1 Stay unruffled: We have to try and stay unruffled despite the circumstances life throws at us.
2 Understand what you control: Accepting that there are things that we cannot change and pushing hard for the things we can change creates a serene mind.
3 Embrace contemplation: Silent prayer and time for contemplation helps us attain serenity.
Serenity has inspired me since I was a little girl. I would observe the nuns at the various convent schools I attended, and I always noticed that they had a calm and serene disposition. This interested me very much as I wanted to be like that—even as a child. Soon, as I went through life, I understood that this feeling is a feeling of peace with oneself and the rest of the world. There will always be circumstances that ruffle us, just as they ruffle most others in the world. But if we can hold on to our peace, it will make sure all circumstances are under control.
I was driving on I-87 North upstate to Hyde Park when a taxi in front of me stopped suddenly, causing my car to hit it. It was clearly the taxi driver’s fault, but he jumped out of his car, furious. He started yelling that his taxi cab company would be mad at him. He continued to shout at me, asking why I did not apply the brakes earlier.
I listened to him calmly and smiled. Of course, I had applied the brakes just as he did. But considering the slow speed, neither of us was hurt and our cars barely had a scratch. It could have been much worse. If we were driving at sixty miles an hour, both of us would be in the hospital with fatal, life-threatening injuries. ‘Take a calm breath, my friend,’ I said.
He noted my serene attitude and calmed down. We exchanged insurance information, shook hands and went our separate ways—both of us calm and at peace. Life throws chaos at us, but we don’t need to buy into the chaos and drama. We need to always be centred so that we can be the serene, divine self we were all born as. It’s the best way to enjoy life on the planet!
(Excerpts from 3 TIPS: The Essentials for Peace, Joy and Success by Meera Gandhi)
