Peace of Mind can be Found in Many Places
If you reserve 'peace of mind' for only 'peaceful' places, you'll find life is often unsatisfying.
There are times when I resist the idea of doing something, because I ignorantly feel that being “at rest” is the only way of feeling content or internally at peace.
“I don't really want to do 'X' task. This is not because I'm feeling lazy, but because I am exhausted with being discontent. I wish to simply stay in my current ivory tower of comfort (whatever it may be), and not move until my heart or mind feel healed and content enough.”
But when is one 'content enough'?
After many years of hindering myself in this way and avoiding struggle, I grew dissatisfied with being unable to step up to a challenge or anything strenuous. Having convinced myself that any and all movement from my comfortable locale might result in deep anguish, it had eventually bled into other basic aspects of my life.
One day, I said enough was enough and began knocking out task after task I had been dreading or putting off. I pushed myself to do a number of tasks I despised. I was so fed up with not getting things done – I simply gave up resistance to them, and just did them. And at certain times, even in the thick of the heat, sweat, or strain, I discovered moments of peace and contentment amidst those tasks.
It dawned on me then, that if I was open to the potentiality of experiencing contentment, calm or satisfaction, that I could find it in more places than I'd previously thought possible.
I now realize that happiness, contentment, or the pleasure of peace of mind, can be found in everything from mundane experiences, strenuous work, or places where one does not anticipate it.
If you are constantly bludgeoning yourself with the story that it is impossible, that all inopportune experiences are always equal to the finest hell, then this will be very hard for you to notice. It is that very focus on suffering while one is already struggling that serves only to amplify one's discontentment.
Now, I'm well aware that somebody with a big corporate hat is going to try and arrest this idea and use it as a method of tricking you into working harder. But that is not my intention.
It isn't that you ought to work hard, settle for less than ideal experiences and just be stupidly happy with that. But it is to allow yourself the possibly of being open to pleasure or contentment, even in the demanding areas of your day.
If you find yourself dreading what experiences might come while doing something difficult, learning something new, or simply de-weeding the lawn, be open to letting contentment bubble up in the surface of your mind. Feel whatever emotions appear, but be open to the possibility of positive emotions too.
I've found it much easier to do menial chores or mundane things I detest doing, yet need to be done, in this way.
There is a Zen koan I'm reminded of while wrapping up this article:
“A student of Zen once asked a master of their school, 'Sir, we have to get up, make our food, wash the dishes and put on our clothes every day. How do we escape from all of that? [the mundanity of life]?
The master replied, 'We dress. We eat. That is how.'
'I don't understand', the student responded.
'If you don't understand,' said the master, 'then put on your clothes and eat your food. ”