THE SYMPTOMS OF INNER PEACE

by Saskia Davis

Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to inner peace and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of inner peace:


* A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than
on fears based on past experiences.
* An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
* A loss of interest in judging other people.
* A loss of interest in judging self.
* A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
* A loss of interest in conflict.
* A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)
* Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
* Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.
* Frequent attacks of smiling.
* An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make
them happen.
* An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as an uncontrollable urge to extend it.


WARNING:
If you have some or all of the above symptoms, please be advised that your condition of inner peace may be so far advanced as to not be curable. If you are exposed to anyone exhibiting any of these symptoms, remain exposed only at your own risk.

True intention

When pondering over what I really want in life, I was struck by this. When in reality I want to turn the balance in my life from

Arrogance to humility
Meanness to gentle kindness
anger to peace
position and power in friendships to genuine care and connection
ego to patience, replacing
seriousness with humor and laughter
self-absorbtion with true affection for others

i feel i remain stuck because my true intention is first-most for others to know me, and for me to selfishly promote myself. So no matter how caring and gentle I may want to appear, or may appear, my selfish intention always shines through.

So the idea is to ask myself, why is my intention to be selfish, when its only causing me suffering? Can I sit with this suffering and selfish desire to prove myself, and understand and comfort it from within?

Neglect

"I neglect God and his angels for the noise of a fly, for the rattling of a coach, for the whining of a door." - John Donne

Sometimes its easier to distract ourselves with external things, than to sit still and face our inner turmoil. Unfortunately, the inner turmoil is always here.

Sometimes the inner turmoil spills into our external worlds, slapping us awake, making its presence felt, letting us know of what needs to be done.

It's time to sit still, be quiet with the center, feel the inner turmoil, acknowledge its presence, accept it, embrace it, be responsible for it, own it as mine and mine alone.

Peace and opinion

Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinion at all.- G.C. Lichtenberg

Sometimes I get so focussed on getting my own opinion out there. "I know, I know, let me tell you..I have the right way.. it will be the best outcome, ask me.. I know" screams my mind. Its then, that I need to be quiet, peaceful and patient, this may not be my moment, but one for someone else or for the Universe to allow things to unfold just as they are.

Keeping learning and fun on the frontier, what I already know, or my opionion on a subject, pale in comparison. To be honest, in all those childhood days, I have wished hard to be an adult so I wouldn't have to follow rules, be disciplined, and instead have fun doing everything I wanted to do, and do more things that I thought were fun. So now that I am an adult, why isn't everything fun, and why am I not doing everything i have fun doing?

The mantra

On stressful, busy, or unpleasant days.. .this is a good mantra to repeat.

"Be kind, be at peace"

I use these words to comfort myself, and gently remind myself that nothing in this world is more important than kindness and peace for myself, and expressed to those around me. In my experience, it makes most discomforting and unpleasant emotions, trivialized.

Enjoy!

Inner Peace

I don't have a quote for today, simply this comment. In today's modern world we take "Inner Peace" and "our inner spirit" so much for granted. The price we pay for this ignorance is phenomenal. Today I urge each of you to look for the shape and color of your inner spirit. Please feel free to share.

There is a little book that I go back to when I feel the tight hold of stress, its guidance helps me to reconnect with my inner space: "The little book of Inner Space- your guide to finding personal space" by Stafford Whiteaker. Click here to buy your own copy.