There comes a time in the life of people when they suddenly see their life for its lack of originality and reality and they start questioning about What Lies In Store Ahead.
My time came in the month of January 2019. There was this intense need to find inner peace, to find my true purpose in life and most importantly, to maintain a state of equilibrium through all kinds of situations.
I took a much-needed break from social media, de-activating my Whatsapp account and uninstalling my Facebook from my mobile.
Being a voracious reader, my first resort was - reading. And not just reading, but reading something that would help me in my quest. I have always been a fan of fiction and light-hearted rom-coms (Romantic Comedies). It was time to change my preferred genre.
There is this saying, you know, that when you really want something, the Universe will conspire in your favor! The concept of Stoicism (a belief-system that basically advocates leading a reason-based and logic-based life and maintaining inner calm in any situation) and Mindfulness (the art of being in a perpetually meditative state - i.e. doing everything with awareness, focus and concentration) kept coming to my attention through books, newspapers and suggestions from friends. I read the likes of Marcus Aurelius, Thich Nhat Hahn and Emerson and got lost in a world of philosophical quotes and gems that I know I will treasure forever. Along with reading these priceless authors, I started making notes of the points that I wanted to remember always. And thus started a wonderful healing process of reading and writing that gave me immense peace and helped me to calm down.
That was not all that I did.
It was time to start my Yoga sessions again. I had stopped doing Yoga exercises for almost six months or so. I started them with a renewed vigor and made breathing-exercises and meditation, an important part of my daily routine. Mostly I remembered to practice Mindfulness every moment. While cooking, sweeping, washing the dishes, I tried to focus only on the task at hand and empty mind of all distractions. Sometimes, I succeeded. Many a times, I failed. But I didn't give up practicing Mindfulness.
After two months of living in a solitary state, cut-off from the social world, I felt the first pangs of loneliness and activated my Whatsapp account. The same old awesome friends greeted me, and I was happy to be a part of the world again. But this time, I ensured that I didn't become feverishly addicted to Whatsapp or Facebook.
After doing all these, the question arises - Have I found my inner peace? The answer is both Yes and No.
Because I realized and learnt that the quest for inner peace doesn't lead you to any promised destination, it is rather the journey that prepares and teaches you what you need to know! Does Inner Peace exist? Yes. Can you stay there? No! You have to keep looking for it, doing the things that lead you to it. It is not the station, it is the train!
When I look back, the happiest and most peaceful moments have been in my quest, while I was reading, or doing some breathing exercises, or meditating. It's while doing all these that I connected to my true self and found my place of calm. I still have my off-days that disturb my equilibrium, but I now know that I can go back to my peaceful centre anytime, by doing the activities that help me to stay calm and in equilibrium.
Its a continuous journey, this quest for peace. So for all those who are seekers in this path, I want to say - Enjoy the journey, my friends! For it is in the journey that you will find what you seek for. The secret is in finding what you love to do and what appeals to you.
As for me, I am still a seeker, and as the quote goes - While I am not where I exactly wanted to be, I am grateful for where I am, and excited about where I am going!
My time came in the month of January 2019. There was this intense need to find inner peace, to find my true purpose in life and most importantly, to maintain a state of equilibrium through all kinds of situations.
I took a much-needed break from social media, de-activating my Whatsapp account and uninstalling my Facebook from my mobile.
Being a voracious reader, my first resort was - reading. And not just reading, but reading something that would help me in my quest. I have always been a fan of fiction and light-hearted rom-coms (Romantic Comedies). It was time to change my preferred genre.
There is this saying, you know, that when you really want something, the Universe will conspire in your favor! The concept of Stoicism (a belief-system that basically advocates leading a reason-based and logic-based life and maintaining inner calm in any situation) and Mindfulness (the art of being in a perpetually meditative state - i.e. doing everything with awareness, focus and concentration) kept coming to my attention through books, newspapers and suggestions from friends. I read the likes of Marcus Aurelius, Thich Nhat Hahn and Emerson and got lost in a world of philosophical quotes and gems that I know I will treasure forever. Along with reading these priceless authors, I started making notes of the points that I wanted to remember always. And thus started a wonderful healing process of reading and writing that gave me immense peace and helped me to calm down.
That was not all that I did.
It was time to start my Yoga sessions again. I had stopped doing Yoga exercises for almost six months or so. I started them with a renewed vigor and made breathing-exercises and meditation, an important part of my daily routine. Mostly I remembered to practice Mindfulness every moment. While cooking, sweeping, washing the dishes, I tried to focus only on the task at hand and empty mind of all distractions. Sometimes, I succeeded. Many a times, I failed. But I didn't give up practicing Mindfulness.
After two months of living in a solitary state, cut-off from the social world, I felt the first pangs of loneliness and activated my Whatsapp account. The same old awesome friends greeted me, and I was happy to be a part of the world again. But this time, I ensured that I didn't become feverishly addicted to Whatsapp or Facebook.
After doing all these, the question arises - Have I found my inner peace? The answer is both Yes and No.
Because I realized and learnt that the quest for inner peace doesn't lead you to any promised destination, it is rather the journey that prepares and teaches you what you need to know! Does Inner Peace exist? Yes. Can you stay there? No! You have to keep looking for it, doing the things that lead you to it. It is not the station, it is the train!
When I look back, the happiest and most peaceful moments have been in my quest, while I was reading, or doing some breathing exercises, or meditating. It's while doing all these that I connected to my true self and found my place of calm. I still have my off-days that disturb my equilibrium, but I now know that I can go back to my peaceful centre anytime, by doing the activities that help me to stay calm and in equilibrium.
Its a continuous journey, this quest for peace. So for all those who are seekers in this path, I want to say - Enjoy the journey, my friends! For it is in the journey that you will find what you seek for. The secret is in finding what you love to do and what appeals to you.
As for me, I am still a seeker, and as the quote goes - While I am not where I exactly wanted to be, I am grateful for where I am, and excited about where I am going!
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