflection and gratitude. I will share this well circulated story which was a social experiement occurred eleven years ago in Washington DC.

In a cold January morning, a man was playing violin at L’Enfant Plaza outside of a busy Washington DC metro station. He played some classical music including Bach, Massenet, Schubert for about 45 minutes. During that time, it was estimated that 1,100 people went by with most of them on their way to work since it was rush hour. Only seven people stopped for a while to listen. No one knew at the time, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world and he had just played some of the most intricate pieces ever written.

The world is moving at breakneck speed. Information is overflowing 24 hours a day. It’s an irony that while technology is continually being invented that saves us time, we use that time to do more and more things, and so our lives are more fast-paced and hectic than ever before. The chaos of daily life, the noise of mass media and the constant rush can impact our life negatively.

When we allow the fire and drive to run unchecked by an appreciation for successes, we are no longer living—we are chasing. Chasing dreams is an important aspect of life, but so is taking the time to enjoy them. Here are a few things we could do to forget things and focus on the present:

Focus on people. Too often when we spend time with friends and family, or meet with colleagues, we’re not really there with them. We are there, but our minds are on things we need to do. We listen, but we’re really thinking about ourselves and what we want to say. It means we are meeting with people but not really connecting with them.

Be present. Instead of planning for the future or reliving the past so intensely that you can’t fully appreciate, focus on what is going on right now.

Do not carry your mistakes. Instead, learn from them, move on, and use them as stepping stones. Unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward. 

Enjoy the quiet moments. Nothing makes me feel better — calmer, clearer and happier — than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, or running in solitude. Best of all, one do not always need to vacation in Iceland or meditation in India to enjoy the quiet moments. one can also find a quiet time in a commuting car, an evening walk or during a cup of morning coffee or tea.

The urgency of slowing down — to find the time and space to think — is nothing new, of course, and wiser souls have always reminded us as such since the start of time.

To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders. – Lao Tzu

The holiday season is a shining reminder for us to appreciate life, to cherish peace, to have hope, to believe in the goodness of the human spirit, and to think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. Best wishes to you and your family for a happy and peaceful holiday!

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