On Inviting Peace

Tags

inner peace, invitation, peace

It had been a more than usually stressful drive to work that morning. It seemed like one of those days that folks were determined to do their best to annoy me with their driving antics. The closer I got to my exit, the more my inner temperature and dissonance was rising. And my ride to work is perhaps a walk on the park as compared to some folks who have long commutes in bumper to bumper traffic.

As I headed onto the exit ramp, a thought crossed my mind. What if, I were to experiment with not letting traffic annoy me so much? What if, I were to simply let people flow in and out of my path, and simply be witness to their journey? How much emotional energy would I possibly conserve by choosing to remain on my island – the very same island of peace that I often began my journey to work on?

And hence, I began the process of being a witness to the peaks and valleys that my inner peace traversed on a daily basis.

If I were to ask you – when is the last time that you accepted an invitation from peace – what would you say? Or, when is the last time that you extended an invitation to peace?

There are so many reasons that we get distracted from our Inherent peaceful nature. When we experience a truly restful sleep, it is because we have been in reconnection with this deep inner peace. The mere act of living in the world around us, the daily tugs and pulls of life, of relationships, of expectations, of our emotions, of our to-do lists and our goals and deliverables – can drain our peace. We feel the need to refill and reconnect with peace again.

How do we reconnect and refill?

There is an Inbuilt awareness in each one of us which Informs us that peace Is. Peace Is ours if we decide to accept, yield to Its Invitation. Peace Is in the knowing that in every Instance that It trends away from me, I can Invite It to return. Peace Is like breath. In every breath that leaves me, is Inherent the Invitation to breathe It back within. Peace is hence the thread of Life Itself.

So, let me ask you to consider your response in the next Instant in which you are presented the peace choice…

What will It take for you to Imagine, Invite, Immerse In, Invoke, Inspire and Incentivize peace? Will you decide to make peace Imminent or will you decide to postpone it?

Take your time. I will wait for your answer. But don’t hold your breath (or your answer) for too long.

Peace is your Invitation to receive, yours to receive, and then give away. Breathe deep. Inhale it. Then exhale it.

I invite you to make Peace your IAP – your Individual Action Plan. Will you declare that #IAmPeace?

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. It has been two weeks since I decided to be witness to the peace disrupters of my daily travels. Gradually, I have yielded a bit more space, slowed down or sped up to facilitate easier merging, changed lanes in anticipation, and more. My daily commute is becoming more peaceful by the day. There are trips when my peace island departs and arrives, virtually undisturbed.

What area(s) of your daily activity could benefit from an invitation to peace? Are there any relationships that could use a peace invite? Could you be a third-party agent to invite others to the table of peace?

Join us Sunday, March 31 at 9am EDT / 1pm UTC / 630pm India, to discuss #IAmPeace. A cup of tea and some cookies await you. Namaste – Kumud.

The sunset’s daily “invitation to peace”

On Invitations and Wonder

Tags

invitation, practice, wonder

Some mornings, often on weekends and holidays, the temptation to get a few minutes of extra sleep is strong. Even though I rarely set a ‘wake-up’ alarm any more, my internal clock wakes me up fairly reliably at the appointed time every day. No extra sleep for me, as the bell for the hour of morning #meditation is sounded. It is an “invitation to wonder” that has become difficult to resist over time… the more I accept it every morning, the easier it gets to accept it the next day. It’s a much rewarding acceptance.

The invitation isn’t unlike that leftover pumpkin pie from the thanksgiving holiday that ‘invites me’ to partake of a sliver, every time I open the refrigerator door… more on that later.

Yes. There are many invitations that come into our lives during the holiday season. Thanksgiving invitations to family get-togethers. Then comes ‘Black Friday’ – an invitation (actually, hundreds of them!), an urgency, to ‘buy stuff now’. Small business Saturday (a wonderful initiative)! Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday (I actually love this particular invitation)! And many more to follow as we step into December. For me, every ‘invitation’ is an opportunity to wonder – how will my acceptance or denial affect my quality of life? Will acceptance provide me an opportunity to enhance my sense of wonder, of exploration?

The world’s noise, it’s invitations, it’s distractions are unabated.

What is to become of our inner peace and joy, our sense of wonder, if we do not have a daily practice, and a plan to devote time and space to that practice?

Without a practice or a plan, we expose our Self to the risk of inner and outer overwhelm. So yes – let us examine the next invitation that comes our way. The invitation could come via the virtual space or the physical space. Or even the spiritual space. Take a moment to pause and wonder. You never know.

In that moment of wonder, you may discover something new about your own Self.

And that is perhaps the best gift that and invitation to wonder can bring to us.

But, I digress. The last sliver of pumpkin pie calls. I think I shall accept…

Namaste,

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. In this holiday week (in the US), many are on travel, spending special time with family. We have a special family in the #SpiritChat community too – so, I hope that some of you will join us Sunday, November 26th at 9amET / 2pmUTC / 730pmIST on twitter to explore and wonder… Thank you.

The Forest in Autumn – An Invitation to Wonder!