“Learn to become still. And to take your attention away from what you don’t want, and all the emotional charge around it, and place your attention on what you wish to experience.” —- Michael Bernard Beckwith
Easier said than done, and many of us including ourselves find the sentiment in the above quote absolutely true, however, extremely difficult to achieve. Taking it one step further, unless and until we become still, quiet, and attain peace of mind within ourselves the continuing cacophony of chaos, distraction, and the stream of tedious annoyances will not abate. Recently, I listened to an individual who had just retired from their demanding profession, was diagnosed with an extremely serious disease, had the last adult child in the home accept a position in another state, and proceeded to fight a long battle to health and a good prognosis. The disease was eradicated to date, the adult children visit on weekends when possible, leaving the home quiet for the balance of the week. What presents the problem you might ask? The simple answer might be “the empty nest syndrome, listening to the sound of your own heartbeat or the processing of your thoughts.” All challenging for different reasons and on different levels. Yet for some individuals this presents . . . a crisis. Becoming still, quiet, at peace and in tune with the essence of your existence precipitates for some people not just fear but terror. Listening to “The Sounds of Silence,” whenever that arrives in our lives, can be beyond daunting. As Ram Dass shares with these words . . . “The quieter you become, the more you can hear.”
Once again, our orientation and environment play a role in how we perceive these circumstances. Yes, once we become conscious of who we are, issues become something that we better comprehend, accept and in many instances . . . welcome. As a young child, I never really understood what my parents would often suggest at the various times of growth, challenge, crisis, unforeseen circumstances, health challenges, or unexpected events in our lives. Once the situation was under a specific amount of resolution, they fell back to one recurring philosophy that I shall never forget and implement on a daily basis. In the last analysis, coming to terms with circumstances no matter what they are, will cause an upheaval in our lives. However, having the skill set in the consciousness of being and knowing a very simple element of awareness, makes all the difference. My parents simply said the following without fanfare, reservation or hesitation . . . “Having peace of mind is worth all the gold you will ever possess. Nothing takes the place of complete peace in your life, it is the cornerstone of life itself.” With those words present in my consciousness, I learned to add through experience, in addition to peace of mind . . . serenity and tranquility.
Today we see our fellow man spending a great deal of time alone, isolated, in tune with not themselves but something else . . . technology. Go anywhere and see it manifested no matter where you turn. It’s an ubiquitous constancy in our lives, not necessarily infusing peace of mind, nor connection with our fellow man let alone our families, friends or loved ones. Of course, the myriad electronic devices will suggest connectivity to our fellow man, but is it? Are we practicing what now has come into our vernacular as EDI/Electronic Denial Insensitivity, and technological manipulation? Yes technological progress is essential, yet at what cost to how we function with each other, one on one, with the facility of sensitivity in conversation, exchange of ideas, consciousness of who we really are, and perhaps the loss of the basic element of our humanity does this come to be accepted? There will exist an exhaustive back and forth on this for years to come, yet a constant does persist via the words of Eckhart Tolle . . . “When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.” Recognize what you don’t want, and then chose what you wish to experience. JLR