Be Still and Know: A Reflection on The Impersonal Life
In The Impersonal Life, Joseph Benner invites the reader to look beyond the restless surface of thought and remember the quiet presence of the Divine within.
Be still and know
The book opens with a direct and intimate voice: not a teacher outside us, but the deeper Self within. Its central invitation is simple, although not always easy: become still enough to recognize what has been present all along.
“Be still – and KNOW – I AM God.”
Benner presents stillness not as escape from life, but as a way of returning to it with greater clarity. The mind remains useful, but it need not govern every moment. When the constant noise of worries, opinions, and striving becomes quieter, there is room to listen.
A practice for ordinary days
This does not require a perfect meditation space or a long ritual. It can begin with a pause: one unhurried breath before a difficult conversation, a few moments of quiet before making a decision, or a gentle return to the present when the mind has become crowded.
The purpose is not to force an experience. It is to make room for the inner wisdom that may already be waiting beneath the activity of the day.
A reflection
What might change if, before searching for another answer outside yourself, you first became still? Not to withdraw from the world, but to meet it from a steadier place – with more presence, compassion, and trust.
Explore the book: The Impersonal Life by Joseph Benner
Inspired by The Impersonal Life (1914), attributed to Joseph S. Benner. This article offers a reflection on themes in the book; the quoted line is from its chapter “Be Still and Know.”
