We rush from task to task, making a daily concerted effort to complete something. Often, it feels as though you’re trying to run up the down escalator. We speed along to the next thing, constantly in a rush to get it over with, to speed to the next thing. Rarely do we reach what we consider to be our final destination. When we do manage it, we look around at the chaos we created and realize that it was all down to us.
We are stressed out, completely exhausted by the daily grind. We never have enough time for the things we truly value or what we’d like to be doing. It might feel like there’s no other choice, but the reality of the matter is that it doesn’t need to be this way. You can live a simple life (or, simpler, at least). You can enjoy life; you can find serenity instead of rushing from thing to thing.
Everyone wants serenity. This elusive state that we are convinced only monks can achieve. Serenity makes you better equipped to handle life. You become more adept at handling problems. Once upon a time, something that seemed like a massive catastrophe is merely a small issue.
You can react with clear, steady thinking. It’s impossible to achieve this without effort. To become a serene person and live a serene life, you must build positive mental habits to create a peaceful mind. You need to eat well and exercise to support a healthy body.
Simplify Life
You can go Marie Kondo and toss everything that doesn’t spark joy in your life. However, simplifying your life doesn’t necessarily mean weighing up only material items. Look at your life. Are there things you’re obsessed with? Do you have too much stuff? So much that it’s packed away because you don’t really know what else to do with it? Do you have a nasty shopping habit, even though you don’t need stuff?
This isn’t about throwing everything away. It’s about building a healthy relationship with material wealth and possessions. It isn’t about want, it’s about need.
Ego
Your ego can create havoc, it’s constantly trying to prove you’re better than everyone else. It judges, it compares, and it’s exhausting. Try to pay more attention to it in action. You will see a difference between what you really want to do versus what your ego suggests you do. Are you chasing a goal or a dream because it’s what you want or because it feels like it’s what you should want? The latter isn’t going to help you find serenity.
Let Go
The anger and resentment you carry with you makes life heavy. You are going to experience disappointment because people will always let you down. It’s natural. You can’t influence the hurt they cause; you can only influence your response to the pain they cause. It’s time to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume the hurt is misguided versus intentional. It’s an important aspect of finding serenity.
Mindfulness & Compassion
To find true serenity, you need to be mindful of your emotions, actions, and thoughts. Be conscious about what you say, how you act, how you feel, and what you think. Self-observation will help you understand yourself better and meditation will help you transform yourself. Pay attention to your intentions and be willing to get to know yourself on a deeper level.
Compassion is something that you should extend to yourself as well as to others. Judge yourself less, be kind to yourself, revel in joy. Forgive, forget, practice compassion, and move forward. That is what it means to live a serene life and be serene.
