“Peace, universal peace, is definitely within the reach of all.” Sri Chinmoy
God, I need more inner peace–the kind that is impervious to life's trials, and "passes all understanding.” Because I’m rarely without discontent– serenity and tranquility dangling just beyond my reach. There’s an unrest so deeply embedded in me that I imagine an inner peace “gene” –reserved for those whose disposition or personality traits are naturally calm and serene. My big feelings, my anxious thoughts, my longing, striving, and wanting mind–they all stand guard at the gates, blocking my access to any inner sanctum.
But intuition knows there’s a peaceful place somewhere in my depths. It’s so very quiet, and easy to overlook. Peaceful moments lie in between and well below the surface of all the powerful thoughts and emotions that lay siege to my mind and my heart. I regularly find myself overwhelmed by obligations–and by troubling circumstances beyond my control. Consumed by the voices, needs, and opinions of others. By mental gymnastics of reliving the past and worrying about the future. And then I attempt to distract myself with even more stimulation, from my phone, or all manner of busy-ness. Constant static pulls me away from my highest Self, away from Source, and renders me deaf to peaceful notes that are always playing in the background. But this is what it means to be human, to move between turbulence and quiet tranquility. And even if I never “achieve” perfect peace– peace is there and waiting when I’m ready to receive it. Just like the infinite flow of beauty and love..
I may be getting old, but I’m not done yet. I’m shedding worn out habits and starting some new routines. I’m creating a place of refuge–a place for peace to reign in my home. I sit quietly there for a few minutes each morning and evening, surrounded by meaningful and beautiful things. In a place where stillness and surrender are intentional. A place filled with light, where I can meditate and focus on messages from my body, my deepest Self, and my God. A place where I can write, and rest, and sink into the present moment. It’s the place I now choose to go when I’m feeling off-balance, overstimulated, and disconnected. Where I focus on the “right now,” the beat of my heart, and the breath in my lungs. Quiet whispers of peace, of “all is well” are finding me there. If only for a few seconds, I am the peace I seek, the calm in the eye of any storm. And I am grateful.