Seeking Stillness

18 Meditations on Inner Peace

Andrew Olson | Growthable.com

Seeking Stillness
Table of Contents
Introduction! 1. Quiet Your Mind! 2. Perfect This Moment! 3. Live with a Clear Cup! 4. Practice Being Human! 5. Gain Some Perspective! 6. Stop Measuring! 7. Focus on the Next Step! 8. See Your Natural State! 9. Watch Your Step! 10. Accept Uncertainty! 11. Become Self Reliant! 12. Understand Death! 13. Open Your Hand! 14. Give it Away! 15. Love the Transient! 16. Raise Your Consciousness! 17. Calm the Storm! 18. Give Up! 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

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Introduction!
Seeking Stillness is a collection of meditations designed to help you create more clarity, peace, and inner stillness in your life. This guide can be like a signpost, pointing you in the direction of peace, and helping you move away from dissatisfaction and suffering. It contains 18 short thoughts that you can begin to apply today. You may want to read through the entire guide at once to get a feel for the concepts presented. Then, return to the chapters that speak most strongly to you. Take one or two and spend some time quietly contemplating them. 5-10 minutes of contemplation can produce lasting increases in peace and awareness. With Love, ~ Andrew Olson

About Growthable.com
This guide was created by Andrew Olson for Growthable.com. The articles at Growthable are designed to help you create conscious personal growth inside and out. Learn to nd more peace, fulllment, and success in your life at Growthable.com
License: Seeking Stillness is copyrighted to Andrew Olson. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License. You are free to share this work and make copies, as long as you give due credit and make no modications. Image Credits: Cover: __Olga__ on Flickr; #3 visuellegedanken on Flickr; #5 NASA; #6 bm01 on Flickr; #7 m on Flickr; #9 JoshuaDavisPhotography on Flickr; #12 Stuck In Customs on Flickr; #13 kwerfeldein on Flickr; #15 garry61 on Flickr; #17 Tony the Mist on Flickr; #18 engleek on Flickr. All images licensed under Creative Commons.

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1. Quiet Your Mind
Before you can ever hope to achieve any measure of stillness in your life, you must recognize that there are really two parts of you. You are both the mind/body that is here now, and the eternal conscious awareness that lives beyond the mind. There is an easy exercise that can illustrate this point. Use your mind to think about any subject, and then direct your mind to think about something completely different. Who was directing your mind to change thoughts? It didnt change on its own. There was something beyond your thoughts, something totally separate that has power to direct the mind and body. This can be an incredibly encouraging concept for anyone who has fallen victim to their own thoughts. We have all experienced times when our mind activity does not serve our best interests, the mind seemingly runs wild without our consent. Those uncontrollable thoughts bring with them anxiety, fear, anger, and other negative emotions that destroy stillness. You can see that there is an eternally powerful You that has the ability to direct your thoughts. And, with that understanding, it is easy to quiet any mind activity that does not serve you. The negative creations of your mind are the only stumbling blocks to a life of stillness. If you remove the thought. you remove the anxiety behind it. All that is left is the peaceful stillness of your own awareness. It really is that simple. Every other technique for nding peace becomes unnecessary when you learn to quiet your mind.

There is an eternally powerful You that has control over your thoughts.
Quieting your mind is not automatic, however. You may have become quite skilled at holding onto uncontrollable, detrimental thoughts. Practice is how you improve your ability to quiet your mind. A great exercise is to sit quietly with no disruptions. Then, with your consciousness, simply notice your own mind. When you notice a thought arising, use your consciousness to observe it and let it oat away. You will then be alone in your own mind. That place of aloneness is pure awareness, it is perfect stillness.

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2. Perfect This Moment
Right now you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Can you feel the perfection in that statement? In times of distress, this can be an excellent mantra. It is words like these that bring us feelings of deep encouragement and peacefulness. They resonate deeply with our souls because they are pure, unadulterated truth. And the deepest part of our beings can feel truth when we hear it. Yes, your mind might (incorrectly) see potential problems tomorrow, or remember the trials of yesterday; but you are right here, right now. Your consciousness will always be right here, right now. In fact, that is what consciousness is your awareness of this moment. There is nothing random. Happenstance does not occur in our universe. This very moment is here, exactly as it should be, and because it is as it should be, it is perfect! As you read this, you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Everyone else is exactly where they are supposed to be. Everything that is happening is exactly what is supposed to be happening. Doesnt that truth bring a rush of peace into your awareness? This isnt so much an idea of fate, as if everything has been preordained to be where it is and there is nothing you can do about it. Rather, it is a representation of the perfection that surrounds you. Because everything is exactly where it is supposed to be, including yourself and everyone you care about, nothing can ever be wrong. Nothing needs to be xed. This moment, and this moment alone, carries with it the perfection of all-that-is.

