Finding Peace in the Midst of Frustration
Through Meditation and Positive Thinking
By Annette Pinder
It’s April, and hope on the horizon as we begin to emerge from winter. With many of us still experiencing effects of the time change and teased by our inconsistent weather, it’s easy to feel a bit frustrated and out of sorts.
These days there are countless situations that can affect our peace of mind. One only has to turn on the news for 5 minutes to witness the pervasive global injustices we feel so helpless to correct. In a world constantly on edge, filled with fear and uncertainty, it’s easy to get frustrated when things don’t work out as we’d hoped.
The truth is that there is almost nothing in our external world that we can fully control. We can’t control traffic, the weather, a power outage, the loss of a loved one, an illness, life, death, or the past. The only thing we do have power over is our mind, which also often feels upset and out of control. The website betterup.com suggests that we can control our mind through meditation, breathing, engaging in positive affirmations and visualizations, and by avoiding negative thinking. But can you really keep negative thoughts at bay? Meditation teachers say, “Just let those thoughts pass.” Sometimes it is hard to know exactly what that means, and we let those thoughts grow into bigger problems.
Recently, after expressing my own small concern to a friend that I could have easily let become an overwhelming one had I dwelled on it, she wisely said, “But that’s just a mosquito bite. If you don’t scratch it, it will go away!” I immediately realized that it was one of the most important things someone ever shared with me, and I can’t help but want to share it with others.
So, don’t sweat the small stuff, find peace in the midst of frustration, and have a wonderful April!
