With our our country’s political strife, the pandemic and world violence it is vital for us to keep our inner peace and sanity. So, I wanted to share a question with you that I came across yesterday. I am going to use it as a seed in my meditations and to journal about over the next few days. How are you keeping peace alive in your heart and mind?
Here are some of my ways: quiet time, prayer and meditation, time with nature, journaling, reading, photography, poetry, early mornings at coffee shops, healthy conversations with friends, daily walks and more… which is pretty much what I do every day. I must admit I’m concerned what impact our worlds insanity has on everyone especially those immediately impacted. It’s demonstrated to me how far reaching our actions have on others. Therefore, whatever simple actions I can do to keep peace within my heart and mind matters. And, I have no idea how my actions or words or prayers can reach out into the universe and positively affect others. Maybe just taking a “one-breath” meditation throughout the day will clear the mind, keeping peace alive in our hearts and minds and the world.
We may get above 32 degrees today for the first time in 4 days. As my sister would say, I’m esscited!!!!
4 Comments
Tom Dills
The approach I’ve chosen to take is to just mind my own business. To try and only be concerned about the few things that directly affect me and matter to me, and to those few things which I can actually influence. That likely seems a selfish approach to some, but ultimately I find it to be my best path to peace.
An ostrich with its head in the sand doesn’t make the dangers go away, any more than ignoring headlines makes current events an illusion. I remain aware enough of current events to know what is going on, but analyzing or otherwise trying to make sense of the mess in Ukraine, Washington, Afghanistan or elsewhere is only going to make me hurt, scared or angry and doesn’t change a thing. I’m thankful to have given up television years ago and feel that I am much better off mentally because of it.
Obviously we find peace in the things we have and do. Kathy & I have found great joy and peace in travel. We have a quiet home without noisy neighbors, we listen to calming music, live simply and the closest we get to violence is in the fiction novels we read. That’s good enough for me. I wonder sometimes if we paid less attention to the tyrants and blowhards in the world maybe they would just go away. Probably not, but one can hope!
Good food for thought while I am exploring a beautiful place!
Monte Stevens
Yes, I keep my distance from the news. I’ve heard that one of the first things we lose in war is the truth. I do my best to keep up with what is happening. I also am dealing with the feelings, I’m hurt, scared and angry also. I’m also confused and angry by the insanity of those who feel violence is a solution. I’m glad we have found ways to be at peace. I am still trying to know how I feel and think at the moment. I am also baffled how the tyrants and narcissuses can get into the positions of power.
To end on a positive note I hope you two are having a wonderful time in paradise. And, eat more poke!
Bonnie Moore
“How am I keeping peace alive in my heart and mind?” What a great question for each of us to ponder in a time when the world is clearly turned upside down. Even though my circle of influence is small, I find a small respite when I’m doing something for someone else, especially if that someone is a total stranger. So I’ve purposely increased my random acts of kindness. While my anonymous acts won’t significantly change anyone’s world, I find it changes mine, at least for a moment. And trying to stay above the fray, even for just that moment, is sometimes the best any of us can do.
Monte Stevens
Thank you for commenting, Bonnie! Glad you liked the question and were willing to share your personal thoughts. I’m a firm believer that our circle of influence is larger than most of us think, because our random acts of kindness create waves through the world we are not always aware of, just as acts of violence. I congratulate you on such a wonderful way to keep peace alive in your heart and mind and with the world! Bravo!!