Finding Peace
Close your eyes, breathe, and imagine our world at peace.
All wars have ended, and the nations across our planet harmoniously coexist.
Pollution of our air and water has ceased, and are restored as pure and clean.
Global warming is no longer a threat; a change that has touched every corner of our planet.
Everyone worldwide receives health care, a roof over their head, and plenty of food.
The natural world is thriving.
And our world is at peace,
Wouldn’t this be a wonderful world?
How do we get there from here?
As we look at these conditions, as amazing as they are and things most of us would dream of, we should note that they are external.
These are conditions outside of ourselves.
In coming to pass, none of this would bring you everlasting peace without first finding that peace from within.
Our minds often become turbulent like hurricane-forced winds and rain pounding onto the earth. As we hone in on negativity in the world around us, we may have thoughts that bring us fear, anger, anxiety, or resentment, all of which rob us of our peace.
This becomes our internal storm.
Without a way of settling them, these troubled thoughts and emotions fuel the world in which we live.
How does this relate to daily life?
Recently, I went to dinner with a friend. I enjoy spending time with them. We dined at a restaurant we both love to frequent, hence the external factors. However, upon arrival at their home, I encountered a rude, complaining technician. This left my friend upset and short; I walked into a turbulent situation in which I felt reactive. I allowed my peace at that moment to elude me; I stressed. My internal conditions were rattled, and I was ready to cancel the dinner to avoid having a bad time.
But I paused at that moment. I took a deep breath and settled my mind and emotions.
I placed myself back into a calm state and diffused the storm.
We both did this together, reclaiming our peace
With that, we had an enjoyable meal together.
There was a time when the alternate choice could have easily prevailed, as our minds could quickly get the best of us. In my frustration, it would have been easy to walk out and cancel. However, valuing my peace, I have taken the time to train my mind to remain at ease in most cases and have the tools to change it when I don’t.
So, how do we attain and maintain our peace?
As I teach meditation to my students, we single-pointedly focus on our breathing.
At the beginning of this process, our minds start to wander. It’s perfectly natural.
But as thoughts start racing, we repeatedly bring our attention back to our breath.
We do this as many times as necessary until the mind settles, leaving us tranquility.
Doing this consistently makes restoring to calmness more natural.
We then become conscious of our thoughts as they arise in varied situations.
We can let them pass, not holding onto negativity that robs us of our peace.
With this ability, our lives become peaceful.
As mentioned above, I returned to my peace, and so did my friend.
Together, we made a shift.
Once again, I’d like you to close your eyes, breathe, and imagine our world at peace…
Your peace is the starting point and where all peace begins-
My best,
Yvette
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