Breathe. Be Still. Be.

Breathe. Be still. Be. These three B’s are crucial to living a life of peace. They are commands I must tell myself about thirty times a day. Blame it on my high-energy personality; blame it on my culture; blame it on anything. No matter how I look at it, I have realized lately that I have a serious problem with being, with breathing, and with being still.

Since coming to South America, I have been learning grand lessons in this area of “being.” Cultural analysts have always asserted that American culture is all about doing and South American culture emphasizes being. The United States is marked with doing, going, and succeeding. North Americans’ are experts on finishing their to do list, getting the job promotion, multitasking, making the most money, and, of course, impeccable time management. None of these things are necessarily evil, but it causes us to forget the wonderful art of “being.”

Examples of South American’s “being” surround me. When I go to the rambla ("la rambla" is the area by the beach here), I don’t see people talking on their cell phones about business deals or walking briskly to their next appointment. The people at the rambla are sipping matte (Uruguay's version of tea... EVERYONE carries it around even on the streets!), chatting casually, flying kites, roller-skating, laying in the grass, and taking naps. Furthermore, I always take note that I am one of the few people who jogs along the beach while the rest of the crowd enjoys the ocean view. I love those runs, but my South American friends don't share that love for running. This is a mark of my American, high strung nature I suppose. When I pick up my laundry at G y G (the local laundromat around the corner from our house), the owners are not rushing around wildly to get their work done. Rather, they are enjoying their day and chatting with each other. Not having a million things going on at once allows them to greet their customers pleasantly and exchange stories from the day.

Westerners may mistake this "being" nature as laziness or inefficiency, but I see that this lifestyle is a positive approach. Being has benefits. It allows one to form relationships, a concept most Americans do not grasp well. It results in less stress and pressure than my culture. It creates an enjoyable life. I am learning three important B’s from my time here in South America: breath, be still, and be.

(As a side note, I was shown another blog recently that goes along with the idea of being. Zen Habits is all about simplicity and peace. Granted, the site has a Hindu/Buddhist/New Age vibe that I do not believe in, but when I look past that I think the site has some great insight into "being." The link is http://zenhabits.net/ for anyone interested!)