In a previous post, I shared some of my thoughts about how to live a life in peace. In the second part of these series, I will share the rest of my thoughts about this topic.
Summarizing my points:
- Our mind relates to stories not to reality, but to stories we make up.
- We experience our lives through the filter of those stories.
- Change the story and you will feel differently.
- The question is: what story will give you more peace?
I don’t want to say that I have the right answer to this question. There are probably many answers to it. But I want to share what I’ve found to be true so far, based on my experiences and the experiences of the people I’ve worked with.
So let’s dive in:
The most powerful story I’ve found to be able to bring peace and joy into my life is one that lets me believe that there’s something bigger than myself.
Sounds spiritual, doesn’t it? Yes, it is. Believe me when I say that I resisted this idea for a long time, especially coming from a very mental/scientific background. My first studies were in engineering, after all!
It took me some time to digest this story (though, to be honest, I’m still digesting it), but I find evidence of its power, day in and day out.
Why is this belief so powerful?
Because it allows a person to go beyond their ego, their identity. This concept actually permits exploration beyond all egos, yours and mine.
Your ego is the one that gets hurt, the one that suffers. And after all, it is no more than a set of beliefs about who you think you are. But what will happen if you challenge those beliefs? Those beliefs limit you. If you are free from them, you will be limitless. Doesn’t that sound powerful?
Of course, if you don’t believe in the existence of your ego, you won’t believe in other people’s egos either, and they won’t be limited either. If nothing and no one is limited, what is left?
Oneness.
And in oneness there can’t be friction (i.e., suffering) because there’s nothing to rub against. There can be only peace.
You can call it Oneness, God, Wisdom, Love or you can simply find a purpose that goes beyond yourself. It doesn’t really matter. The point is to believe that there’s something bigger than yourself and to have that belief present in your day-to-day.
It will help you to avoid taking things personally, which will make things hurt less or not at all.
And that feeling of being connected to everything will bring you joy.
If you don’t believe in anything like that, why not give it a try? Next time you are suffering or upset, believe that there’s something bigger than yourself happening. Expand your point of view beyond your limited perception of yourself, and take a minute to see how it feels.