Seeking Inner Peace
Red maple ~ photo by Susan Izard
Dear Soul Friends,
Early this morning I entered my office just in time to sit in front of a picture window and watch the sky slowly lighten. Gradually, tall amber meadow grasses began to shimmer in the red tinted glow of light birthing the morning. The quiet stillness and calm centered me in gratitude for the beauty and gift of a new day filling me with a sense of inner peace I hoped to carry into my busy schedule.
A few weeks ago, while giving a talk on my book, Soul Conversations: A Pilgrimage of the Heart, a woman asked me how to find inner peace in our chaotic world. It’s not an easy question, and there is no right answer, but I have come to know that we do not find inner peace, it finds us. Often, glimpses of peace can be fleeting as the busyness of the day becomes our primary focus.
Regardless, inner peace is worth seeking. For me, setting aside time to practice stillness and contemplation invites peace in. Sometimes just standing at a window watching the sunrise or stopping to take a photo of a spectacular red maple tree preening in afternoon sunlight is enough. Sometimes twenty minutes of meditation or reading a spiritual book offer moments of peace. A talk with a soul friend also enables something within us to shift and opens us to a calming presence within. When we choose to stop, wait, and open our hearts and minds to spiritual knowing, we begin the journey of centering ourselves in the heart of Holy Presence where peace resides.
The wisdom guide and contemplative teacher, Father Thomas Keating, wrote,
To see everything in God
And to see God in everything
Normally takes a lifetime of practice.
Seeking quiet does not have to be another daily task or endlessly time consuming. It is simply a matter of putting aside a little time to pay attention. Our souls are not greedy, but they do like attention just as any dear friend would.
As you journey through your week, may you find some time for quiet contemplation and may you know that you are encircled and surrounded in Holy light and love.
Deep peace to you,
Susan
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