What threatens your peace?
I spend a good amount of time thinking about peace of mind. I think about financial peace of mind. I think about professional peace of mind. I think about spiritual peace of mind.
Here’s a couple of things I’ve come up with.
I’ve discovered regret for the past threatens our peace.
I believe anxiety for the future threatens it.
I think procrastination keeps us from it as well.
A beautiful and dangerous mind
Our minds are amazing. They’ve made us and kept us the apex predator on planet Earth for a really long time.
But, we need to pay attention to what they’re doing.
Because, when left to its own devices, it will lead us further from our desired peace of mind.
Danger of a wandering mind
Did you know that the human mind wanders roughly half the time?
Not your mind, I’m sure. But most everyone else’s.
It’s true.
And that’s a lot.
The human mind will bounce around from thing, to thing, to thing, to thing.
It loves the figurative “squirrel!”
Danger of letting your mind wander back
When your mind wanders backwards, where does it go? Does it take you back to awesome experiences?
Mine doesn’t.
Mine goes to things I regret. Or things I feel shame over. Or times I feel I was treated unjustly.
Not good.
Danger of letting your mind wander forward
Where does your mind naturally go when you allow it to wander forward? Does it go to a happy place?
Or does it go somewhere that triggers anxiety and uncertainty?
That’s one of the key features of the future. It’s uncertain.
Also, not good.
Human being versus human doing
Have you heard this one? I’m a human “being,” not a human “doing.”
I remember thinking it was very clever the first time I heard it. And I remember thinking it was correct.
I don’t anymore.
I think I’m a human “doing.”
I’m constantly doing things. Right now, I’m podcasting. Earlier, I was cooking my kids breakfast.
Then, I was writing. At some point, hopefully soon, I’ll be sleeping. That won’t make me a sleeper.
And it didn’t make me a writer, or a cooker, or a podcaster.
I focus and commit to what I’m doing now. In the present moment.
I’m not talking about being mindful or present. I’m talking about focusing on my current work and immersing myself in it.
I’m talking about taking it like you mean it.
I believe this is a key to contentment and peace of mind.
Figure out what you want to be doing
What do you want to be doing? Do you know?
It’s not an easy question to answer.
We’re all under the weight of expectations. We’re all under the weight of assumptions.
In this instance, “the work” is to figure out the work you want to be doing. It’s what you want to focus your attention on. It’s what you want to spend your time on.
The only way to live how you want and to do the work you want, is to know how you want to live and to know what work you want to be doing.
Think and write about it. That’s what helped me figure it out.
Remove the things that stand in your way
Once you’ve figured out the work you want to be doing, remove anything that’s standing in the way of you doing it.
I know. Sounds easy, does hard.
But start small.
Pay attention to whatever “it” is that’s pulling you away from your desired work and cut it out.
Do your work now
Forget the past.
Don’t worry about the future.
Do your work now. Peace of mind will follow.
Additional resources
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