The Thrill of Peace

A lovely day is my heartfelt wish for you. I am writing this on a glorious Saturday. The sky is azure blue, and the mountain air is crisp. I am thrilled because I am playing hooky. I have been working for a couple of weeks (that feel like five) preparing for an institutional reaccreditation evaluation. These are full of rules, regulations, standards, criteria, exhibits, and dizzying documentation. To think that I did not go to law school because I did not want to be reading and writing mind-numbing minutiae. The joke’s on me. But anyway, this is where I am right now, and today, I am not working. I am excited to be free, and I cannot tell you for how long I have been sitting on a rocking chair in my front patio looking up at the sky, thinking of nothing, until now.

Because I was experiencing the serene expansiveness of existing. Being in my now, feeling the cool air on my skin while looking at the sky. My mind without a thought, quiet, and almost nowhere in the picture, is perfect peace for me. It is freedom. That is the thrill I feel- the freedom I am feeling by not thinking. Don’t get me wrong, I love my mind. I love thinking, creating with it, analyzing- most of the things it does. A mind is a beautiful tool. Nevertheless, as a tool, it is to serve you well. Not to twist you like a pretzel.

How much we worry, overanalyze, confuse ourselves, judge ourselves, question ourselves, badger ourselves over something we did or did not say/do. In my case, these days, going into the labyrinth of regulations and criteria, to the point of mental exhaustion. The thing is, we torture ourselves like this with life. Some of us complicate daily living or complicate relationships or careers. Or whatever. I have seen people complicate the simplest of things or experiences. Yet freedom lies in simplicity. I know, complicated stuff makes us look intelligent and capable. There is drama to it, which gives adrenaline rushes and all that. But the quiet mind allows so much space, freedom, and joy. To the point of catching yourself stretching and smiling, just… because…you exist.

I hope you find your space today to just be. Some suggestions- closing your eyes and really listening to instrumental music, looking up at the sky, and just watching the clouds go by. If you are lucky to live in a place where you can see the night sky full of stars, please look up for both of us. For now, I will be looking at the azure sky and listening to the palm fronds rustle.

Take good care of yourself and simply enjoy your day.

A big hug,

Militsa