Perception, Acceptance, and The Peaceful Mind
Last time we spoke of how true peace feels in the body: soft, clear, and well. Today I would like to look at the mind, because the mind is a monumental part of finding peace.
Peace in the mind does not come from having no thoughts. It comes from our willingness to open and to understand. We look closely at our situations, our thoughts, and our actions. Without that willingness, how can peace happen in truth?
There is something we need to realize along the way. When we perceive something within ourselves, within someone else, or within something around us, it is our perception. It comes from how we look at things.
This is where acceptance comes in, along with our willingness to see all sides, even though we do not have to live with what we see. We accept ourselves as we are today. We accept each other. And we accept boundaries, our own and one another’s, knowing that a boundary honored is a kind of respect. Acceptance does not mean agreeing with everything or giving up. It means we stop struggling against what already is, so that we can see it clearly.
Each person is on their own path. We can accept that, and let each person be where they are. Change can only happen when forgiveness of ourselves, in and through each situation, resides along with our perceptions. Forgiveness is a large subject, and we will return to it with our families and with the world around us.
Two more values support the peaceful mind. Patience lets understanding arrive at its own pace, rather than demanding it all at once. Humility lets us remember that there is always more to see, in ourselves and in others, than we have seen so far.
This world is large, yet small. When something is meant to be seen or heard, it happens. And when we are not ready, it does not happen. There is no need to push.
Acceptance!
✨ Possibilities to Experience
For ourselves: forgiving ourselves, in and through each situation, opens the way to peace. We do not have to fix a thought to be at peace with it. We only have to be willing to look at it and to forgive ourselves for not having seen it sooner.
For our family: what we see in those we love is partly how we look at them. We can be willing to see all sides and stay kind, without having to live with all of it.
For the world: what is meant to be heard reaches us when we are ready, and listening is how we begin.
Here is a simple invitation. Bring to mind a feeling that has been with you. Without trying to change it, say quietly, “I accept that I am feeling this way, and I will find my way through it in peace and happiness.” Stay with that for a few breaths and notice what eases.
Next, we will see how peace lives within us and radiates out into the world. Kindness to all. Love for all. Recognizing and accepting what kindness is within ourselves is as important as kindness to others. What is kindness to you?
The fuller truth of Loving Power is shared in my book, Your Loving Power: Heal Yourself, Heal the Earth.