Last night before going to bed, I googled "how to maintain peace of mind." I did this because of a nagging thought that wouldn't go away. Kinda like a buzzing mosquito just waiting to pierce its proboscis through my skin and suck the blood out of me.
Don't think there's any one of us humans that is exempt from what the younger generations refer to as drama. During my lifetime, when I thought of drama, I thought of a theatrical production. And, that's exactly what drama is today with social media and the assassination of respect for others. This dramatic cow pucky gets flung from one life to another, and soon everyone is struggling to maintain a peaceful mind.
I'm one who seeks to solve problems, not multiply them. Thus, last night's google search. What I found re-emphasizes the Serenity Prayer. We must accept what we cannot control. I asked myself: Can I change what's bothering me? Answer: No, I cannot. Therefore, it's up to me to accept the situation for what it is and let go.
There's another bit of advice I'm giving myself, and that is to lower my expectations of others. When we strive to be the best we can be, we start expecting others to live by the same rules as we do. That's where my problem is, and it's gotta stop. The minute we lower our expectations, it's almost impossible to be disappointed.
Our minds are the cauldrons that boil up our frustrations into bubbling dramas that permeate and destroy our sense of calm and harmony. For decades, I've been reading and studying self-help books, writing personal journals, all in an attempt to figure out and deal with life as it presented itself to me. After all these years, I'm still working to accept the way things are, plus lower my expectations. I'm very aware that I expect more from others than they're probably able to give. I think it's how our generation was raised. There's really no right or wrong, simply individual paths that cross and cause chaos. Our lives become cluttered with residue from not the wisest choices others have made. It's that business of keeping one's nose in one's own business.
Have started reading One Hundred Years of Solitude. The 7-generation family name is Buendia. Take away 2 letters, and that's my family name. Interesting. It's kind of a challenging book, I'm finding. Like every book I've read, there will be morsels of wisdom that will stay with me when the last paragraph is read.
Sure is gloomy out. It's just me and the fuzzy one home now. This is perfect weather for being lazy. Think it's time I lower my own expectations and embrace late life and the comforts it offers. Till the morrow..........
No comments:
Post a Comment