Quiet Time with Quintilian

   First of all, press play. We're about to embark on Quiet Time with Quintilian. 

   In Chapter VI of Quintilian, the idea of Meditation is introduced to Oratory/Writing. Let me begin with saying, hallelujah. Our buddy, Quintilian, describes meditation as  "...something between the labor of writing and the trial of our fortune in extemporary speaking," (411). I dig it. I wasn't into a lot of what "Q" had to say, but this part made me want to whip out my chakra meditation and thought journal. 

   Especially this semester, I have found myself struggling to find time to write. Of course, I write for school, I write for work, I write for facebook, etc, but I haven't found time to "write" creatively for some time now. In the same way, I find myself struggling to balance my time for working out, doing yoga and meditating. For me, these actions are synonymous. Writing, meditating, yoga and running are all ways for me to compose my thoughts. If I don't make the time for these activities, I struggle to sleep. Much like Q writes, "[w]hen our sleep is broken at night, meditation is aided by the very darkness. Between the different stages in the pleading of a cause it finds some room to exercise itself, and never allows itself to be idle," (411). I am constantly learning to turn idle, anxious moments into meditation. To gather my thoughts, to form a composition of their scattered ramblings and make something sensible out of them. 

   Something tells me that my busy schedule isn't going to change any time soon. (I'm going to go ahead and blame myself for that one.) However, this is not a freaking excuse, Kelsey Lauren. So, make like Q, because he says, "...a certain form of thinking must be acquired by great practice in writing, a form which may be continually attendant on our meditations; a habit of thinking must then be gradually gained by embracing in our minds a few particulars at first..." (411) and as much as I don't agree with Q in the majority of this puppy, I agree with this quite wholeheartedly! I always say that. I'm gonna make it a habit and then it will be easier! And, then...

  I don't.

   In the wise words of 90210,