By Randy Moore
One of the joys of being human is the moments we feel a deeper connection to life and each other. These moments often involve positive interactions with other people or the awareness of life’s natural beauty. Even a single moment of feeling more connected can inspire new beginnings.
Our most peaceful moments are the times we suspend (or forget) negative and self-defeating thoughts that can sabotage our happiness. Peace is what’s left over when we remove regret, hostility, anger, intolerance, self-abuse and fear. The most important thing to know about peace is it can only live in the moment at hand. Memories of feeling peaceful or the aspiration of feeling peaceful in the future are secondary to feeling peaceful right now.
Peace is also contagious. The shift in awareness it represents changes us and it influences other people and circumstances. Like a candle in the darkest cave, the light of peace gives us hope and points us to better days and ways.
One of my recent dances with peace was last November at the Sarasota Bay Water Festival. My observations come from a front-row seat as the Water Festival director.
I tossed and turned for two nights from the prospect of heavy rain and storms.
I tried to stay positive, but I was losing the emotional battle as I considered the consequences of the Water Festival drowning in rain or getting blown away by high winds. The anxiety even showed up in my body. Out of nowhere, I woke up with a sharp pain on the edge of my foot near my big toe. I did a quick search online and determined I was experiencing bunions. This is a hereditary condition and it involves the large toe growing toward the other toes creating pressure (pain) on where the big toe and foot connect.
What made the physical condition more challenging is I couldn’t jog, and jogging is my primary stress reliever. I smile now at the memory of me limping around at the Water Festival after wrapping my toe and foot in elastic sports tape.
We all know what it feels like to be under pressure to get something done in spite of some kind of pain or perceived limitation.
My son Bryan and I have done many events over the years. Even with careful planning, the final weeks prior to an event can be stressful. The prospect of bad weather adds additional pressure and especially if it has the potential to become a safety issue.
Bryan’s positive attitude helped me stay calmer at the Water Festival. It wasn’t until a week after the event that he told me he was dealing with a lot of anxiety too. He kept his concerns to himself to be more supportive of me. His goodwill and sensitivity is a reminder of the importance of compassion in all of our interactions with other people.
The burst of rain and wind finally came in the late morning. Fortunately, it was over in 20 minutes and the weather was ideal all afternoon. Our early-day drama became a day of joy as the stream of cars filled the main parking lot. I felt profound peace when I looked around and saw so many people of all ages having fun.
A friend of mine described the exhibitors helping each other during the quick storm as an “emotional release.” She said our shared circumstances of coping with the sudden rain and wind pulled everyone together. She’s right, of course, and our common ground under open skies contributed to the goodwill that defined the Water Festival experience.
Later, after the rain had passed, I was staring into the sky and wondering if everything would be okay. That’s the moment the live music started. The wave of positive energy I felt coming from the stage was pure sunshine. I remembered something Bryan said earlier in the day. He told me the good vibe from all of our friends was too great to be washed away. His reassuring comments ended up being prophetic.
As far as the pain in my foot, I was doing better until I stepped into a hole when we were cleaning up the venue later that evening. I spent the last hours of the memorable day icing my foot down while watching highlights of college football games. It was a sweet moment in spite of the discomfort. After all, we had just produced another fun celebration acknowledging the importance of the environment.
Peace is a journey. And while it’s easier to feel peace when everything is going well, peace also lives within the physical and emotional storms that are part of life. If you are having difficulty feeling peace right now, then focus your attention on helping someone else to feel more peaceful. That may inspire a new beginning for two people.
Randy owns Triple 3 Marketing. He’s a long term advocate for positive change, having owned community magazines since 1999. Randy has a masters degree in communication arts from the University of Wisconsin at Madison where he studied persuasion and attitude change. Contact Randy at randy@triple3marketing.com.