KEEPING THE PEACE

 

It was brilliantly Sunny an hour ago and now it has clouded over. There is a storm coming. At least, that is the forecast. We could get a foot of snow on Friday. I just looked at the forecast and the greater depth will be a little to our North, we may get 2 to 4 inches. That is enough. The chickens won't like it. I don't have hay for my sheep yet, either. Hopefully, we will get some this weekend.

I am not as peaceful as I would like to be; and I don't see as much peace in the World. Well then, that is perception. When we don't experience peace inside, we are not likely to see it outside. Sometimes we can keep our equanimity through illness [ours and others], peoples tantrums, political upheavals etc, and, other times, we are vulnerable to almost any disturbance. I don't know how much commonality there is. I know that some people's anxiety can slash me like a knife and others have no effect on me. Sometimes, even those I am most vulnerable to, will not affect my peace. How can I maintain equanimity through all my life experiences?

One of the things, many of us have difficulty with, is accepting helplessness. When the outside seems out of control, we tend to freak out, rather than accept, we cannot do something that we think we should. We know that 'right' action comes from peace. Solutions come when we give up the internal struggle and let things happen. What is that feeling of helplessness? Is it an attempt to control our environment? I think each of us needs to sink into the feeling, when we have it, and learn its origins.

People experience, this sense of helplessness, in different situations. Some people have it about tasks. Some people have it about others feelings, that they would like to, or feel they should control.

The feeling of helplessness does not have to be a bad thing. Or I should say, helplessness isn't a bad thing. I don't know, that the feeling, is ever beneficial. Knowing your helpless is okay. It is giving the problem to a loving universe. A solution will come.

For me, the solution, is knowing I cannot control anything outside myself. I can control my thoughts. I am responsible for the indulgence of my feelings. When I have a feeling that disturbs my peace, I can examine where it comes from, rather than just go with it and create disturbance around me. It boils down to, I am responsible for my being, if I am taking responsibility for my being, the outside will take care of itself.

I can reach out to someone else, in distress, and be loving and compassionate, only when I am at peace. So often, in our relationships, we take on each other's anxiety, and we trigger off each other, in ways that are not particularly helpful. Each individual needs to see how this works for them. For me it seems clear, that I need to accept, I cannot control anything outside myself and I need to love myself.

When we love ourselves sufficiently, we won't take anything, from the outside, as a negative comment on us. We will know, that other's judgements and reactions, to us, are theirs and not ours. Then we can react with love and compassion and perhaps be helpful.

When we end the wars in ourselves, we will see peace around us.

The Sun is shining brilliantly again. Peace resides in my being. Thank you for listening.

Love and Peace, Gregg