The kids are screaming, your phone is buzzing, the dog is barking and you’re trying to catch up on the work you should have finished yesterday. You put aside the work, yell at the dog, pick up your phone and intervene just before your three-year-old throws a plastic toy through the television. You check your notifications to find your boss has emailed another request, six people like your status update and that idiot cousin of yours posted another rant on Facebook. You stay up late to get ahead and wake up the next morning behind.

Is this the life you were called to live?

Of course, it isn’t. Technology has increased the speed of information, but for all the luxuries we live with, we find ourselves no closer to finding true meaning than those who lived long ago. We find ourselves with more “friends”, but with fewer relationships. We find ourselves immersed in a sea of knowledge, but are drowning in it because we lack wisdom.

What do you want out of life?

In ancient India, a prince wandered out of the palace for the first time and found suffering. He then went off on his own as he searched for meaning. In imperial Rome, a man wandered into the desert for forty days to struggle with his own inner temptation. Both emerged after a time of self-contemplation and reflection as the two most peaceful figures in history. Jesus and Siddhartha, the Christ and the Buddha, first dealt with their inner struggles before beginning their ministries. They knew that true meaning in life only comes after internal peace is achieved.

The past few months have been a period of highs and lows, personally, professionally, and spiritually. During this season, I find myself in periods of deep peace, as well as utter turmoil. From upheaval at work, to the death of a friend, to the uncertainty of the global political climate, I find myself struggling to remain centered. Modern life does not lend itself well to finding inner peace. Technology has made it easier than ever to communicate with each other, but often the speed of communication turns to distraction. Although we have access to a wealth of information, I question if the way we use this new ability proves fruitful for us as a people. In all honesty, I find myself more connected when I consciously choose to disengage from technology and look for wisdom written by those who spent much of their lives in peaceful self-contemplation.

After leaving his palace and discovering suffering, Siddhartha Gautama went into a period of self-reflection and discovery. After much contemplation, he emerged with what he believed to be the path to enlightenment. Similarly, Jesus went into the desert for forty days into a period of deep prayer before beginning his ministry. Wherever your faith lies, I believe we can all learn a great deal from the actions taken by these two beacons of light. Namely, if we want to change the world, we first must change ourselves. It is my belief that this change is driven by finding the peace that is within you, and actively working to hold onto it in each moment.

That being said, I am terrible at doing this. I find peace in prayer, meditation, on a run, with my wife and children, but then with fickleness, become distracted by the next email, Facebook post or upsetting event. I do not hold onto the peace I have found. As the Apostle Paul said, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do.” (Romans 7:15). It’s ludicrous how much time we spend doing things we know will not bring peace to our lives.

Interestingly enough, modern psychology is uncovering some reasons why this vicious cycle is a reality. Our brain in a complex organism with as many neurons as there are galaxies in the universe. Various regions contain specialized functions. Some for processing language, some for emotion, others for basic instincts, such as dodging an object coming your way. What science has yet to uncover is the “observer”, or rather, the part of the brain that makes up what you and I experience as a seamless stream of reality. Observations of your brain lead more to a conclusion of a compartmentalized system where the most active brain cell take control of our actions.  Your brain is an organ where a mosaic of rival interests competes for control of your consciousness.

Setting aside any arguments of whether the observer exists (i.e. the soul), neurology explains a lot about why finding peace is such a fickle event in my life. The positive peace I find is overridden by a distraction coming in from other more insidious neurons. Serious meditators identify this as the “wild horse” of your mind. Try meditating by focusing only on your breath for ten minutes. If you’re a beginner, it’s likely that other thoughts come into your mind while you are trying to intentionally focus on one item: breathing.

The practice of intentional meditation strengthens your brains ability to control overactive negative thoughts and emotions. The most peaceful people I have met were very serious about prayer and meditation. By intentionally cultivating a centered state of being, they exercise their minds in the same way athletes exercise their muscles. By doing this, they can call upon a strengthened state of inner peace in times of pain, trial, and tribulation.

What is encouraging for me is that the Apostle Paul, who did the things he hated, was able to take up the spirit of prayer and become a person who was joyful even from the depths of a prison cell. If Paul can find peace in a cell, then we can find peace amid our world of distractions.

We all have issues that keep us distracted from the peace that lies deep within each one of us. Some have deeper pains than others. For all my lack of keeping peace within my heart, I live an easy life, free from the struggles many face. But no matter the depth of your struggle, you too can find peace if you intentionally seek it. It’s scary to look within yourself to find the demons that plague you, but it’s even more frightening to let them keep ahold of your thoughts and actions. When you let go of the lies you tell yourself, which have been reinforced by culture, you can find the peace that always has been in your heart.

So, I would ask you (as well as myself), where do you find peace? Are you intentionally seeking to cultivate peace within yourself, so like an athlete, you have exercised the peace within you? If not, what would you be willing to give up to find your inner peace? If you have found it, how will you hold onto it?

The great leaders of religion have shown us that internal peace is there for those who seek it and are willing to put forth the conscious effort. For all the distractions, the rude customers, the unreasonable bosses, the screaming children, the incompetent facebookers, there is a way to master your instinctive reaction and rise above.

We are all searching for peace in this world. For a long time, I have wanted to be the change that brings peace. But for now, I realize the only way I can bring peace anywhere is to make sure I am at peace with myself.

Photo courtesy of Wolfgang Staudt

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