Peace & Mindfulness ≠ Calm & Tranquil

I’ve been asking myself a lot lately if it’s possible that I could have some level of inner peace without being calm. I’m not sure “calm” is a word most people who know me well would use often to describe me anyway. It’s usually something like “bold”, “strong”, lately “courageous” bubbles up a lot (which makes me really uncomfortable btw).

I guess in my mind “peace” is historically a glassy lake on a sunny summer day. A still forest in the dead of winter with white powdery snow. A dark yoga studio or an empty sauna.

And yet I found myself moving through life with the brisk clip, powerful strides, and roaring dust clouds of a heard of buffalo on the open prairie… and I believed there was something wrong with that. Because I moved at a different pace, or had more steps to take that the doe who takes a solo stroll through the thick timber.

What if peace was a state where we felt most ourselves? An experience where we were most present? Most aware? In our “flow”? What if it has nothing at all to do with pace, sounds, or scenes, and instead it’s the sentiment in which we move though our respective experiences? And what if it’s allowed to change and evolve over time?

Peace is being present, aware, and intentional in whatever state or activity you’re in. It’s not always about being calm, but being fully connected to the moment.

What form will peace take for you today?