Alexandra Stoddard, in her book Tea Celebrations, reminds me that “when we pay attention to little things a universal energy flows through our present, magnifying the meaning of events.” A Zen tea-master, she says, is a master of the art of living. The tea-master notices the subtle beauty of the commonplace, raising this awareness to the level of art. This is a way to nurture the soul, allowing us to value the moment, here and now — this specific choice, this curved bowl of soup, this pencil running across the page, this time of being enclosed in a cocoon of winter weather.

I have wanted to grow as a writer, and as a person. In sharing this quiet decision to give my soul some breathing space, I now see that if I am to be a better writer, I must write about what is real for me. If I am to encourage others, I must first fill my inner well and encourage myself. In a world that prefers great accomplishments and ignores small moments, I must remember that the small moments are important, the little choices count. If there are to be any great accomplishments, they begin with what we choose to do in the moment-by-moment decisions of our lives.

Wayne Muller, author of Sabbath, insists that we are all too frazzled in this fast-paced, quick-results society. We do not make wise decisions because we make them with a fight-or-flight sense of urgency. We are too tired and stressed to pay attention, to sense the deeper solution to a problem. Social workers are often so overwhelmed by the urgent needs of their clients and by their own work agendas, that they cannot be still long enough to discover the solution inherent in a problem. In fact, the need to solve the problem as quickly as possible often produces a “solution” that only creates another problem.

Muller recommends that we return to the ancient practice of Sabbath, taking time off for refreshment, delight, and honoring the rhythms of our lives. Whether we take one day out of seven for Sabbath rest or just a few hours or moments in our day, we can find wisdom and renewal in a time of quietness and peace. It gives us an opportunity to hold still long enough to let things settle, to find clarity in our situation, and to allow a deeper, more timeless wisdom to speak to our hearts.