Right now you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

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3. Live with a Clear Cup
If you take a cup of muddy water and shake it around, it becomes even more cloudy. If you allow the same cup of water to sit in total stillness, the dirt falls and the water becomes clear. This concept is often used to teach proper meditation. The longer you keep your mind still, the more clarity you will gain. The clarity that we are talking about is just another way of describing stillness. When you begin to live with a still cup (mind), the once muddy pools of your life turn into rivers of clarity. When we are facing a difcult problem, our natural response is to become disturbed. We worry and fear what could happen. Feeling these thoughts causes the waters of our life to be shaken, thereby making them muddy and confusing. When we have dirty water, our lives become unconscious and difcult; suffering abounds. When we approach these problems with peace and acceptance, the water becomes still and the solutions are clear. The answers to lifes difculties are always before us when we need them. It pays to let go of your fears and worries. Holding onto them only makes the waters more dirty and causes greater suffering. Have the courage the let go, to loosen your grip, and to allow the stillness to make the waters of your life clear again. When seen through the eyes of clarity, life becomes perfection. You recognize that the difculties you once saw were simply mud in your cup.

When you begin to live with a still cup (mind), the once muddy pools of your life turn into rivers of clarity.

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4. Practice Being Human
The last I checked, I was a human being. If you check now, you will come to the same conclusion. Why is it, then, that we often have a desire to be something else, something more than human? This desire can manifest itself in numerous ways. From the need to always be perfect, to holding back our emotions, to walking or talking unnaturally when in the presence of others, and many more. Living this way brings incredible amounts of anxiety and difculty into ones life. Animals dont suffer from this condition. My dog has never once been dissatised as a dog and tried to act like a human or a bird. Shes happy being a dog because thats what she is. Further, she doesnt have to try to be a dog or think about what a dog would do in a certain situation, it just comes naturally to her. Likewise, being a human comes naturally to us, but somewhere along the way we have replaced what is natural and simple for what is unnatural and awkward. Somehow, we have come to think that doing this will make us better than a lowly human. But this isnt the characteristic of real humanity. Humanity stumbles, it falls, it cries, it hurts others, it gets hurt, it feels anger, it smiles spontaneously, it lends a hand to someone in need, it fails miserably, it learns, it grows. Humanity can be complex to the mind, but theres no one who knows more about how to practice it than you. As a human, it is not possible to be something more perfect than exactly what you are; just as a dog could not become a better dog by trying to be a human. Indeed, to embrace the humanity that has clothed you, that is your highest purpose.

Indeed, to embrace the humanity that has clothed you, that is your highest purpose.

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5. Gain Some Perspective
Consider this when you become too consumed with the challenges of life: There are over 100 billion (100,000,000,000) distinct galaxies in the universe each like our own Milky Way. Each of these galaxies contain between 100 - 400 billion (400,000,000,000) stars each like our own Sun. Putting all of this into scale, each of those specs in this picture is a distinct galaxy containing 100+ billion stars. Further, if you were to stretch out your arm and stick up your thumb towards the sky, the actual size of this picture would t on a small corner of your thumbnail. You would need thousands of these pictures to cover the size of the night sky. If that isnt enough: The tiny specs in the back of the picture are galaxies billions of light years away from us. A light year is the distance that a beam of light can travel in one year. That light has taken billions of years to reach us. The pictures we are capturing today are from a world that hasnt existed for billions of years. Does the poor restaurant service or the parking ticket really matter so much?

