Finding Peace

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Peace is an elusive experience. Most of us do not know what what peace is. Though, we do know what peace is not: anxiety, lack of self-worth, worry, fear, distrust, arrogance, self-abasement, hate, dislike, and contempt. None of these things are of value.

Think of how hard you have to work to maintain those attitudes. You have to find something to be anxious about. You have to make up things to keep your self-esteem in the basement. You have to imagine things to fear. You have to seek reasons to distrust even people that you have never met. You have to hold on to the white hot coals of anger to maintain your hate. You have to twist your logic in knots to find 'reasons' to dislike something -- anything. These states are worthless and we maintain them with our random thoughts and imaginations.

Often we go so far as to borrow things from our past to prop up this nonsense! These memories are anchors keeping one in a tidal pool of insanity. You can untie yourself from the memories and step out of the pool. It is likely that you are so stuck in the past that there is a corresponding physical object that invokes that memory in your house. Do not go looking for it. You will find reasons not to find it.

Instead, look about you right now. Somewhere within your vision is something that is clutter, trash, dusty, present but forgotten. Get up and toss it in the trash. It has sentimental value? Really? Then why is it clutter, trash, dusty, present and forgotten? It has no value. Sentiment is an anchor to the past. Throw it away.

From that point forward move through your house every day and find something to clean up or toss out. You will come across things with negative attachments. You will find a scrap of paper that reminds you of that girl, a picture of a parent that reminds you of a traumatic time, a key chain given to you by a frenemy. You will be able to toss these objects out because you've already learned to throw away other debris from your past. Stuff means nothing but the memories attached to that stuff can keep you wallowing in a pool of unrest.

When you physically throw away these objects that action says more than, I am ready to let this go. The action is letting go. 

Will this cure all your ills? Will it be the magic salve that turns your life around? Probably not. It will help. You will have taken a bold step. You have stated that you have the will to move on, that you are willing to live in the present and that you are willing to do what is necessary to obtain peace.

Peace, my brothers and sisters, is being in alignment with G-d. Peace is being within that bounty, the unfolding. Peace is living in the now and you cannot do that clinging to yesterday.

-- Robert