PIECE OF MIND

Suffering is primarily an inside job, which means that ending it comes from within as well. When your mind is still, all is well. Once you stop creating stories, suffering stops. Suffering resides in your mind, so when you quiet your mind the suffering ceases. 

You must remain present. When you reside in “what is,” there is always something beautiful to witness. You can be locked in prison in solitary confinement, yet you can find beauty in the sliver of sunshine that enters your cell. When you are present and still, happiness will be your natural state. Eventually, with time and practice, you’ll see that life goes well.

Find an outdoor quiet space, such as a park, a meadow, or a beach. Then, choose an object from nature such as a bird, a tree, a flower, or anything you can be 100 percent present with. Take a minute, or ten if you can, and watch it, listen to it, and just be with it. When a thought comes up, just let it pass, and redirect your focus on the object. Once you're done, reflect on what took place. Were you sad, or were you depressed? If you’re truly present with something, what you’ll find is that you are happy and at peace. All is well. Yes, it may have only been for a short period of time but for some people that’s enough to get a taste of “Wow, I can do this!”

Keeping your mind still and present is a skill. It’s actually something that you had as a child. In fact, young children are able to maintain this state all day. But as we've developed, we've forgotten how to do this. But if we relearn this skill and go back to what I would call “our natural state,” then we are happy. The good news is that the state of being happy comes from within and is accessible to each and every one of us.!!