Serenity Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Cara Lumen

My life has become much more serene since I stopped trying to push it around. I’m a natural organizer. I see the overview. I see where things fit – or could fit if they chose to. Sometimes nothing fits the way I expect and I have to let go. I have to release my expectations. I have to change my plans. I have to shape things as they come.

Reading this verse in the Tao Te Ching was a major turning point for me.

The Master allows thing to happen.
She shapes things as they come.
She steps aside
And lets the Tao do its work.
-Stephen Mitchell, tr., Tao Te Ching

What a relief it is to simply shape things as they come. That means I don’t have to make a plan. I don’t even have to consider my options. I can simply decide in the moment. What a relief.

Unfolding requires trust
You have to trust your own awareness of your needs and desires. You use that self-awareness when you respond in the moment. If you know what you want and what you like and what you need, it’s easy to make a good choice. If you are unaware of yourself, at the very least you’ll learn from your mistakes.

Unfolding teaches me to allow other people do their thing
A huge gift from learning to allow life to unfold was how un-invested I became in the choices of others. I had my boundaries. I made my choices of who to hang out with and who to avoid. Gradually I learned not to be invested in the choices other people made. I simply adjusted my own behavior.

Mindfulness helps with unfolding
Becoming aware of the subtle signs and signals that show you the opportunities that are available helps you make the right choices. When I eat mindfully, I am aware when I am full. I stop eating and my body size gradually normalizes. When I listen mindfully, I hear what is not being said and I respond in a more effective manner. The more mindful you are, the more appropriate your response.

Serenity comes when you stop striving
Absolute miracles have appeared that I could never have imagined, simply because I am watching, observing and taking time to consider whatever shows up. I make my choice in the moment. The peace I feel, the joyful manner in which I can accept and celebrate whatever shows up brings peace to my heart and contentment to my life.

What outcome can you release? How aware are you of what you really want? Are you seeing the many opportunities that are placed in your path? Let life unfold. Shape things as they come. Feel the peace of serenity that emerges.

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:

How Not to Make Plans
Nature Does Not Have Deadline, Why Should We?
Are You Reading the Signs?
Patience and the Unfolding Process
Stress and the Art of Non-Attachment
The Spaces in Our Lives
Decision as a Dream Carrier

At the core of everything is serenity. Peace, calm, silence. Tranquility. Serenity’s not always easy to identify and you have to be perceptive to allow yourself to feel it.

What does serenity feel like?
Can you imagine standing in the eye of a storm where it is absolutely silent and still? Clouds and rain and thunder are raging around you, but are not touching you. You stand in calmness, stillness, with no movement. You simply are. Although that simple stillness is within each of us, it takes practice to be able to access it.

Why do you want to be serene?
Sometimes in meditation, you feel serene. Right before you fall asleep, you may feel serene. Sometimes in your spiritual practice, you experience serenity. Serenity is a time when you truly know yourself, when you are in touch with the wisdom within. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to access serenity any time you chose?

Serenity is acceptance
Serenity is not about non-doing, it is about being at peace with what you are doing. You have to love yourself, appreciate your talents, know enough about yourself to choose friends that nurture and support you. You have to understand your desires so thoroughly that you direct your steps toward them.

What gets in the way of serenity?
Our yearnings keep us from feeling serene. We long for freedom, we crave respect, we long to be loved, we desperately need to feel valuable, and that we have a purpose. Until we meet those yearnings, we cannot experience the life force that is serenity.

How do you find serenity?
Serenity comes from letting go, from letting your life unfold. It means making choices in every moment to be mindful and compassionate. Serenity comes when you become so self-aware that positive choices become automatic. Serenity comes when you are so aligned with your passion that your work is a wondrous melody. Serenity comes when you love yourself so much that no words can hurt or harm you. In serenity you are complete, you are whole, you are perfect just the way you are.

My most serene moments are when I am writing and a magical flow of words comes flowing in from somewhere and type themselves out on my computer. It’s as if I’m a conduit, a funnel for something greater than me. That to me is serene

There is a quality of serenity in simply being safely tucked in where I live. Even though I am looking to the Deeper Song Community for like-minded companionship, I am safe and secure in my physical environment. That adds to my feeling of serenity.

I experience serenity when my mind does her thing. Pouncing on concepts and expanding them into a tangible expression. Suddenly grasping a connection that I hadn’t seen before. Having a thought and writing a poem. Those are moments of serenity.

And then I have my interactions with the new people who are connecting. The light beings who are fluttering around the flame of singing a deeper song. That is a true gift. Your mere presence adds to my feelings of serenity.

What yearning is keeping you from serenity?
We long for freedom, we crave respect, we yearn to be loved, we search desperately for our purpose, we need to feel valued and that we make a difference. We yearn to have impact.

When you fulfill your yearnings, you can bee fully present in the moment. You will find yourself immersed in complete serenity.

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:

Letting Go Is the Hardest Part of Change

How Have Your Parameters Changed?

Can You Live an Unhurried Day

Create Your Own Spiritual Journey