11. Always On The Move

A human being is always on the move. Sometimes we move to accomplish an important task. Sometimes we move around frenetically, without purpose or intention. Sometimes we move in order to feel ourselves moving.

Movement does not necessarily mean moving through the physical world. We can be physically stationary and still moving. Sitting in quiet reflection does not mean you are not moving.

Real movement is change. It is vital, it is transformational, and it means growth. If you are in quiet reflection then you are engaged in this kind of movement. False movement is repetition. It is mechanical, it is sameness, and it means stagnation. To move in this way is mindless, and the body is abandoned to its own devices. Such activity not always harmful, but it cannot sustain a life. To live we must be moving, and so we must also be changing. Stagnation means death.

When your mind and your body are engaged and connected then there is a chance for real movement. It means you are in a state of deep attention to what you are doing. It means what you are doing will make you something other than what you already are.

Attention means your awareness will grow, which in turn means you will grow into a more fulfilled being. If you are not growing in this way, then how can you have any hope? Hope can only be realized through action. But beware of false movement that seems real but is not. Ask yourself if a machine could do what you are doing — if it could then you are in a trap, you have stopped living.

Real movement is a profoundly imaginative and creative way of being. It is reflective, it is aware, and it is alive with attention and growth.