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6. Stop Measuring
Small has no inside, big has no outside. This ancient Chinese proverb proves itself to be more true every day. Science keeps looking for the smallest particle, and astrophysics keeps looking for the edge of the universe. With this approach, the particles will keep getting smaller and the universe will keep getting bigger because that is not how it works. In reality, big and small are both relative. So, how could we ever dene biggest or smallest? In comparison to what? What innitely large/small ruler are we using to measure everything and come to these assumptions? And, how do we know that this ruler is staying the same size since there is nothing else to measure it against? It all seems a bit strange, doesnt it? This isnt just theoretical though, this proverb can serve you in real-life application. Have you ever found yourself in a state where you think you have just had the biggest problem ever, and then, a new one immediately showed up that dwarfed all the others? Big has no outside. If you are looking for the absolute biggest problem, it wont be long before you nd one even bigger, causing more anxiety in your life. As another example, have you ever tried to break a theory/idea down into bite-sized chunks? Did you reach the ultimate simplicity? Or, did each piece of the puzzle turn into its own (smaller) puzzle? Small has no inside. Inside each piece you will nd 10 more pieces, and 10 more inside each of those.

Small has no inside, big has no outside

What is the lesson here? Relax. Stop thinking. Stop trying to measure or judge your world. When you apply this proverb, you can stop looking for the extreme. You understand that it is a fools errand to look for the best, worse, easiest, or hardest because they simply do not exist. You can stop making comparisons. Perhaps most importantly, you can accept the uidity of life that there are no limits or edges (neither inward nor outward).

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7. Focus on the Next Step
Setting goals can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, they give you direction and focus in your life. On the other, they suck valuable resources into an often endless cycle of thoughts, plans, and checklists. And since we dont know the future or even how we may want to act in the future, these plans constantly need revisions. Many times this turns into a spiral of incessant planning for the future and never paying attention to right now. This is a problem. The now is all we have; even when we reach some future time/place it will be the now again when we get there. Because of that, if you want to get from here to there it can only be done through the now. How do you do this? You simply give all of your attention to right now, to the current step of your goal, and complete it with perfection. Perhaps the biggest mistake when planning is to make a list of all the steps that will need to be taken in order to reach the end goal. This is foolish. It is sending a signal to the Universe that you know every contingency of the future, which you dont. Your place is not to control the process, you couldnt even do so if you tried. Once you have a general idea of where you would like to be, it is your job to just take one step in faith, right now. Then, by forces beyond your control, another step will be made available, and another. Finally, you will be able to look back with awe at what has been created through you. By focusing on your role of giving your attention to the current step, and allowing the Universe to focus on Its role of bringing you the next step, you can accomplish your wildest dreams. And, you will have a lot more fun along the way.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. -Confucius

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8. See Your Natural State
Your original state was, is, and always will be one of joyfulness. Everything in your world is steeped in a bliss that can only be described as perfection. This joy surrounds you, you cannot escape it. But then, why arent you always caught up in this wonderful state? Why are there so many problems in life? Because your ego, or mind, can pinch off your ability to see the true nature of this joy. It is true that your natural state is joy, but with enough ego/mind, you can limit your awareness of it. Suffering is the enemy of joy. Your thoughts create suffering in your life that removes your ability to see the bliss that is always present. With suffering, you become blinded from the joy. Notice an important distinction between the two. Suffering is created by you and it comes and goes from time to time. Joy is eternal and always present, you cannot remove it even if you wanted to. The suffering is transitory; even in its most severe cases, suffering is always short lived. The blissful joy, however, is constantly waiting for you just below the surface of your thoughts.

Your original state was, is, and always will be one of joyfulness.
You have to work for suffering, you do not have to work for joy. Joy is your birthright. To overcome suffering, recognize that it is temporary, it will always pass. Also recognize that the joy will never leave no matter what suffering you endure. Find that ever-present contentment even in the midst of difculty and the suffering will lose its hold over you. And without the suffering to cloud your awareness, you once again return to the pure joy.

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9. Watch Your Step
It is important to become mindful of the ground on which you tread. Every step you take has an impact. Your foot will leave a print in the ground. You may bend owers and plants, and you may squash bugs. None of these things are bad, they are simply the nature of interacting with our world. Becoming aware of the impact you have, before, during, and after you take the step is what is important. Notice the transient nature of the mark you leave. While your print may be deep, the owers may have withered, and the insects may have died, that is only temporary. Come back in a while and the dust will have lled your mark, new owers will have grown, and new bugs will have been born. In the eternal nature of things, the ground is the same after you as it was before you. You didnt have a very severe impact. If you left a print that brings you joy, enjoy it with the perspective that it will soon be lled in. Absorb the full joy of it right now. If you left a print that you arent so proud of, take comfort knowing that the dust will soon make your mark unrecognizable. You always have an impact, but never one that lasts.

