The tall pine tree outside my window stands serene. Birds nestle in its boughs and sunlight sparkles through the raindrops on its branches. Just looking at it brings me a sense of peace. A few paces beyond, the world is anything but serene. Frantic drivers crowd the roadways, invasive ads urge us to buy the latest device, and negative news spews from the media.
Today over 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders. More than 16 million a year are suffering from depression, with the annual suicide rate increasing by 24 percent. And in the past month, three out of four of us have experienced stress-related insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, or exhaustion. That life creates suffering, Buddhism’s First Noble Truth, is only too evident today.
But it doesn’t have to be. The world’s great spiritual traditions remind us that we have a choice. We can mindlessly react to the commotion around us or choose to see things differently, to cultivate greater peace of mind. What brings you peace of mind? Is it:
- Getting or giving?
- Reacting or creating?
- Doing or being?
And when you see the difference, what does this mean to you? Do you have your own ritual that brings you back to peace? Is it:
- Beginning the day with regular contemplative practice?
- Quiet moments of prayer and spiritual reading?
- Pausing to reflect on the beauty of nature?
- Giving yourself space to breathe amid a busy day?
- Spending a few moments at the end of the day to reflect on three things you’re grateful for?
This month is a good time to choose your own daily ritual of peace. For the peace you cultivate is not just for you. It ripples out to touch all the people you meet. Each day the small choices you make can begin to heal our beautiful, but troubled world.
I wish you—and all of us–greater peace of mind in the year ahead.
Namaste,
Diane
References
Current anxiety disorders statistics from the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA): http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety and the National Institute of Mental Health, http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/any-anxiety-disorder-among-adults.shtml.
Information on depression and suicide rates in the United States from the National Institute of Mental Health, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/index.shtml
Stress statistics from Winerman, L. (December 2017). Our Stressed Out Nation. APA Monitor on Psychology, p. 80. From Stress in America survey data: www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/index.aspx
For more insights on the gratitude practice, see Robert Emmons. (2007). Thanks. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.