My state of mind, my peace, is not, and cannot be, dependent upon other people; not on what they may, or may not, say or do. Nor is it dependent on situations or outcomes that unfold around me. It is experienced simply by placing a higher value on peace of mind and upholding it above all the countless substitutes we conjure up and pursue for ourselves.
“If this happens,” or, “when that happens, then I’ll be successful,” or ‘happy’, or ‘feel different and somehow better than I do now.’ Curious, how many of us take the time and make space to observe our thoughts enough to even realize these kind of thoughts buzz constantly through our minds, below the level of our awareness, driving us to pursue nearly every doing we do, up to and including what type of toothpaste we get at the store.
I have spent years – decades – prioritizing and learning to cultivate peace of mind above all else the human experience presumes to offer, having made it a daily practice. I can and do absolutely affirm that I’ve reaped indescribable benefits. Whom among us, giving it adequate thought, does not desire a persistently calm, quiet, tranquil mind at peace – one free of mental noise; free of fear – fearlessness; a mind free of conflict and devoid of judgmental thoughts; a state of mind completely liberated from the past, without guilt, remorse or regrets over perceived loss; one free of anxiety, without concern over the future? Indeed, who.
I see this wholly natural desire as our deepest heart’s desire; the core drive and motivation behind nearly every thing we pursue in this world, including, quite often, relationships. The issues arise when, and because, we decide to direct our attention and invest the power of belief into pursuing our substitutes instead – aka false idols – deceived into believing, yet again, that they will eventually result in our attainment of such a perfect state of peace and contentment. All I know is that valuing it and upholding its value in awareness, in both heart and mind, is a certainty
Now, whether that all sounds a bit lofty, or quirky, or not, it does tend to make it enjoyable and effortless to work with me, or to have me on the team. That’s a key reason for including this section in the bio. It’s proven helpful at times in a business environment because it naturally lends itself to being useful in anything from managing people, to crisis management, to de-escalation of issues and conflict resolution. Most of all, however, I’ve found that when I operate my life anchored from this peaceful state of mind, magnificent if not miraculous things happen… literally on a daily basis. That is, so long as long as I choose to remain present and aware to observe them.
Now, a bit more about ‘Home.’ It has long been said, “Home is where the heart is.” And so wherever I happen to be — at home in Canada with my lovely, copper-eyed wife-to-be, or at home in California with my amazing kids and spectacular grand kids, or on a breezy, sandy beach with a bunch of family in Maui, or off somewhere else traveling the world — my heart and mind together have come to rest in a Deeper Power that is always with me; always has been. And so I am always safe, mostly sound, and free to rest in perfect peace at Home.
