Saturate then Sit
Staying with thoughts, feelings and ideas.
I've been practicing what I like to call 'Saturate and Sit' lately.
Sometimes, when pondering the big questions, I get intense, saturating my thoughts.
Then, walk away for a while.
After taking a break, I sit with it again for brief periods, sometimes over many days.
Saturate…then sit.
My mind needs time to work through its process; if I try to force it, I'll get more superficial results. I need these multiple sessions for the deep work.
My most pressing question has been about the concept of striving.
What if I stopped striving? What would it mean? How might life be different?
I've always been a striver. Invariably, the next milestone, next goal, next achievement.
One day, a while back, I decided to saturate and sit with the question of striving.
To give you some idea of how it went, assume for a moment that after years of struggle, you stopped all the striving, hustling, and trying.
Instead, you rested and looked back on life so far. Whether the past is good, bad, or somewhere in between, you begin seeing yourself now. With grace and acceptance, acknowledging what has been.
Then imagine you are standing on a beautiful shore with a new invitation. You are drawn to the surprise of the new horizon.
Life is now ready to complete what has been left undone.
That’s where I ended up.
Sitting with it multiple times is like co-designing with two great minds. Each session contributes a new idea or insight to the more extensive design.
A single session alone doesn't provide the space and time to let the answers to big questions percolate.
When I make space for this, it almost happens by itself.
Embracing this process has given me the courage to embrace a new chapter in life, a new season. I am learning to welcome the mystery that is me, free from judgment, expectation, and relentless toil.
Our life journey deserves moments of reflection, grace, and acceptance.
Saturating and sitting with these contemplations has revealed that it is time to live out my essence and purpose in harmony with all I do, embracing the mystery beyond judgment, expectation, and work.
It is time to enjoy pursuing dreams I have deferred until now.
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"Saturate, then sit." I love it. I'll borrow and quote you appropriately. Integration times are food for the soul. Quiet, space.
Nobody ever "thought their way to a breakthrough," but damn if we try.
Curious about this more, that last part:
"Saturating and sitting with these contemplations has revealed that it is time to live out my essence and purpose in harmony with all I do, embracing the mystery beyond judgment, expectation, and work."
I don't believe you're alone in that in this moment. Collectively, something has shifted. Of course, that could just be my projection.
When I first read this post 2 months ago, it resonated deeply with me. I practice more and more deeply as I get older.
I was in a quandary over a potential conflict between 3 friends and me. It activated my sense of integrity. So I questioned myself and I asked the next question with each answer I received.
I Saturated then Sat!
I’m not sure if I’ll come to a conclusive “resolution” and I’m grateful for the insights. I just noted this in my journal:
“There is no shortcut to Integrity. It’s a slow deep process of asking all the questions and telling yourself the truth. The results may be nuanced and even appear to be conflicting and that’s OK. Truth is rarely Black & White. Perhaps this is what trips some people up … they get stuck in their quests for absolutes and miss the delicious subtleties of reality.
Saturate then Sit.”
I’m grateful to you for this “Saturate then Sit” post which encouraged me to stay with it. Thank you for sharing your Wisdom.