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Part eight in a ten part series - By Cindy Graham  “The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.” - James Allen Think for a moment the peaceful feeling you experience when you are in a church, temple or sanctuary. There is something so wonderful about being inside - something so calm, so at peace, so gentle – it is as if the whole world is far away and you have left the noisy, chaotic, media filled insanity in the parking lot. When you leave that serene, blissful calm and head back out into “life” – the noise and chaos starts up again….even though you want to hang on to that wonderful peaceful feeling….it just slips away. Today we are challenged more than ever from the noisy environment around us. Almost everywhere we go – there is noise and a lot of it. There was even a recent “adjustment” made to TV commercials. When an ad came on, the volume increased dramatically which (in our house) caused everyone to jump and feel anxious, scrambling for the remote to turn the volume down. The advertisers thought if they increased the volume we’d somehow be more inclined to buy their product (really?). We are not designed to sustain this kind of continual interference….our bodies, brains and well being need rest from this storm of noise and activity. In order to minimize the flurry of activity and clutter in the brain we need to have more moments of peace and calm where we can shut down the chaos. The following is an excerpt from the book “Peace of Mind in Daily Life:” “Peace of mind is experienced when the stormy waves of the mind quell down. Real peace of mind is the companion of the silence of the mind. You get peace of mind not by thinking about it or imagining it, but by quieting and relaxing the restlessness. Your nature is absolute peace. The mind is like a room that is always full with all sorts of stuff. There is no free space there. When it is emptied, it becomes filled with peace of mind. Give your brain some rest by switching off the movements of the mind. Stop your thoughts, but stay awake, and you will experience the great ocean of peace beyond the mind. You are the consciousness beyond the mind. By stilling the mind you realize this fact. Then peace of mind will be always be with you. True peace of mind is not dependent on circumstances. It comes from the inside. The wind causes waves to arise in the sea. Restless thoughts are the winds that bring waves and storms into the mind. Learn to calm down the winds of your mind, and you will enjoy great inner peace. When you unclutter your mind, you enjoy peace of mind.” Achieving this result and incorporating this practice does not take a lot of work. Integrating small moments of peace and calm throughout the day will have dramatic improvements on many aspects of your life. Once you allow your mind moments to free itself from noise, chaos and clutter – you open yourself up to the freedom of new possibilities – which will include a refreshed perspective on how to live peacefully inside of life’s normal daily chaos. Deepak Chopra states it best: "Wherever you go in the midst of movement and activity, carry your stillness within you. Then the chaotic movement around you will never overshadow your access to the reservoir of creativity, the field of pure potentiality." There are many ways to get started on the journey of seeking a peaceful mind. Here are a few to get started immediately: · When in the car – turn the radio and cell phone off – don’t allow the noise in – focus on driving in the present moment · When at home – turn off all TV’s, radio’s and background noise – be in the home noise free · Consider exercising without music or Podcasts – just exercise and be with your thoughts · Designate a quiet “sanctuary” spot in your home or work where you can go to for quiet moments – nothing fancy – just a spot that is your place to go to when a quiet moment is needed · Read the book: “Peace of Mind in Daily Life” by Remez Sasson · Begin each day with a mindful intention to seek out quiet moments – so that you can find peace and calm and turn off the noise Most people need something to keep them mindful of their daily intention – so that they are aware all day of their intention to seek out quiet moments. They need something to help them remember; something that provides reminders to stay focused on what you’ve set out to do. Solution: the meaning to pause® bracelet. This bracelet gently and privately vibrates every 90 (or 60) minutes with a friendly nudge to keep you on track and mindful of your daily intention. This simple and inexpensive bracelet holds the key to keeping you focused on your daily intention and commitment to serve! “When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere” -Francois de La Rochefoucauld |
Friday, November 18, 2011
Daily Intention - Peaceful Mind - Turning off the Noise and Chaos…
