Stillness in the torrent of thoughts

Sorrel Pindar
Feb 9, 2021
I was out walking with my daughter on Saturday. We walked along the river, noticing where it had come up over the banks, and sploshing through huge puddles on the footpath. Eventually we came to the widest of the weirs in the town centre and we stood on the bridge over the weir and watched the river in full spate. The noise was tremendous which made it difficult to talk and be understood. But it was an amazing sight. 


My daughter and I started to debate which way to go next. She wanted to cross the town bridge and return on the other side of the river, but I didn't fancy the traffic noise on the road. Then I thought "just go with the flow. You can't think with this noise anyway." So I agreed to take the town bridge. 

As we were leaving the weir, I took a few steps back from the railings and immediately the noise level diminished dramatically. It felt like it does when I drop out of my thinking into the calm space of my own wisdom. 

When we get caught up in our thinking, the noise of our thoughts thundering through our heads gets in the way of hearing that still, small voice of wisdom coming from our true self. But when we step back, noticing the thoughts and remembering that they are not real, the noise abates and that wisdom of the true self is still there just waiting to be heard. 

At that moment taking my daughter's lead seemed like the wiser option. I knew that going with her decision would stop the thinking, and allow me some space to just be there in the moment. 

In the end we didn't cross the town bridge at all, but crossed the road and carried on along the river on the other side and into a little park where there were far fewer people walking and less side-stepping to be done. 

It almost seems as if serendipity follows the wisdom that you get when you drop out of your thinking and make space for your own wisdom. Is that so weird?