In the eternal nature of things, the ground is the same after you as it was before you. You didnt have a very severe impact.

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10. Accept Uncertainty
It is not uncommon for us to have a desire for something with no clear way to achieve it. We are uncertain. This typically brings anxiety and stress, but it does not have to be that way. In fact, when you accept the state of uncertainty, the world of opportunity begins to ow in your direction. Eckhart Tolle in A New Earth says it best: When you become comfortable with uncertainty, innite possibilities open up in your life. If uncertainty is unacceptable to you, it turns into fear. If it is perfectly acceptable, it turns into increased aliveness, alertness, and creativity.

When you become comfortable with uncertainty, infinite possibilities open up in your life. -Eckhart Tolle
There is a magic that can be found when you allow the fear to dissolve from uncertainty. You can almost feel the work of God going on behind the scenes, preparing the answers for you, but you are in no hurry to nd them. You can simply accept where you are, accept the uncertainty. There will be times in your life when you feel like you need to grow or make a change in some area, yet you are uncertain about what steps to take. In these situations you are faced with the question: Can I accept this? Can I be the space for this uncertainty until it is time for answers? Answers and insight will only come when you are in a state of acceptance. It is easy to block insight by being in a state of resistance. If you do not like that you are not in control of your destiny, or if you are impatient for answers, ne. Block the insight out. Each day, your world will shrink smaller and smaller. Remember: When you become comfortable with uncertainty, innite possibilities open up in your life. On one hand we have acceptance of uncertainty right now and innite possibilities are awaiting. On the other we raise our st and take control of our own destiny our possibilities diminish by the minute. We are either working with the Universe or we are working against It. Taking sides against the Universe is not a bet I would make.

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11. Become Self Reliant
You will never nd inner fulllment by looking outside of yourself. It is foolish to seek another person who can remove all your troubles and x all of your problems. Only you can do that. The special someone/something in your life might make you feel GREAT... for a while. But what happens when they leave or change (and they always will)? Then, the suffering is only stronger than it was before they arrived. You havent made any real progress. The message here is that you can never nd true fulllment in others until you rst nd it within yourself. If you need compassion, be compassionate with yourself. If you need love, give yourself some of the unconditional love that you have within. If you need a friend, learn to enjoy your own company. This rings especially true when you need advice. Why not ask the only person that really knows your situation? Get in the habit of consulting the stillness that is within before you consult anyone else. That stillness has all the right answers at exactly the right times, it only asks that you quiet your mind enough to listen.

You will never find inner fulfillment by looking outside of yourself.

If all of this sounds too simplistic, or even trite, you are probably still searching for that other person who will give you everything you desire. Needless to say, that position will create a great deal of stress, anxiety, and dissatisfaction in your life, certainly not the peace that you seek. This is not about becoming a socially awkward hermit, cut off from others. In fact, having experiences with other people can be a great source of joy in life. The problems arise when your meaning, worth, and satisfaction are tied to another person. Suffering will always be right around the corner. And its not fair to the other person, either; youre really just using them to get the feelings you want. The moment they stop giving you those wonderful feelings, you have little use for them. Rather, learn to simply enjoy others for who they are, and look inside to nd the fulllment you seek.

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12. Understand Death
It is a common practice for Buddhist monks to spend time meditating on their own death. This contemplation isnt the result of some kind of suffering or depression. It is a way to nd peacefulness in this moment. It might seem counterintuitive to seek peace by thinking about something as morbid as death. On the surface, death seems so nal and denite and scary. Its something we typically run away from, as if theres a big black void looking to suck us into oblivion unless we ght it off with everything we have. This doesnt sound too peaceful so far. Those types of thoughts are based on an incorrect understanding of what death really is. Think about death objectively, without the typical human fear, and you will realize that it is not the opposite (and end) of life. It is simply the opposite of birth. Your body was born, so, it will die. Life, on the other hand, has no beginning, end, or opposite. It was, is, and always will be. Theres really nothing to be afraid of. The reality is that none of our bodies will be living to see 2150. There is no denying that truth, and there is certainly no reason to ght it. When you can understand that youthe very same consciousness that is reading this right nowwill one day not be here in this physical body, your problems and anxieties no longer matter quite as much. And, the things that are actually important to you (love, experience, joy, this moment...) matter a whole lot more.

