Where is your peace?

[kiwibonga]

I was thinking about something today... About the way people perceive things differently on a case by case basis, about sounds, imagery and elements.

When I think about "inner peace," about things that have a tendency to calm me down, I think of the sound of running water, the refreshing sounds of the rain, waterfalls, etc.

In everyday life, I seem to find peace in not having anything to do, just being allowed to do anything I want without any contracts or obligations, kind of like running water that never wants to end up in the ocean, or stuck at a dam.

When I look around me, I see very different characters.

Some of them listen to heavy metal music, cut their arms and basically think only of escaping from 'this world.' They find peace in their self-torment.

Some of them find their comfort in physical things, such as money, working hard to make money ; they spend more time thinking about living a good life than actually living their life, their peace consists mainly in knowing that nothing can disrupt them for as long as they gather all their effort towards a goal.

Some of them believe that for as long as they do what they are told, nobody will bother them. When they do not do as they are told, bad things happen, or so they feel.

These are just examples of people I know, but no two people are alike.

What has a tendency to calm you down in terms of sound and imagery?
Where do you find peace in everyday life?

[James S]

Two things come to mind straight away:

The sound of wind blowing around me, especially if I'm in a forest, or around trees. I find it not only very relaxing but also uplifting.

Looking out over a small lake early in the morning when the water is like glass.

Blessings,
James.

[CFTraveler]

External things that bring me peace are being near water in any form, the sounds of water.
Internal: Remembering that God wants only good for me.

[El-Bortukali]

I think of the Desert.
Everytime i hear sting's song"Desert Rose" my mind instantly relaxes and i get weird feelings.

There's nothing i love more than the Desert.
Dang,who knows maybe i lived in egypt in a previous life.lol

[gdo]

This might take some time.....
You have to dwell on it for a while.

Inner peace is the balance or your consciousness  between you life and your death.

[gdo]

sorry not or but of

[oivxx]

I tend to picture ocean surf as it breaks listening to the dull roar of it.  The forest wind idea has cought my attention and plan on giving that a try.  I like the idea that i could have the wind carry my petty worries up and    beyond the forest canopy.

[Leilah]

When I play guitar there are moments when everything just flows PERFECTLY and I feel completely at peace. These moments are fleeting, but there is nothing else like it. I love it.

[greatoutdoors]

Kiwibonga and James,

You sound like my kind of people. "Peace," for me, is pretty much anything in nature. Yes, the wind is lovely and can raise my spirits! Water can do the same thing, especially if it is a running stream with sand or gravel bars you can walk on. It makes me smile when I have the time and opportunity to get out in the country and watch a horse crop grass. The sight of a bird close-up, or a little furry varmint -- yep, any of those will do!

But of all things I can think of, the best by far was my visit to Muir Woods a couple of years ago. It was about this time of year. There were, of course, huge trees. But there was also running streams, lovelye ferns and mosses, sunlight filtered by mist that made the place seem like the grandest cathedral in the world. At that place and time I was so happy it was almost overwhelming.

I wonder if anyone else has been there and had that experience?

Anyway, those are my "happy triggers."  

[greatoutdoors]

It occurs to me I may not have paid proper attention to trees! They, too, can lift my spirits mightily. Great, grand, tall, ancient, old-growth trees! And a pox on those in our nation who are so determined to cut them all down!  

[SpeaK]

No need for wind for me, although it can add a nice touch. But a wonderful, sunny day, brids singing, the trees whispering... Middle of a forest would be great, although looking at a forest from somewhere high up would be great too.
Oh I'd like to sit in that scenery and see, feel and smell the peace.

[Kenneth]

I'm actually not sure what "true" peace is  :confused:

I mean... You can listen to the trees whispering, and you can catch the "feeling" or "emotion" from them - but that is for me only a short escape from the non-peace within me. True peace is for me being IN peace within my self  

What I find helps me (and I hope ultimately WILL make me capable of accepting my inner peace), is to accept and forgive my self, even though what inside of me is keeping me away from the peace(!)

Maybe the question isn't what will bring me peace, but more about what is keeping me away from inner peace? ... And if you want inner peace, you have to look inside and recognize what it is, that is keeping your attention and your focus so riveted, that it seems you can not escape. All those nagging thoughts, burning and rumbling emotions, pricking and itching bodily pains etc.

Each one of those can be dealt with, if you accept and forgive yourself for how YOU feel about this or that pain, emotion etc.

It's like an extra "layer" that you can open up inside of your self.

There's the situation or external world, that "triggers" something inside of you -often one or several emotions - and the "pain" or absence of peace that shows, when YOU decide, how you feel about what have been triggered inside of you(!) ... (All of this takes place within ½ second, so you have to be very alert and focused inside of yourself, in the combination of thoughts, half-thoughts and likes/dislikes/emotions)

The most common error by all of us is, that we actually combine what we feel about our feeling, with what situation triggered it, so instead of "How I hate this feeling of  revenge inside of me, that got triggered by your comment", it becomes "How I hate you for making me feel like this!", and that becomes "How I hate your comment, and I hate you! - YOU are responsible for me feeling like this".

(And somewhere in this chain we forgot, that it is actually the Revenge we hate).

The statement that eventually would lead to peace would be: "Even though "How I hate (my self) while I'm hating this feeling of revenge", I deeply and completely accepts and forgive my self!"

My point being: Try to accept your self, despite how you FEEL about how you feel about the situation!  

... It seems "strange" to actually ask yourself "how do I feel about how I feel? ..." But hey - it can help    ...