Tranquility

There is a time of day when my cup of tranquility is always overflowing: the early morning hours when the sun begins to light up a new day. The years have only added to this perfect time of reflection for me. It is as close to a rewind button as life can give me. We have so much control over our thoughts, yet we do so little to stay in control of them.

“The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.”

James Allen

I remember this photograph so well. If I could generate a 3D image of my mind, I would want this to be my reference photo. The steam fog slowly rose from the water, and shorebirds moved in and out of the escaping darkness of the night. Except for the sounds of nature at that moment, the grunts and groans of an awakening world were still asleep.

I have moments when my mind mimics this tranquil time of the day, but I can never hold onto them for long. The good news is that I am aware of it. I know that the peace and tranquility inside of myself are the main ingredients for a happy soul and a heart filled with joy.

“Inner peace is the key: if you have inner peace, the external problems do not affect your deep sense of peace and tranquility. Without this inner peace, no natter how comfortable your life is materially, you may still be worried, disturbed, or unhappy because of circumstances.”

Dalai Lama

What is so profound here is all these ingredients: peace, tranquility, and serenity of mind, heart, and soul are already onboard. I don’t need to go to a market to pick them up; I have all of them, and I always will.

The newness of each day and the tranquility available to me each early morning mean that I do have a rewind button, and so do all of you. As challenging as it can be, I know going inside of myself will be my best opportunity to see the world around me with renewed hope.

“We have forgotten what rocks and plants still know - we have forgotten how to be - to be still - to be ourselves - to be where life is here and now.”

Eckhart Tolle

Each day is a gift. Each early morning brings the same amount of peace and tranquility to my mind as the day before. I know I have the power to control how much of it I take with me throughout the day. Being patient with myself allows what already exists inside of me to be enough to make it through another day.

“Patience and tranquility of mind contribute more to cure our distempers as the whole art of medicine.”

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Talk soon…

G