They say it’s always quiet and still, even in the middle of the biggest storm.
That’s how it feels to me right now. Spring here in the northern hemisphere is making the world come alive, and me with it.
I’ve been here, there and everywhere the last few weeks, and the next few weeks are no different.
I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve been to some incredible places and met some incredible people lately, but it is lovely to take full advantage of this quiet moment to drink coffee and write to you, as I do every week.
One key thing I’ve learnt from this inner journey is that regardless of how busy I am, the moment is always calm, free from stress. All is well.
The world can be chaotic and busy and demanding, but right now all is well. If it’s not, I’m not in the moment.
It’s a simple fix – be present.
But to have this kind of different experience, I needed to have a different understanding of what peace actually was.
Peace, as Anon once wrote, “does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart”.
(By the way — I had a friend who thought Anon was a real individual, and a wise one “given all the cool quotes they come up with” at that. Heh heh.)
Does that make sense?
Peace isn’t about what’s happening, but our reaction to it. Peace isn't "when ..."; it's right now.
In this, the physical demands of taking care of the business of making your way in the world are one thing; the mental and emotional ones are so much more. We exhaust and overwhelm ourselves not so much with the doing of things, but the thinking of doing (or what has been done).
Which is grand news. Peace is not the absence of activity or ambition. It’s found in calming your mind. It’s having a different relationship with the past and the future. It’s using your mind like a tool – thinking when you need to and leaving it alone when you don’t.
“Leave it alone” … simple but maybe not easy. So much harder said than done — but getting out of your head and into the body and into the moment is key.
Save yourself the aggravation and exhaustion you create yourself.
Don’t let your mind gather momentum about stuff you can’t do anything about right now. But “maybe it’ll help if I think about it one more time” seems to be the habit trap we fall into. You gotta realise that’s it’s not useful, and practice something different.
Stop thinking and instead notice what’s happening now. The more you do that, the more the moment comes and gets you. The more you live a life of calm and you realise all is well.
Then you really have a foundation for making a difference through changing what you can, free of stress and being so frantic.
Go well,
Arjuna
PS.
For peace, calm and contentment, regardless of how busy your life is …
The next Ascension meditation course is 28-30 June (starts 7pm Friday).
Always free to repeat.
Let me know if you want details, and I’ll get them to you.
Talk soon!