"To be like the rock that the waves keep crashing over. It stands unmoved and the raging of the sea falls still around it."
Reflection:
Most of us don’t realize how often we let circumstances determine who we become in the moment. A stressful conversation, a setback at work, an emotional day, or unexpected pressure can quietly pull us off course. We react instead of respond. We abandon our routines. We compromise our values just to find temporary relief.
The waves don’t knock us down because they are unusually strong. They knock us down because we haven’t decided where we stand.
Being “the rock” isn’t about emotional suppression or pretending things don’t affect you. It’s about choosing steadiness when life gives you reasons not to. It’s recognizing that while you cannot control what crashes into you, you can control how anchored you are when it does.
Reflection requires honesty. Where do you tend to lose your footing? Is it during conflict? When you’re tired? When things don’t go according to plan? Those moments reveal the areas where your foundation needs strengthening not because you’re failing but because growth is still happening. Stability is built through repeated choices, not dramatic moments. The more often you stay rooted during discomfort, the less power the chaos around you has. Over time, what once felt overwhelming becomes manageable not because life is easier, but because you are stronger and more grounded.
Here’s the truth: strength isn’t found in controlling the storm. You can’t stop the waves. You can’t time them. You can’t negotiate with them.
What you can control is whether you stay rooted.
Being the rock means you stop letting every problem rewrite your identity. You stop allowing every emotion to dictate your actions. You stop abandoning your values the moment things get uncomfortable.
Stillness, in this sense, is not passive. It is disciplined. It is intentional. It is earned. And the more you practice it, the more natural it becomes to stand firm, even when the waves refuse to calm.
3 Actionable Steps you can take:
1. Identify your “trigger waves.”
Write down the top three situations that consistently throw you off. Maybe stress at work, conflict, self-doubt, exhaustion. Awareness turns chaos into something you can prepare for.
2. Choose one non-negotiable anchor.
Pick one daily habit that does not change regardless of mood or circumstances. It could be training, prayer, journaling, walking, or showing up 10 minutes early. The rock is built through repetition, not motivation.
3. Pause before you respond.
When pressure hits give yourself a moment to pause before reacting. Breathe. Ask yourself "What would staying rooted look like here?" Then act from alignment, not emotion.
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