IRENE ANDERSON: When I think of stillness, the image of water always comes up for me. On the surface there is calm, an almost mystical absence of movement -- that can be disturbed by the mere whisper of a breeze. Underneath the calm is movement, energy and power. Life is happening under the surface.

Stillness is not the absence of energy, rather energy that is powerful and purposeful, 'In the Flow'. These are the moments when we can feel the presence of something being in harmony with yourself, centred and experiencing the truth about you. You can recognize these moments when you are totally wrapped up in an experience or activity and you lose track of time and space. You are experiencing the richness that is you. Your talents and skills are being used as you were meant to use them. You are in tune with the universe, or at least having fun.

The opposite of stillness is control. Control stops us from experiencing 'flow', or being in harmony with our 'self'. For most of our lives, control is where we operate from -- socialized from birth to control our environments, or to have our environments control us. This becomes the norm. Parents who try to shape the behaviour of their offspring are operating from control. People who try to fit into jobs they are not passionate about are operating from control -- square peg in a round hole. Anyone who is trying to fit into a situation they are trying to control will come up against themselves, always looking for 'flow'. This can cause a lifetime of stress and even illness.

Why is it that we change ourselves to fit a pattern that disturbs our stillness -- our inner power?

We aim to please, and in so doing can bury the life force inside us. Most people spend a lifetime trying to please others, fit in and get along -- burying the dream, saying to themselves, "I'm just not good enough."

If we all took time to listen on a really deep level to the voice inside ourselves, we might hear the joy or passion we really want. We resist stillness, because in stillness the true voice speaks to us and tells us what we need to do -- yes NEED to do. We each have a purpose for being, perhaps that's ego talking, however as humans we all need to believe that we are here for something. We may as well be/do something we love!

Write...Paint...Create... make a movie...teach a class, whatever it is, be in the flow. Who writes the rules anyway? Be a risk taker...Be still...Can you hear your powerful inner voice calling?