Finding peace is not like finding your lost keys. Often times you don’t recognize it when you stumble across it. Then you wander away to look elsewhere even when unbeknownst to you, you were holding it in your hand. Finding peace requires a person to slow down which is not something that is actively promoted in our society. Everything has to be bigger and better, new and improved, faster and stronger. We’re not encouraged to be quiet and listen. We’re encouraged to speak our every thought and share our every feeling on Facebook, and Twitter, and all the rest.
I am speaking to this topic not because I am an expert on it. Rather, I am a flawed individual just like everyone else. I get wrapped up in following the news feed on Facebook rather than picking up a book. I find myself staring at mindlessly at the TV while my daughters are dancing beautifully in front of it. I discover that I am allowing myself to get stressed out by my efforts to learn something new rather than experiencing the joy of it.
I don’t have some magic answer about how to be present at every moment. I cannot tell you that practicing yoga for an hour a day will make you enlightened. I can, however, tell you that when I practice yoga I have a lot of trouble disconnecting from my thoughts partly because I don’t want to.
Finding peace must be some lifelong thing for which most of us don’t have the patience, or maybe it just shows up when you are old. I guess I will find out when I get there.