We need material development, but we need to understand that by itself it doesn’t bring peace of mind.

We need material development, but we need to understand that by itself it doesn’t bring peace of mind. – Dalai Lama

Peace of Mind, I find it by scattering troubles as the wind scatters leaves. What do you do?

What does that mean?
This is an interesting quote. Given the person speaking it, one usually presumes that there will be a noticeable bias against materialism. Yet that is not seen in this quote. I wonder if that means I have been making improper assumptions about him for a while… Probably, my bad.

This quote recognizes that technology has benefits for humanity, and some of that technology shows up as stuff. While TV’s and cell phones are often considered shiny toys that distract, they are also very useful, when used properly. And that is a thought with which it is hard to argue.

The quote finishes by warning us that chasing the shiny things will not bring us peace of mind. Nor will it bring us happiness, except for a brief moment. When that moment passes is when our peace of mind begins to suffer. We now start looking for the next shiny thing to bring us happiness and peace of mind. Down that road lies madness, for happiness will always be a shadow moving before you, but always just out of reach.

Why is being able to find peace of mind important?
That is pretty much a rhetorical question, isn’t it? A more interesting question would be where do you find peace of mind? We are all different, and find peace in different manners. Some people can take a walk in nature or along a beach and be set for a week or two.

Others take action to find peace of mind. They build, construct, paint, or help others in order to find their peace. Again, some can do just a little and find peace that lasts, while others may need to do their thing far more frequently in order to keep their peace of mind.

But no matter how it is gained, nor how quickly it drains away, peace of mind is something we all enjoy. The feeling that all is right with the world, or at least in our small corner of the world. We’ve all been there, and we’ve all been in that other place. That’s why this was a rhetorical question, right?

Where can I apply this in my life?
Let’s start out by determining how you find your inner peace. Do you find it alone? Do you pray, meditate, stare at a candle or other object? Do you find it in interaction with others? Do you cuddle, play, run and chase, compete, provide assistance or help to others?

Do you have a routine which brings you peace? I know people who find peace in the simple actions of cooking or cleaning, walking or running, and many other routines. Some have even made the effort to turn their morning routine from hectic to peaceful by making it a type of ritual.

We’re all different, and will answer the question differently. What is important, in my estimation, is that we take a moment to examine our lives and ourselves. What truly brings us peace of mind? If you’re having trouble, or want to be aware of more possible avenues, consider what you have done in the past.

Think about the times you can remember having a very powerful sense of peace of mind. For me, one of them was walking on a beach. Then, as I examined what was going on, I realized it wasn’t the beach which was providing the peace of mind, but the person I was with; my wife.

By trying to be specific, you might find that it doesn’t take an expensive vacation to Hawaii to find peace of mind, just a walk with a loved one. What methods have you found in your present life, and in your past? Are you impressed with the number and type of methods, or saddened by how few you were able to recall?

Grab some paper and write down every one you thought of, and leave some room at the bottom for adding more later, as you think of them. You might want to be careful with your hand writing, as it might be useful to put this list up somewhere you will see it on a regular basis.

As usual, I will ask you to look for any patterns that you might see in your list. Are there groupings? For me, groupings included a number of solitary activities, as well as a number of helping others activities. Guess what this blog is? Yep, both. And I get peace of mind. WIN!

You might also want to look for things which can be done quickly. One that I use is a simple, one breath meditation. I close my eyes, picture something calming in my mind, and take a slow deep breath. As I let the breath out, I imagine all my stress being blown away from me, like a breeze blows the leaves of fall down the street.

It might not change reality, but just getting a moment of peace in a hectic day can help with the ability to handle the stress. And knowing that you can find a little peace at a moment’s notice, perhaps before you knock on your boss’ door, can be a wonderful thing.

Peace of mind is something we can all achieve, if we understand ourselves and work on it. It won’t always be easy, but I have found it a worthy endeavor  I learned something new about myself today, how about you?

From: Twitter, @DalaiLama
confirmed at : it’s his own feed…
Photo by zappowbang