“Oh that’s stupid!!!” ‘You better get up and do something.’ The number of times I have said this to myself is beyond numbers. Even while meditating (ha ha) the thought would come ‘You don’t have time to be sitting still. Girl you dun lost your ever-loving mind!’ But SIT – I had to.

Recently I was reminded of the Faith of our animals. A friend was describing his scenery of squirrels jumping from here to there, branch to branch. As he observed he said, “It amazes me how they jump on the smallest branch and keep going.” “WOW” was my response. We humans are always looking for a tree trunk before we take the first step or move in another direction. The animals are some of our best teachers of life and trust.

Now, whenever I consider the walls to be collapsing all around and over me- I relinquish everything and SIT! The length of time varies from a few moments to days to weeks and even months. The deeper the opportunity, the longer I SIT!

As for me, a person trained and conditioned on goal setting, firmly associated with daily to-do, no make that hourly to-do lists, well it ain’t been easy. I prided myself on accomplishments that were measured by the to-do lists. I learned numerous methodologies to track my successes. Maybe the one I enjoyed the most involved color coding by priority or upon completion. This was a different way of tracking my time and it was very colorful and I believe that is what me like it so much.

There is nothing wrong with to-do lists; I used them for years with great achievement of some very worthy goals. Just in case the lists no longer excite nor ignite nor invigorate you, you are perhaps beyond this task.

Currently, I sit and become still. Sometimes I soak in a salt bath, other times I sit on the floor or lay in the bed. And some times I play games on the computer. This may sound foolish to you. Well here’s why it works for me. As I play games on the computer and being such a competitive player I get completely caught up in the game. My mind cannot stray away to my worries or concerns. My mind is totally involved in winning the game on the computer. So even if it looks like I’m wasting time, which is what I told myself repeatedly, I am not. I am actually more focused and my mind has been given an opportunity to rest from its constant thought processes. I had a friend to tell me recently that he is glad he is not me because it appeared that my mind was always involved in some heavy thinking. I laughed because he is right and that is the reason the computer is so therapeutic for me. The most profound challenges I faced were solved during one of these computer games. The right action to take to solve a situation or the right person to contact became the perfect resource. Some very silly thoughts (my analogy – of course) proved to be extremely important and beneficial to the current situations in my life.

Sitting – oh the fear of not ‘doing’ some thing. I experienced anxiety attacks, nervous skin rashes and outbreaks, restlessness and fear. Sitting proves itself over and over again in my life and in the lives of many of my friends who can and will sit with a challenge in their life.

By waiting it out, the negative emotions subsided and eventually left me. I trust the Power of the stillness, the blessings of stopping activity and being still while I SIT!

Divine Detour

Have you ever had your vision set on one goal, only to arrive somewhere else or that certain destination is not available to you?

I have learned to call those times, Divine Detours! It seems I always end at a place for greater understanding and higher learning. Situations and people that provide me with a greater opportunity to experience life are always at the detour! Certainly there are more lessons in the blessings.

So next time you aim for a particular goal or are maneuvering to a certain destination and it appears difficult to reach it – Look for the lessons that life has for you. Receive the opulent unexpected blessings!

God is truly blessing you, even though it may not look the way you envisioned it.

Give THANKS and proceed on the new opened path (and have some FUN).

Author's Bio: 

With a lifelong pursuit of learning, community strengthening and multi-cultural sensitivity, Sandy Rodgers is professional, motivated, dependable, ambitious and focused on social reform while mastering interpersonal and leadership skills. She combines her spirituality with her corporate experience creating a unique blend of inspiring change by empowering people.

She is a Youth Advocate in which her contributions began with being actively involved in both Boy Scouts of America serving as Area Commissioner and Girl Scouts of America; Youth Motivation Task Force – Los Angeles 1992; UBITQUITDUS Modeling and Referral Service, helping to build and expand the organization in the Southern California area; Nu Vision Modeling and Entertainment offering inner city youth opportunities to learn and perform throughout the city; worked with the NAACP Youth Department; Motivational Speaker, Atlanta Regional Youth Detention Center; serve on the current Board and is the Conference Facilitator of The World Is Yours Youth Rally in Ft. Worth Texas, currently serving more than 3000 youth annually.

Ms. Rodgers legacy of community service has been global in her efforts to outreach internationally. She began in 1993 coordinating the USA-Berlin Initiative in Los Angeles bridging the divide of artists of various ethnic backgrounds to produce both music and an International Peace Mural in riot torn Los Angeles. Currently she serves as the Matron of African Heritage Youth Club in Ghana West Africa. She is organizer of the Total Wellness Project, addressing the psycho-social needs of children affected by AIDS in Africa, with a team of professionals across the United States. Ms. Rodgers received the International Peace Prize in 2007.

In the health, healing and recovery fields, Ms Rodgers is a fully trained and certified Asst. Residential Director with AA, her tenure includes Last House on the Block and The Bridge for the Needy in Los Angeles. Currently she serves as a weekly group facilitator with Common Ground of AIDS Alliance for Faith and Health and a Level II Reiki Practioner.

Board and community affiliations include Sow As We Grow, Cobb Community Collaborative, Near Southeast CDC – Ft. Worth Texas, Shoot The Hoop, SpunKey Learning Concepts – Phoenix Arizona, Impact Life Global, Southside Ministerial Association, Metropolitan Executive and Professional Registry and NAFE – National Association of Female Executives.

Her work has been documented in the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Sentinel, Black Gold Magazine, Compton Bulletin, LA Watts Times, Black Business Pages, Herald Examiner, Marietta Daily Journal, Who’s Who In Black Atlanta – Spiritual Leaders and radio station KKDA in Fort Worth Texas.