“Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath. Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important. Just lie down.”
In this quote by Natalie Goldberg, the author speaks to the detrimental effects of stress on our mind and body. She describes stress as a disconnection from the earth and the breath, suggesting that it is a state of ignorance and panic. By emphasizing the importance of grounding ourselves and taking a moment to relax, Goldberg highlights the need to prioritize our mental and physical well-being over the perceived urgency of everyday tasks. This quote encourages readers to take a step back, reassess their priorities, and find moments of tranquility amidst the chaos of life.
In today's fast-paced world filled with constant demands and pressures, stress has become a common experience for many. Natalie Goldberg's words serve as a reminder of the importance of reconnection with ourselves and our surroundings to combat stress and live a more balanced life.
"Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath. Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important. Just lie down." - Natalie Goldberg
This quote highlights the significance of managing stress and how it can affect our mental and physical well-being. Stress can often make us feel overwhelmed by creating a sense of urgency that may not be warranted. Taking the time to relax and reconnect with ourselves can help alleviate stress and promote a healthier mindset.
As we reflect on this quote by Natalie Goldberg, it's important to consider our own relationship with stress and how it affects our well-being. Here are some questions to contemplate:
“We are important and our lives are important, magnificent really, and their details are worthy to be recorded. This is how writers must think, this is how we must sit down with pen in hand. We were here; we are human beings; this is how we lived. Let it be known, the earth passed before us. Our details are important. Otherwise, if they are not, we can drop a bomb and it doesn't matter. . . Recording the details of our lives is a stance against bombs with their mass ability to kill, against too much speed and efficiency. A writer must say yes to life, to all of life: the water glasses, the Kemp's half-and-half, the ketchup on the counter. It is not a writer's task to say, "It is dumb to live in a small town or to eat in a café when you can eat macrobiotic at home." Our task is to say a holy yes to the real things of our life as they exist – the real truth of who we are: several pounds overweight, the gray, cold street outside, the Christmas tinsel in the showcase, the Jewish writer in the orange booth across from her blond friend who has black children. We must become writers who accept things as they are, come to love the details, and step forward with a yes on our lips so there can be no more noes in the world, noes that invalidate life and stop these details from continuing.”
“If you're having difficulty coming up with new ideas, then slow down. For me, slowing down has been a tremendous source of creativity. It has allowed me to open up -- to know that there's life under the earth and that I have to let it come through me in a new way. Creativity exists in the present moment. You can't find it anywhere else.”
“Writers end up writing about their obsessions. Things that haunt them; things they can’t forget; stories they carry in their bodies waiting to be released.”
“I think talent is like a water table under the earth—you tap it with your effort and it comes through you.”
“Sometimes when you think you are done, it is just the edge of beginning. Probably that's why we decide we're done. It's getting too scary. We are touching down onto something real. It is beyond the point when you think you are done that often something strong comes out.”
“Know that you will eventually have to leave everything behind; the writing will demand it of you.”