Experiencing turmoil and difficult times seems to be the norm these days. But there is a soft, simple antidote to help move through it.
Let me first address the turbulent times. (And sorry, I’ll add some of my own.) Then using my experiences as sample remedies, I’ll show you how to use ridiculously easy approaches to find peace of mind.
As my grandmother might have said, “The world has gone to hell in a handbasket.” We seem to have all the ‘feels’ of that unwieldy vision. We have lived through it! Gad-zooks!
We’ve had a Pandemic! (That still is hanging around.) We’ve lost many loved ones, friends, and family as a result. Many have experienced being so ill from it that life itself was on the brink. We’ve had to change our way of living, many of our free expressions, limited access to regular routines and social activities.
We’ve had so many mass shootings. So many that another one on the news begins to feel like an extension of the last one. Children in school with guns, random and planned drive by shootings, wildfires destroying a major part of our country, homes, and businesses. Unprecedented number of tornadoes tearing through communities.
Political unrest. I don’t even write about politics since it is so divisive. Beginnings of a new war in an area we are unfamiliar with.
Gee, have I forgotten anything? We certainly live in troubling times. But if we look further, we can see that we live in exciting times, as well.
As Charles Dickens wrote in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Knowing that we must have a balance (negative and positive) does not make us feel any better, right?
After reviewing all the disasters that we have in common, I can’t help but to continue doing mind-rollovers about what I’d been through just before the pandemic hit. I felt like it was my trip to hell and back without benefit or luxury of lying in a handbasket! Let me share a very, very condensed version with you.
October 2019, I surprisingly needed open-heart surgery! Sure, my energy and physical strength had been waning, but never, ever did I think it was my heart. Turns out I had mitral valve prolapse. That means the valve was not closing when it needed to, and blood flowed back into the heart instead of through my vital body parts. In the olden days it was called heart murmur. Sounds rather benign, right? Not this one. It was on the way to major stroke. I had to get it done or look at a shortened life.
*Honestly, I really am getting to the ‘finding peace’ part of this article. I promise *
The first surgeon was doing his specialty: mitral valve repair. Something went wrong and I was care flighted to the major heart hospital an hour away. Then put on life support, waiting for my body to stabilize. And that gave the new surgeon time to run tests, etc., and determine what to do.
The life support was an extended time, but the second surgery was about a week later to completely replace the mitral valve. It was a success.
But my body was ravaged. It was completely swollen with lifesaving fluids. My muscles atrophied throughout my body. Bodily functions were uncontrollable. There were tubes and holes poked in places I never knew I had.
After a month in ICU and a month at rehabilitation, I was at least functional enough to go home. It took over a year and a half of physical therapy and I still periodically need to use a cane to keep from falling.
When muscle atrophy happens, the muscles do not always come back fully. So, there are many areas in my world that do not function properly. (I will spare the details.)
Here Comes Finding Peace of Mind—
1. Over this length of time, I noticed something. When I got tired, I slumped over, with my head hanging. I know, it does not sound comfortable. But it truly was. It put me in a state of complete relaxation. I did not think, I only breathed. Bliss! First Peace Point: completely relax, even drop your head and breath.
2. I walked so much slower. Yes, mainly so I did not fall. But I appreciated that it was okay to slow down. There was no rush. Rushing brought about chaos. Chaos steals peace of mind. Second Peace Point: Slow your roll. Take your time. You do not have to hurry through everything you do.
3. I only dressed if I had medical appointments. This allowed me to release tension in trying to be everything for everybody. Third Peace Point: be comfortable in your appearance. Cuddle up in your jammies or sweats and watch a movie.
4. I used to go out and grab the mail and hurry back inside. Now I walk around the front yard for a few minutes, or I take a short walk in the park area with my husband. There is nothing as refreshing as a stroll in Nature. Fourth Peace Point: Exercise, even short casual movement will release tension and anxiety.
So, even though we are all upset and frustrated with the world today, we’re able to find quiet, respite moments that will restore Peace of Mind. Look for it, embrace it. Enjoy your ‘best of times’. You will notice the sacredness of your life and the world around you slowly, but surely, moving back to you. Be thankful for it.
Thank you. Perfect timing 🙏