I may not have gone where I intended to go,
but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
―Douglas Adams
I remember about 5 years ago, I was transitioning out of a very important relationship. It was excruciating. I was in survival for weeks, even months at a time (and years following . . ). My adrenaline was constantly running, and I could not eat; I could not sleep. I was exhausted and sad, and I felt like a hunted animal, always on the lookout for THE KILL.
I could not rest, or find peace.
And then one day, I found myself at Lake Calhoun, on a beach date with my son, his friend, his friend's mom, my daughter, and, well, ME. Here's what the beach looks like:
The biggest takeaways for me about peace are:
I remember about 5 years ago, I was transitioning out of a very important relationship. It was excruciating. I was in survival for weeks, even months at a time (and years following . . ). My adrenaline was constantly running, and I could not eat; I could not sleep. I was exhausted and sad, and I felt like a hunted animal, always on the lookout for THE KILL.
I could not rest, or find peace.
And then one day, I found myself at Lake Calhoun, on a beach date with my son, his friend, his friend's mom, my daughter, and, well, ME. Here's what the beach looks like:
It's beautiful. . . and, as I was hanging out in the sun, my daughter and Max hanging out in the waves, I felt PEACE for the first time in months.
The biggest takeaways for me about peace are:
- peace is deeply within us and is our birthright
- peace does not depend on happiness
- peace can especially comfort us during times of challenge and hardship
- peace is in the present moment and in our holy presence to what is before us
- peace comes from trusting, letting go, and accepting what is
One of my best friends asked me a profound and spiritual question today: "Why is that when I used to "A," all I wanted to do was "B"? And, now that I am doing "B," all I think about is "A"?
Does this sound familiar?
Eckhart Tolle reminds us that we cannot inhabit peace when we are looking ahead (or looking back) or, when we strain away from the present moment.
I certainly don't have the answers to much, but when my friend asked me that question earlier today, the answer came to me right away--especially since I have been writing in response to Eckhart Tolle's barriers to peace in the last week.
Coincidence? Not. So, when my friend asked me, "Why is that when I used to "A," all I wanted to do was "B"? And, now that I am doing "B," all I think about is "A"?
Coincidence? Not. So, when my friend asked me, "Why is that when I used to "A," all I wanted to do was "B"? And, now that I am doing "B," all I think about is "A"?
I simple responded, "Because you're not present, not in the present moment. You're up in your head."
Seems simple to get out of one's head, but to me, it has taken some very deliberate noticing on my part of where (up in my brain?) and when (in the past or future?) I AM with respect to what's right in front of me. Many times I will notice that I'm not at all present, and so I enter my surroundings and intentionally interact with what's in front of me.
One of the most revolutionary practices I've added to my routine is meditating. It literally frees me from the confines of my thoughts and mind. It takes me back to the very core that gives me life: my heart and my breath.
Here is a beautiful Reiki meditation to try; it's only 9 minutes long, and it will help you clear your thoughts and fully enter the now.
Here is a beautiful Reiki meditation to try; it's only 9 minutes long, and it will help you clear your thoughts and fully enter the now.
Many Blessings and Love!
Dana
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