Serenity

Serenity is a term that is often used quite without knowledge of its deepest meaning. If we look at Webster’s dictionary version of what it is, we get that serenity is the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled. It is a relatively easy definition. Does not leave a lot for interpretation, or so one would think. I used to think that it was a simple meaning or act one felt when there was no drama in one’s life. Since being in contemplation recently, I have discovered a whole different meaning to the very same word.

I can be calm and at peace, having no drama in my life and still not be serene. I wake up in the morning, make coffee (for the safety of those around me) and sit on my balcony, basking in the morning light and enjoying its warmth. I am calm and untroubled at this point. There is no one talking to me, no one is asking me for a hundred things and no noise outside. It is at this very moment that I can honestly say I am at peace with myself. That is most definitely a true fact. What I didn’t realize is that I was missing a very deep kind of peace; one where you can feel yourself and hear yourself speaking. This morning I found myself sitting there and listening to one of my favorite songs, staring blankly out.

I realized that in this quiet time of introspection I was at peace to the core. It is almost a feeling of unshakable centered self. No matter what goes through your mind, problems, issues, etc that feeling is unyielding and you feel it constantly; unshakeable oneness with yourself. I have only had the benefit to experience that emotion very few times. I am as guilty as anyone else who kicks and screams against life and the monkey wrenches it seems to throw our way. I have felt calm and centered many times but was lacking the serenity of it all. When I think and try to figure it out, I find myself stressed. Not in true sense of the word like job stress or the like, but when I take a moment and listen to my body…I feel tense. My body is tense. Although the rest of me is calm and nothing imperative on the mind, my body is still tense.

That was my shockingly dumb discovery. Yes. Regardless of how much yoga, or workouts, or whatever stress relieve you may have, your mind may be calm but your body is stressed and tense. Why? If you are anything like me, there is a subconscious list of things on a to-do list that run in a consistent stream. There is no buffering to it. It runs non-stop whether or not it’s in my conscious mind. That is the piece that needs to cease and desist before you can actually hit serenity. As a piece of advice of something I have found to be amazingly awesome experience, try to consciously stop your mind from running a mile a second. Even if you only hit serenity for a few minutes, the feeling will carry you through your entire day. Silly as it may seem, it does make a difference. You feel lighter, less bogged down by everyday stresses.

I simply wanted to share an experience that made a difference in my day and made it easier to get through the really stressful and tough ones. The benefit is you can teach yourself to consciously do that more often and for longer periods. I have to say that for someone like myself who has been a firecracker in temper, I have not lost my temper in about 8 months. So there is a benefit to it. It makes you a better person and being all around more calm can and does benefit other parts of one’s life as well.