Death is not the opposite (and end) of life. It is simply the opposite of birth.

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13. Open Your Hand
Our common tendency is to grasp things as tightly as we can. Our possessions, our families, our ideas, our beliefs. The rst reaction we have is to clench our sts around them in an attempt to gain as much control as possible. This forceful reaction provides a false sense of power. We think that if we can always see it, and control it, and tell it exactly what to do at all times, then everything will turn out all right. But if we let go, or turn our backs for an instant, then all could be lost. Does this sound like the characteristics of true power? Instead, the tightest grip you can have is an open hand. The true power of our Universe is reserved not for those who have the tightest stranglehold, or the most lawyers, or the biggest weapons, but those who can let go the most freely. To this person, coercion becomes cooperation and fear turns to freedom. On the surface, an open hand may seem to imply passivity. Its much the opposite. Sure, others may have more forcefulness (which is vastly different than power), but they soon become bound by the shackles built with their own hands. When you allow yourself to let go, it becomes a sign to the Innite that you are willing to cooperate and accept life as it is. It is only then that you will nd the full power of the Universe on your side. The meek shall, indeed, inherit the earth.

The true power of our Universe is reserved for those who can let go the most freely.

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14. Give it Away
The more possessions you have, the more likely you are to get caught up in the anxiety of acquiring and maintaining all of that stuff. With this lifestyle, the majority of your time will be devoted to protecting your possessions and thats denitely not a path that will lead to peacefulness. Try to become a bit more of a minimalist. Learn to love the simplicity of having a little. Instead of buying ten trinkets that you really dont want, buy just one nicer thing that you can enjoy every day. Or buy nothing at all and do something even more productive with the money; you probably dont need it anyways. Go through your closet and donate the clothes you never wear. Clear all the junk off your computer. Empty that one drawer that is always full of clutter. Give away unnecessary furniture and all the things stored in boxes in your garage. Make eBay your new best friend.

Learn to love the simplicity of having a little.

This isnt about depriving yourself of the things you desire. But it is about learning how most of the things you acquire really just lead to dissatisfaction and stress. The point is, you can be just as happy, and a lot more peaceful, without so much stuff in your life. Look at monks, they own virtually nothing. They even go into the villages each day to collect donations of food that they can prepare for the day. Our process is quite silly when you think about it. We create stress from our burning desire to acquire something new. Then we do acquire it and it only creates more stress now that we have to use and maintain it. Whats the point? Just get rid of it all. Start with one room, one category, one aspect of your life, and begin purging everything that is unnecessary. You will immediately feel a sense of relief.

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15. Love the Transient
Anyone who starts out with the perspective of: this is mine and I dont want to lose it will create suffering and anxiety in their life, certainly not peace. The reason this brings anxiety is because you never own anything, so it is futile to try protecting what you dont even have. You cannot really possess anything in a realistic sense. It could die, get lost, or be stolen. You can only have stewardship over things for a period of time. Even your own body will one day die and return back to the dust. Youre just borrowing it from the earth for a few years. Nothing will last; not the relationships, not the money, not the possessions, not the health. This fact might seem depressing on the surface. But remember: when do you most strongly recognize the value of what you have? When its gone. Understand that you can never own anything, and everything you have will become a gift to enjoy while it lasts. Let go of your need to possess and you will nd immense joy in the things you have right now. Take a relationship for example. Many people think that they own their signicant other. They say things like youre mine or I dont want to lose you. This leads to two negative outcomes: 1) you spend all your time anxiously trying to keep what you think is yours and 2) when you nally wake up to the fact that your relationship will not last forever, it creates a great deal of suffering. How much different would that situation be if each partner recognized that their relationship could be over at any moment, and accepted the time they do have together as a gift? Their love would reach a whole new level. Notice the transitory nature in everything; learn to love the clouds simply because you know they will soon blow away.

