From one of my readings this morning:
Once you find deep solitude and calm there will be great gladness in your heart.
I think most of us struggle because we believe great swaths of alone time and quiet are required. But are they?
I took this photo on my first morning at Lake Ouachita, Arkansas.
I’m with a group of friends, surrounded by the hullaballoo of campers, tents, coolers, and kayaks. We float and laugh, explore the lake on a boat, kayak and paddle, and gather for potluck charcuterie-board meals, movie night, and connection.
As much as I love the belly laughs and deepening connections with friends, one of the greatest gifts of a getaway is the solitude I set aside for myself.
Like that first morning with the colors of a new day silhouetting the heron.
Getting that deep solitude and calm is intentional, not accidental.
The moments I set aside for myself give me that one-with-the-world feeling. The feeling that makes me one with calm air, still water, and gentle movements.
One with the light grace of the heron.
One with the sunrise shimmering on the water.
This is a calm that can temper mini catastrophes, soothe harsh words, and soften obstacles as I move through the day. On most days, by the time my inner calm wanes, it’s time to reset anyway.
In Doses
The day that began with deep inner calm and a heron at sunrise ended with the disconnect of a broken phone. The calm carried me through the frustrations: not being able to fix the phone on the spot, stopping in ten places to explore solutions, and finally buying a new phone when I knew the one I had could—with time I didn’t have in the middle of a trip—be fixed.
Once you find deep solitude and calm there will be great gladness in your heart.
That once doesn’t have to be difficult.
It’s reachable.
That once can be a few intentional moments in between jokes and stories.
I’m cutting up with my friends this week and I’m also carving out small doses of the deep solitude and calm. The balance benefits us all.
©Pennie Nichols. All Rights Reserved. 2026.
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