Peace

Peace.
So many individuals (dare I say ALL?) desire peace in their lives above and beyond all other things. I notice that people cannot seem to find comfort in the natural ebb and flow of life.
When things are good people are happy. When things are not so good people become unhappy. You can not have good without the bad. You cannot have true peace without chaos.
Chaos will always inevitably find it's way into your life; therefore, peace must come from within.
Undisturbed by circumstances going on around you.
People need to stop thinking things like:
"Why can't everything just be peaceful."
And change their thoughts to:
"I am at peace with everything."

I could compare peace to a river.
A river ever flowing in the same serene scene.
Although it always looks smooth and tranquil from the surface, the water below is constantly having to valiantly push it's way through the earth to get to where it's going. It has to run over boulders and bushes and deal with animals that traipse through it.
And yet, it remains determined. Uninterrupted in it's flow.
Peaceful.

Ten 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 interpreting the actions of others
• A loss of interest in conflict
• A loss of the ability to worry
• Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation
• Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature
• Frequent attacks of smiling
• An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it

~ Peace Pilgrim

Gay Puree

Happiness

The following is an excerpt from the book "Eat Pray Love" :

"I keep remembering one of my Guru's teachings about happiness. She says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and some times even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don't, you will leak away your innate contentment. It's easy enough to pray when you're in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments."

I think this is a very important lesson for each and every individual to learn. So many of us question why happiness and contentment can't be permanent. Nothing about this life is easy. We must work for everything. Love, happiness, contentment, it all comes from our striving to achieve it, and our diligence to keep it.

I highly recommend reading "Eat Pray Love," even if you've seen the movie. The book is full of insightful passages, enlightening quotations, and spiritual lessons.

~Namaste~