Be still

On sleepless nights, my mother used to tell me, “Be still.”

It wasn’t a threat. It wasn’t even a suggestion. It was a command. And only she could deliver it that way.

Be still.

She said it when I couldn’t stop pacing.
When I kept getting out of bed.
When my mind wouldn’t quiet down.
When I was worried about money, girls, grades, and the future.

Some things never change.

As a kid, I thought it meant stop fidgeting.
As a man, I hear it differently.

It means calm your breath.
Step back.
Stop trying to force something to happen at 2:45 in the morning that is not meant to happen until the sun comes up.

It means surrender.
Not to failure, but to the idea that rest is not wasted time.
Stillness is not the opposite of action. It is often the prerequisite.

I am still learning that.

These days, when I am wide-eyed and wired for no good reason at 2 a.m., I remember her voice.
I try to listen.
I try to put the phone down.
I stop refreshing the news.
I stare at the ceiling like it holds answers.

And sometimes, I find peace there. Just enough to drift back into sleep.

So here is my question: What helps you fall asleep when your mind will not quit?

Let me know in the comments and support my work at jamesbrowntv.substack.com.
On that note, I’m James Brown, and as always, be well.