Reaching a Peaceful State of Mind in a Chaotic World

Peace of mind is not always the easiest thing to achieve. Why is this? First, we build contingencies into our ‘peace’. If, for example, certain circumstances or conditions are prevalent, then we believe we have peace. If believing in peace or chaos is at the core, wouldn’t peace exist at all times? This is the basis for a mindful state, realizing what truly exists in our present state.

Often we get so hung up on conditions that we fail to recognize what is. What we choose to be aware of is based on our ability in any moment to disconnect from what we see and feel and tap into the reality of the world around us.

Even in a world where evil seems dominant at any given time, an alternate exists. During troubled times this is a particularly hard reality to see. Our fighting spirit however strives to guide us toward the existence of good and justice. Power is natural. Defeat is something we must work on.

We each have a natural fighting power within us. It is what some refer to as a survival instinct or ‘will’. It is natural for us to want to overcome, to get through a difficult situation, and to prevail. We have a natural positive energy about us as it is a part of the quanta of the scientific nature of our being.

We live because we are energy. Our bodies instinctively operate to sustain life because of positive energy. As we take in each breath and our heart beats, our body works as a collective with a goal for us to sustain life.

Unfortunately, the unconscious mind can wreak havoc on the positive state of energy that our body is so naturally supporting, as it drives our conscious actions into focusing on the negative state. We choose to allow circumstances to defeat our positive thinking and disrupt our peace. Peace of mind, therefore, becomes difficult to achieve as our attention to circumstances becomes the focus of our thoughts. Creating new conditions that will help one to reconnect to a more positive state of awareness is the first step in shifting from chaos to peace.

When we create physical or mental ‘safe havens’ for ourselves, we allow ourselves space that attracts positive thinking; a space where we can reach a peaceful state and a higher level of awareness. In the past, most of us have heard the term ‘happy place’, a mental escape zone to distract our mind from the recognized chaos or discomfort around us.

One issue prevails with the concept of a ‘happy place’-try to find that ‘happy place’ in the midst of a traumatic experience and test just how difficult this can be. The problem is that conditions may physically exist that one must choose to remove themselves from in order to be physically able to reach a better mental state. When unable to physically remove oneself from an extreme situation, the ‘happy place’ becomes more of a ‘survival state’. A ‘happy place’, however, can exist and does exist, even in dire situations.

Regardless of where we ‘are’ mentally or physically, peace does exist. We may not recognize it or have the ability to see and acknowledge it, but that does not mean it does not exist. Peace is a natural perceived state, a result of chaos. Positive energy, life giving energy, is active, chaotic, but it produces a beautiful world that we perceive as ‘peaceful’. Think of waves crashing upon the shore-chaotic energy, which many would interpret as peaceful and serene. Or how about a sunrise? The breeze rustling through the trees? All energetic, chaotic, positive energy.

When we tune out conditions, we can see peace. We choose to recognize peace, even though it is a part of a more chaotic existence. Defeated thinking is a choice and can only be maintained through sustained focus. When we choose to recognize only the negative aspects of our current state, we focus on our state of being- defeat. Conversely, successful thinking is a choice and can only be maintained through sustained focus. We can only be what we accept and choose to be. Do you choose to be at peace or uncomfortable? Do you choose to be defeated or prevail?

Peace of mind is a choice. “When you’ve seen beyond yourself, then you may find peace of mind is waiting there,” George Harrison.

Jolene Church is currently working on a doctoral dissertation on the effects of critical thinking on organizational leaders. She is a mindfulness practitioner and the co-author of Thinking 101: Fundamentals of a Successful Mindset. www.successfulthinkingmindset.com