Blissful Peace

What do the Bible, the philosophy of Yoga, the philosophy of all of the martial arts, the latest thinking on how to reduce illness and disease in this country, and the fundamentals of high performance in athletics all have in common? All are premised on the overriding importance of peace to our mind and body.

Peace is the natural state. It is man that undermines the natural state of peace. Man undermines the natural state by letting his (or her) ego careen out of control. For left to its own, the ego creates a powerful force of our being eager to prove we are right—an action that time and time again creates stress and conflict.

"I am right. Not only am I right, but you are wrong." This is a scenario that plays out in the minds of those with uncontrolled egos. Not just once a day, but many, many times a day. At the four way intersection, where another car pulls out first even though arriving at the intersection after you. At the supermarket, where the person in the express check-out line has one more item than the dozen that is supposed to be the limit. At work where your boss suggests he would like something done a different way. At the little league game where the coach tries your son at a position other than the one you wanted him to play. At home where your spouse serves your favorite meal prepared in a different fashion.

Even though we are often loathe to play by the letter of the rules, our ego demands we referee the way everyone else plays. "That jerk didn't signal his lane change." But then, how many of us signal 100% of our lane changes?

Couple uncontrolled egos with man's attempt to disrupt the natural state and it should be no surprise that peace is so elusive. Billions of dollars of advertising bombard our brain with images of how we need to change the natural state. On TV, on the radio, in the newspaper, on billboards, the messages scream at us trying to convince us that we need some new addictive toxin. The battle of that which we put into our bodies is waged in our mind each and every moment we are awake (if we let it be so waged).

But, you need not let your ego or others destroy the natural state of peace and harmony. You can be a master of your destiny.

There are six keys to achieving a more peaceful state in your life:

1. Surround yourself with the good, the pure, and the positive – To the extent possible, surround yourself with successful people. Positive people, and groups of positive people. When possible, get back closer to nature. And make your home a castle for your mind and body. Make the choice to fill your home with things that make you feel more peaceful.
   
   
2. Eliminate toxins in your life – Toxins drain our energy and contribute to the stress that destroys good health. Toxic people are a toxin that should be eliminated from our lives to the extent possible. Toxic substances are yet another toxin. Toxic images are a toxin for our brain. Choose to replace watching TV trash with time for reading material that will feed your mind with positive images and thoughts.
   
   
3. When you absolutely cannot completely eliminate a toxin (at least in the short term), neutralize the toxin – Neutralization depends on the form of the toxin. With regard to toxic people (that we can't immediately eliminate from our lives), we can control how we react to such a person. Many of the ill affects from toxic people can only happen with our permission. Revoke your permission. With regard to toxic substances, start neutralizing the toxin by taking in more water and nutritional foods.
   
   
4. Tame your ego – Chief among the destructors of peace is our ego and its need to be right. Let go of the need to always be right. As Dr. Wayne Dyer is fond of saying "when the choice is to be right, or to be at peace, always choose peace."
   
   
5. Regularly participate in activities that bring you peace – There are a host of activities that can bring a greater sense of peace. Listening to music. Gardening. Practicing yoga, or one of the more peaceful martial arts. Rearing a pet. Perhaps playing a sport (although for many ego gets in the way of the sport providing peace. Hiking in the wilderness. Walking a beach. The list is truly endless. What works for you may well be different than what works for someone else. But, the key for everyone is to choose to allocate time to peace creating activities.
   
   
6. Discover your "calling" in life and align your activities with your calling – As you focus more on being at peace, you are likely to discover a new purpose for life. Perhaps you will even discover your calling. When you do discover your calling, you will achieve even more peace when you align your activities with your calling.

» See Dave Carpenter's recommended readings on peace. «