Let go of your need to possess and you will find immense joy in the things you have right now.

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16. Raise Your Consciousness
Consciousness and suffering cannot exist in the same place at the same time. Conscious awareness is the light and stress is the darkness. When you mix the two together, the light overcomes the darkness every time. You can be sure that anyone who is experiencing suffering does not have much light to ght off the darkness. If you are able to raise your level of consciousness, it will force the suffering, stress, and anxiety (the hinderances to inner peace) out of your life. One who has a very high level of consciousness cannot even notice the suffering, let alone experience it, because it is beyond their eld of awareness. Obviously, most of us have not reached that state; we all experience suffering and stress on occasion. Your aim is to keep the consciousness "bright" enough at all times so the suffering will never take hold. Understanding how this works is very simple. Consciousness is the truth, suffering is the illusion. Raise the truth and the illusion cannot last for long. In other words, raising your consciousness will make you aware of the truth that you are always surrounded by an eternal peace. When you see that level of clarity, thoughts of suffering become like a silly dream and you have no choice but to feel total joy. Consciousness is not something that you can just leave to chance, allowing it to come and go as it pleases. Through intentional effort, anyone can raise their consciousness and thereby raise their level of peacefulness. The most effective way to do this is through meditation. Find a place to sit completely still and simply be aware of your ability to be aware. Notice the stillness that is within you. That stillness is your consciousness. While you sit, be aware of everything that is happening right now, your breath, the noises around you, even your own restlessness. Allow your mind to let go of thoughts of the past and future. Just allow yourself to be. Do this for 15 minutes, 2 times per day. During this time of meditation, you will experience a raised level of consciousness that drowns out any hinderances to peace. Ultimately, the goal is to sustain this state even when you are not meditating. And from that place, your level of inner peace can rise to new heights.

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17. Calm the Storm
Lakes are a good analogy for people. A lake may have a violent and stormy surface at times. We see this and think of the lake as dangerous and unapproachable. One would have to be crazy to sail out onto it. We fail to notice that what we see is just a few inches of the exterior, while miles of depth remain below the surface. This depth, which accounts for 99% of the lakes mass, cannot be harmed by any exterior storm or attack. The innermost depth of the lake is, and always will be, majestically still. Similarly, this stillness lives within each of us. Our surface may have tremendous waves, often caused by violent storms. But thats only the exterior. When you feel the storms brewing in yourself, or notice them in others, have courage to dive beyond the rocky surface. There you will nd an everlasting stillness that is incapable of being disturbed. That very thought will soothe the waves in your life. Think back to the story of Jesus calming the sea (Mark 4:35-41). Jesus, as you may remember, was asleep in the stern of the boat while the storm was raging. He knew that a storm is nothing to fear, it is merely a temporary disturbance of the eternal peace that cannot be harmed.

Have courage to dive beyond the rocky surface. There you will find an everlasting stillness that is incapable of being disturbed.

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18. Give Up
Ironically, the quest to bring peace into your life can cause a great deal of stress if youre not careful. When you are so passionate in your desire to achieve something, you seek out systems and strategies and techniques that will help you get closer. These good-intentioned efforts begin to spin a web around you until you are more paralyzed and confused than when you started. Take meditation, for example. It is a great way to bring more peace and consciousness into your life. But if you add it as an item to your daily checklist, it becomes a chore. You think about how difcult it is going to be, how much you are dreading it, and how you dont have enough time. You have turned something peaceful into a source of stress. Dont do that. The most important thing you can ever do is feel joyful. None of your goals are more important than that you feel great. In fact, it's the state of joy that allows the things you want to come into your life. Feeling a negative emotion (stress, anxiety, anger, etc.) is like slamming the door in the face of your desires. But heres the problem: When those bouts of negative feelings strike, its not so easy to just say Oh, Im going to feel joyful now. It doesnt work that way. Instead, when life has you feeling overwhelmed, or anxious, or angry, there is only one thing to do: surrender. Surrender is when you ease up on yourself. It is saying that nothing, not even your goal, is more important than the way you feel right now. Surrender has the condence to stop forcing things to happen and start allowing them to happen. From this place of joyful surrender, you do not lose your desires, you only lose the chains that were holding you away from your desires to begin with.

The most important thing you can ever do is feel joyful.

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