Our Peacefulness Within
By Lois Shulman, Editor, Connections for Communities that Care
I have discovered that I can create peacefulness within myself in the midst of chaos.
Whether I awaken to blue skies, stormy skies, good news or bad news, I have all I need to choose to create my desired peacefulness within.
I practice choosing to: awaken, before my feet hit the floor, stating my gratitude for life itself with all I need provided for me; read an inspirational passage; set my intention to cultivate a curiosity about life in all its forms and understanding; and nurture my mind, body and spirit. I incorporate all this to begin each day creating my peacefulness within.
Discovering and understanding your peacefulness within is unique to each of us. Upon refection, I recall a moment of discovering the beginning of this process for me.
On one particular sunny morning 12 years ago, I was overcome by the sadness of loss from my recent divorce. I struggled to get dressed, and headed to a neighborhood store. As I approached the door, a stranger walked out looking sad and appearing to be struggling. I instinctively rushed to hold the door open for him, saying: “Good Morning” with a forced smile. In that moment I wanted to gift him with what I wanted so desperately for myself—someone to see me and value me. This brief exchange proved to be powerful. The man immediately responded to my actions by saying how my act of rushing over to help him made him feel “special” and that was just what he needed.
I was overwhelmed with emotion. I genuinely smiled, without comment. I walked back to my car to sit with my tears. I felt something shift inside of me. I realized I wanted to experience this feeling again and again. Our interaction taught me that by helping another, I am helping myself. The peacefulness I felt within, from my action, was exhilarating and compelling.
I credit a story told to me by a friend, with my ability to achieve my peacefulness within. The message conveyed in the story was in the form of a prescription. The message prescribed that I must practice for seven days my created process for being peaceful within, in exactly the same way each day, for a powerful pathway to emerge as a useful, positive habit. I chose to follow the prescription, and that process is now a positive force in my life.
There is a story entitled, The Real Meaning of Peace (author unknown), that inspires my self thinking to achieve my peacefulness within: Long, long ago there was a king who held a contest to find the most beautiful painting of peace in his kingdom to hang in his castle. His people were astonished and perplexed by his choice. He explained that in the painting he chose, he not only saw ominous dark clouds and a raging waterfall, he saw behind the thundering waterfall a tiny nest of baby birds, being fed by their mother. This, to the king, was true peace. I interpret this story to mean that being able to find your peacefulness within, amidst chaos and turbulence, is true peace.
During the Covid 19 Pandemic to achieve and maintain my peacefulness within, I set my intention to stay connected in order to maintain my peacefulness within: by reaching out through my electronics to gather articles for our CMHA Connections; by accepting a permanent flex /substitute teaching position at an elementary school, (2020-2021), assigned a classroom of 5-7 year old’s, (2021-2022) placed wherever needed on campus; and by committing myself to attending meetings, via various virtual platforms, that I could not attend, if they were in person.
Through my teaching experience I have observed peacefulness within is meaningful to people of all ages. The movement teacher at our school uses an exercise, the creator of which is unknown. The exercise is used to help the children to refocus their energy, and to find peacefulness within . At the conclusion of the group exercise, there is a dramatic shift of activity in the room.
The teacher asks the children to close their eyes and begin to repeat: Peace begins with me. As they say the words they are encouraged to touch their thumb against one finger at a time. The first time I saw this exercise in action I was in awe of the children’s willingness to participate in the exercise and the peacefulness that flowed throughout the group.
On December 18, 2021 I was hit head-on by a car whose driver lost control on an icy road. I sustained an anterior depressed sternal (breast bone) fracture. At the moment of the accident, I realized I had all I needed. My habits, created by me, effortlessly were with me to support the healing process of my mind, body and spirit.
Peace does begin with you as you discover your peacefulness within. Whether you awaken to blue skies, stormy skies, good news or bad news, it will not matter.
Shared with love and gratitude.