There is so much noise in the world right now. It seems almost impossible to find moments when you aren’t bombarded by advertising, propaganda, or just complete nonsense.
Sometimes you need to talk out loud just to hear yourself think.
It is very difficult to have moments of clarity and spiritual breakthroughs when the mind can never be silenced. We are so used to the continual noise that even when we are alone, we feel the need to turn on the television or a podcast or music.
It is almost as though we become insecure when the world around us is too quiet.
Feeling peaceful even when surrounded by the noise of the world is the most liberating state to achieve. But it isn’t just external noise. The noise can also come from within.
Before I learned to find the calmness that lies under the surface, I was allowing my mind to run incessantly with thoughts and judgments about everything.
This didn’t bring me any peace whatsoever. It didn’t make me happy, nor did it make me more productive.
It actually just tortured me from the inside.
When you are able to step away from the incessant internal and external noise, there is an underlying sense of bliss and joy that is indescribable. You may experience this in fleeting moments, such as when you suddenly notice a beautiful sunrise or a rainbow or anything that stops your thoughts even for a moment.
Then it is gone and you are back to the nonstop conveyor belt of thinking.
Clarity and knowing come through in the quiet moments. Answers to problems you are dealing with become obvious and there is a certainty to what actions you need to take.
The fog lifts and everything is clear. Doing what it takes to become present and stop the endless mind chatter can change your life in an instant.
This is why meditation can be a useful tool. Training the mind to become still can seem almost impossible, but it isn’t. The mind is very useful when used properly, but it can also be your worst enemy when allowed to run nonstop with thoughts that don’t bring peace.
It is the tortuous activity of nonstop thinking that makes us fearful to be alone, or to spend time in silence. And yet this is exactly what is needed to begin to break free from the stranglehold that thoughts have over you.
Substance abuse is on the rise because it is one way people are able to slow the thoughts, to numb the turmoil from within.
Imagine a world where you are serene, where you come up with solutions to whatever you are dealing with in every moment, and you are calm and peaceful. Your body flows with ease, you are healthy and happy and nothing that happens outside of you can affect this.
This can become your natural way of being, and once you experience it you don’t want to ever go back to the old way. Vacations can sometimes bring about this sense of peace, but again it is usually short-lived.
Wherever you go, you always bring yourself with you.
Know that there is another way to live. Realizing that it is unnecessary to be lost in thought all of the time is the first step.
This is something worth pursuing. It could mean the difference between living a joyful life, or fighting your way through a miserable one.