Tag: peace

  • The impossible dream

    The impossible dream

    When home is elusive, the world feels ominous.

    A journey to a place you’ve never been holds the promise of peace, despite never having known what peace feels like.

    It’s a cry of the soul, in tones and words that no one seems to understand.

    But you keep crying, and you keep trying, because something deep inside convinces you that there must be more than this.

    If only it was possible to know why this never felt enough, it would be so much easier to figure out why home is still worth searching for.

    The impossible dream that is too important to abandon, but too wholesome to feel worthy of it.

    It truly is a long longing, for something we imagine would finally reach the deep, dark recesses of our being, and offer it the light it has been yearning since our first breath.

    Will the yearning remain even after our last breath?

    Or is hope for fools who dare to dream despite living a recurrent nightmare?

  • Willingly obliged

    Willingly obliged

    This is most true for religious subscription and cultural heritage, but applies to every relationship in our life.

    Choice inspires willingness because a choice is driven by our belief in the benefit of our contribution towards others.

    Obligation inspires contempt because it is most often associated with the threat of a negative repercussion.

    What drives our choices and our sense of obligation therefore must be considered when we find ourselves growing angry at the thought of non-compliance from others, or the expectation of compliance from ourselves by others.

    It is quite possible to choose consciously to serve an obligation. But that choice must be done willingly and not under duress. Duress turns a choice into an unwilling obligation.

    Fear has a limited life span. Therefore, the moment we establish compliance with a lifestyle or behaviour through fear, we must prepare ourselves for the inevitable backlash.

    Live consciously. Love deliberately. And serve without obligation.

    Perhaps, beloved, in that lies the secret to experiencing peace in this lifetime.

  • The understanding seeker

    The understanding seeker

    Seek to understand, so that you may be able to accept the events of your life with peace, rather than feeling compelled to let go with bitterness.

    It’s the inclination to want to be heard that denies us peace when we’re not heard.

    Or to want to be acknowledged when we are dismissed.

    Rather than fight to be heard, or to be acknowledged, choose your battles.

    Be sure that what you’re fighting for is what you want to have in your life, and not just because you refuse to go quietly.

    When you find it impossible to get through, to make your point, or to establish reason, it’s a sign that you need to pause and understand better what it is that you’re dealing with.

    When you pause to understand, you’ll allow yourself a chance to decide if the fight is worth it, and if it is, you’ll create space for yourself to recognise a better way to achieve your objective.

    Like the prophetic advice teaches us, don’t get angry. The moment you find your anger rising, it’s a sign that you need to step back, and seek to understand better, before continuing to respond.

    Peace.

  • Save yourself from regrets

    Save yourself from regrets

    I believe that among the great deathbed regrets will be the realisation that we never truly showed the world who we are.

    It’s the what-ifs and if-onlys that cause more regret and heartache than any bad decision.

    Bad decisions are made with good intentions, yet we always choose to remember the negative outcome, rather than celebrate our innocence and sincerity for trying.

    We do this because we’re more focused on what others think of us, than we are about what we know to be true about ourselves.

    This bias against ourselves is one of the roots with which ingratitude takes hold in our life.

    When that happens, we become martyrs in our own mind, as we focus on everything that didn’t work out, while losing sight of the beauty and blessings that we have.

    Living up to your convictions, despite society, is what will provide you with peace and fulfilment when you need it most.

    That is, in those final moments when you look back at the sum total of your life and wonder if you made the best of it, or did you only focus on the worst of it?

    Redefine what peace means to you. It is always beyond just the absence of disagreement or hostility. Peace lies in being true to yourself, and appreciating the opportunities for growth that such conviction creates in those around you.



  • For the love of peace

    For the love of peace

    The night is only as peaceful as the day’s indulgence, and the day’s indulgence is only as focused as the reflections of the night.

    What we court in quiet moments reflects our beliefs, but what we pursue in our efforts with others reflects our convictions.

    When the two are aligned, sleep becomes a spiritual experience, and love…love becomes a way of life.

    When the two are in conflict, life becomes torturous, and love…love becomes our enemy.


  • The absence of gratitude

    The absence of gratitude

    It’s easier to assume that someone is ungrateful rather than to invest time in discovering what it is that distracts them. If we work with the assumption (if not the truth) that one is in search of the same joy and peace that we are, seeking to understand each other will be easier than wanting to judge each other.

    The absence of gratitude is not always ingratitude. Often it’s a distraction. Like looking at the dark clouds instead of appreciating the rain. The distractions are what take us off our desired path in life when we place significance on things that are out of our control, or not as consequential as we believe it is. That’s when we find ourselves persisting in righting seeming wrongs, or defending imaginary attacks. The most effective strategy, I’ve found, to combat this is to seek understanding rather than assuming judgement. The more we understand, the less we judge. This does not mean that we condone or justify, it simply means that we seek to understand so that we may be able to accept with peace, rather than surrender with bitterness or regret.

  • In search of home

    In search of home

    Gratitude lays the foundation of the home.

    Respect builds its walls.

    Love and compassion provides the roof that protects you from the storm.

    And passion gives you the windows to allow your soul to breathe.

    As for faith…faith is the door that opens the path to all of it.

    Virtues have limited effect or value if practiced in isolation. It sometimes has a detrimental effect when one is practiced in excess compared to the others. Balance, as always, is what leads to harmony, and harmony is the throne on which peace resides.

    Find your balance. Find your peace.

  • Insomnia, Anxiety, Mental Clutter – Be gone

    Insomnia, Anxiety, Mental Clutter – Be gone

    Here’s a technique that I developed many years ago when insomnia was a friend of mine. I’ve since found it to be very effective for not just insomnia, but also for anxiety, mental clutter, or just overall peace of mind. When you feel anxious or frustrated, or if you’re struggling to focus, try this out and let me know how it works for you.

    This technique is discussed in more detail in my book titled Own Your Sh!t.