2 signposts on the journey toward peace

By virtue of our humanity, we are all seekers, we are each on a journey to find serenity and that elusive state of "happiness."

As my "happiness" may be very different from someone elses. Perhaps the better term is that of serenity,by which I mean a comforting envelope of peace and tranquility while we are buffered by chaos and confusion.

The two major signposts, as I see them are both unique and important and each can be articulated as:

1) The gift, the courage, the presence to say "no."
We are all busy, we all have relentless demands on our time and energies and if we say "yes" to everything, at the end of the day our tank is dry and there is nothing left.

2) The notion of self care.
I cannot ever remember through decades of formal education anyone ever telling me to take care of myself. I do not remember anyone advising me to throttle back my plans and my ambition.
The mantra of today's culture is the relentless acquisition of trinkets and widgets, the relentless to-do list, and the relentless emptiness as we frantically seek that butterfly of happiness.

So here's a reminder: enjoy the journey, embrace the trip and don't be too concerned about the final destination.

Resource: By Edward T. Creagan, M.D. at
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-blog/MY00249

The buck stops with us

Every once in awhile there is a quote that hits home, for example:
'As we think so we become', and 'Our attitude creates reality'
In other words, our reaction to a situation determines the amount of stress we will have. So, what does this mean from a practical standpoint?

If we become upset, angry, or disappointed over an event, a person, or a circumstance, we are giving up our peace of mind and our serenity to that person, to that event, or to that situation. If I am stuck in traffic and I am running late for an appointment and if I am frustrated and angry, I have given up my serenity and my peace of mind to a traffic jam over which I have no control.

If any of us doubt this wisdom, let us repeat tomorrow morning, "I will have a lousy day," five times. Guess what, this will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. On the other hand, if we tell ourselves this will be a day of miracles and something wonderful will happen, the probability is much greater that yes indeed it will be creative and a fulfilling day.

So, I think we are learning from each other that there are no simple solutions, there are no quick fixes, but by reframing the way we view a problem we can better retain our serenity and peace of mind because after all, if our health deteriorates, nothing else really matters.

The buck does stop with us and to a very real extent we need to be proactive and assertive in securing, maintaining, and nurturing our physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being.

Written by Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
March 18, 2008 and published on http://www.mayoclinic.com/health