
Close your eyes, breathe and imagine our world at peace. All wars have ended, and the nations across our planet coexist. Harmoniously. The air and water are clean and global warming is no longer a threat. Everyone worldwide has a roof over their head and plenty of food. The natural world is thriving and our world is at peace. Wouldn’t this be wonderful?
As we look at these amazing possibilities, they are only external factors. Everlasting peace is not possible without first finding peace from within. Our minds can become turbulent as we focus on the negativity around us. We may have thoughts that bring us fear, anger, anxiety or resentment – all of which rob us of internal peace. Without a way of settling our “internal storm,” these troubled thoughts and emotions can interfere with the world in which we live.
An example of how this relates to daily life is, I recently went to dinner with a friend. We dined at a restaurant we both love to frequent; however, upon arriving at their home, I encountered a rude technician. This left my friend upset and short as I had walked into a turbulent situation in which I also felt reactive. I allowed my peace at that moment to elude me and I became stressed. My internal conditions were rattled and I was ready to cancel dinner altogether to avoid having a bad time. But, I paused at that moment, took a deep breath and settled my mind and emotions. I placed myself back into a calm state and diffused the internal storm. We both did this together and we ended up having 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. It would have been easy to walk out and cancel. But, I have valued my peace and 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.
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 our 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 with tranquility. Doing this consistently makes restoring to a calm state more natural. We then will become conscious of our thoughts as they arise in varied situations and we can let them pass. Holding onto negativity robs us of our peace. By letting negativity go, our lives become peaceful.
Close your eyes, breathe and remember, your peace is the starting point where all peace can begin.