Finding Your Peace Within The Chaos
Most of us wish and pray for a sense of peace in our day-to-day lives, but few arrive at that destination. Anxiety, stress, and fear become close friends as we navigate increasingly busy days. Retreating to the mountains can provide temporary relief, but most of us can’t afford the luxury of doing this whenever the world feels like it’s caving in. So, we must find ways to deal with the external circus daily. We need to have a set of simple approaches to temper the emotions that sometimes run rampant with the stimuli of the outside world.
Slowdown
In a society where I can order something and have it delivered today, it’s foreign to slow down. We’ve been trained to want and expect things to happen quickly. Our habit or expectation is “it should’ve happened yesterday.” The 24/7 news feed and constant social media scrolling aren’t helping with our anxiety either. We’re actually feeding the monster!
How do we rebel against all the hustle? By taking the time to slow down. Practice patience. Meditation is one of the best ways I’ve found to do this. Instituting the practice of meditation can make you acutely aware of how hard it is to be a human being and not a human doing. However, with repetition, you’ll find that patience can be developed and appreciated. I’m not an expert in the field of patience, but I’ve cultivated a daily meditation routine that helps me feel grounded. It has helped my nerves and given me a sense of peace that scrolling my TikTok feed never has…strange.
Live Like You’re Dying
You’ve heard the phrase, live like you’re dying your whole life, but the concept probably never hit home. It sounds impractical to live each day as if it were your last, especially if it involves maxing out credit cards, telling your boss off, or confessing your love to that stranger in the coffee shop. That’s not the concept this often-uttered phrase is trying to express.
I took a course in college titled The Sociology of Death & Dying. During several class periods, we were met in the classroom by individuals who had terminal illnesses. Yes, this was very sad and very eye-opening at the same time. Because what I learned in this class twenty-plus years ago has stuck with me. Every one of these terminally ill individuals had a different story, but the thread that ran through each one of their stories was this:
None of the dying people mentioned the major milestones they’d missed or the trip they‘d never go on. It seemed they’d come to grips with the limited time they had left wouldn’t afford them the opportunity. But each shared their unique yearning for the mundane or routine. One woman said she’ll miss reading the paper and drinking coffee with her husband. Another gentleman said, ironically, he missed his work. He missed the routine of getting up in the morning, dressing and preparing for his day. Others spoke of sunrises and sunsets, walking their dogs, or laughing with friends. See, it wasn’t the milestones but the simple things that life offers us daily. They finally realized the value of each moment. They slowed down and were absorbed by the beauty, so few of us take the time to see.
So take a few moments and realize how much of what you have is wonderful. Sometimes, I must remind myself that 95% of my life is truly amazing! It’s the moments like last night when I took my family to dinner. I saw my girls walking ahead of me and realized how much they’d grown. Honestly, I was taken aback and realized that I hadn’t noticed their transformations somewhere along the way. Don’t let these moments pass you by without holding them up to the light, and give them a good once over and a deep breath. I promise many of the experiences you’re currently having, you’ll one day look back and wish you’d appreciated the gift you’d been given.
Enjoy What You Have
I sat down several months ago and set a goal for myself. Room by room, I’m going through each drawer, closet, and storage bin to uncover the amazing things I already own. It’s fascinating how you can’t leave without something one minute; the next, it’s sitting by your deflated pilates ball in the back of the closest. So, now I’m taking a page from the organizing guru, Marie Kondo’s book, and picking up all those hidden objects, holding them in my hands, and asking myself, “Does this bring me joy?” I’ve realized a lot through this exercise. First, I have way too much stuff. Secondly, I need to stop looking for what else I need; I have a lot of great stuff.
Stress and anxiety have a way of melting away when it’s not the focal point of our lives. Peace can be found by keeping life simple. Cultivate patience, get absorbed in the ritual of everyday life, and appreciate the wonderful things that make up your world.