Life is crazy. But you already knew that. You've lived in the mess and in the memories long enough to know that the ups, downs and slinging curves of life are enough to drive anyone a little batty. With the fast-paced and unpredictable nature of life, it's hard to find time to slow down and take a breath. And when we're always busy going and going until we're gone, it's hard for us to reflect on the meaning of what we're doing.
When we don't take time to reflect, routines become meaningless, and we become apathetic. If we aren't pausing, breathing, thinking and reflecting, we aren't capable of changing or creating or adapting. We can never be people of peace if we ourselves are in a constant state of turmoil.
This is why it is important that we meditate. Now, I'm not telling you to go sit cross-legged on the floor in a room full of incense (unless that's what works for you), but more so to do acts of meditation, which can be anything that allows you to pause and be peaceful.
Meditation can be a number of different actions. For example, one way I meditate is by taking walks at sunset. I know this doesn't sound like much, but meditation doesn't have to be something big. I love to walk because I'm exercising, but it still allows me to slow down, as opposed to running. Also, exercising releases endorphins, so walking actually makes me feel good. Aside from the exercise part, walking at sunset lets me appreciate the beauty of the earth, which is something so pivotal to my life, because when I appreciate nature I feel closer to its divine creator. This meditation is so essential to the peace of my soul, because when I look at the sky praising God in its array of magnificence, I am forced to slow down for a second. I am forced to drink in the beauty and be reminded that if the sky can thank God every evening no matter what the day held, then so can I.
Of course, your meditation doesn't have to look anything like mine. Maybe what you need to do is color to relieve stress, take baths, read books, have a moment every morning where you can drink a steaming cup of coffee and contemplate life. Maybe you like to hold babies, do puzzles or garden. My yoga instructor finds her peace through dance and uses it as a ministry to reach out to others.
While your meditation is ultimately for you, it does come back to influence others. See, when you're doing what you need to do in order to be the best person you can be, those around you benefit. When we find our zen, we are better people. We are slower to speak, slower to get angry, kinder and less consumed by ourselves. Peace is a light that can't help but shine through us once it has transformed us. This world needs more peace and pause, and that starts with peaceful people who can pause long enough to connect to the world and their God.
