Cheapest way to inner peace
The cheapest way to instantly increase your quality of life today is a mantra that has helped me tremendously.
Whenever I feel restless or overwhelmed, I notice that I have lost touch with the present moment.
I am ruminating of the future and that stirs up uneasiness within.
I learned this from Thich Nhat Hanh and I continue to remind myself in times like these.
His words were simple.
“When I sit, I sit.
When I eat, I eat.
When I walk, I walk.”
Simple, yet so impactful.
I started to apply this in my daily life and I can see that peace is indeed within my reach.
One thing that I struggle with is guiltless resting.
When I am resting, I would think of things that I could be doing.
In that moment, I remind myself,
“When I rest, I rest.”
It helps me relax and remember that there’s a time for everything.
I don’t have to keep carrying the mental burden of my to-do list all the time.
Sometimes, I have the urge to pick up my phone and check my messages when my husband is speaking and this mantra keeps me grounded.
“When I listen to my husband, I listen.”
The rest can wait.
It also helps when my mind jumps around when I have many tasks on hand.
I may be working on something and my mind is thinking about another task that needs to get checked off.
If I am on auto-pilot, I may open another browser tab and switch back and forth.
Although I feel efficient, it actually hurts my quality of work and productivity.
Now, I focus.
When something pops up in my mind, I note it down and return to what I am doing.
I achieve more with less overwhelm when I practice this.
The thing about humans is that we think of transformation as one big grand gesture.
Often, our minds resist simple exercises like this, thinking that I am in so much frustration and pain, surely I need a “big” intervention to help me.
How I wish that I could tell you and that you will believe me - this so-called simple exercise WILL transform your life.
You suffer when your mind is always distracted.
A distracted mind is an anxious mind.
You cannot fully enjoy what’s in front of you with contentment.
You ruminate and you rob yourself of simple, precious moments.
So if there’s one thing you can do this week, it’s to practice this mantra.
