Deep Peace

Living gratefully today, I take a pause and breathe fresh air into my healthy lungs. Taking neither the air or my lungs for granted, I humbly move into my day. 

This quote has been roaming around in my head for a few days:  

Peace is letting go--returning to the silence that cannot enter the realm of words because it is too pure to be contained in words.  (Malidoma Patrice Some) 

Peace was often elusive to me in my younger days. With recovery and regular practices, I came to know peace as a recognizable and achievable place I could reach. Yet, my overthinking and overdoing tendencies would still often crowd peace out. They still can, but at least I know what peace feels like and some proven ways to find it.

The last few months have been a real test for all of us. . . there is so much beyond the usual things that undermine a sense of calm and serenity. The burdens are heavy, the worries many, the uncertainty a real test of our faith and resilience. 

Deep peace is still possible. And even some light or fleeting peace is extremely beneficial and sustaining.  I find mine in meditation practices, nature, exercise, writing, pauses, listening to soothing sounds, paying attention to my breathing.  

Where and how do you find peace?  

I find that the less I pursue it and the more I can "be" tuned in to right here, right now, the more peace finds me. 

A little goes a long way. 

I am thinking of a church hymn from my youth with the lines "Peace is flowing like a river, flowing out of you and me."  Flow implies ease and not force. I can ease into my day and not force my way through it. It's certainly a good place to start.