Our minds are always fluttering here and there. Back and forth. Back and forth. And on and on it goes. Maybe one day we get interrupted when we’re in the midst of sending out that urgent text or email. Maybe we are forced to multi-task when we really would prefer to just do one thing at a time.
There are so many things in this world that can work up our minds. That can make us crave for some stability. For some peace of mind. For some solitude and focus.
I, myself, am no stranger to agitation. Sometimes, my parents will interrupt me in the most inopportune times. Usually when I just want to be left to myself. There’s nothing like curling up to read a good book, and then getting disturbed with another task to accomplish.
It feels like the thoughts and the angst that we feel on a constant basis are like the tidal waves of the oceans. Back and forth they go. One thought arises. Another dissipates. And there is a relative sense of instability amongst the surface. Whether thoughts come and go and come crashing towards the shore.
It really feels like a storm is brewing and that there is constant upheaval in your mind. Like there is a non-stop torrent of things to be done. Of thoughts. Of actions. A strenuous push and pull of things here and there that leave you completely out of breath by the end of the day.
Our thoughts are like tidal waves. Each one different. Each one unique. Each one with their own attractiveness and desire for attention. But, deep down below these waves is the unperturbable ocean. The deep stillness that is within. The stillness of the deep ocean water.
Unlike the surface level waves, this ocean is vast and unchanging and is in a constant state of flow. It is not subject to the push and pull of surface level waves. It is quite vast and beautiful in its own state. That is the stillness that I believe can reside in all of us.
No matter how terrible the traffic is. No matter how stressful your job is. No matter the external stressors that can push and pull upon your life, just know that there is a deep ocean within us all that is constant and unchanging and quite beautiful to behold. It is that deep ocean where we can reside for some peace of mind and stability – regardless of the external circumstances swirling around us.
It’s a beautiful metaphor that I’ve learned over these years, while studying Buddhism and general philosophy. Sometimes, it’s hard to put it into words. You just have to experience it for yourself to see if it’s true or not.
Everyone is prone to tidal waves. Everyone is prone to the constant agitation of thoughts that come and go and come and go again. And on and on it goes. The nonstop chatter that is our monkey mind. It is natural. It’s not something that we can necessarily control.
But just dig a little deeper and you can find the vast ocean within us that is ever constant and unmoving. The deepness of the ocean bed within us all. The stillness that resides in the best of times and the worst of times. That stillness can be tapped into.
And yes, sometimes it’s hard to find that peace of mind. Especially if you’re going thru toxicity, or grief, or heartache, or the vast multitude of stressors that this world can throw at us. It is much easier said than done. I know it firsthand through my own experience with grief, loss, and heartache.
Even amidst the grief, you can still gain a little bit of separation from that feeling if you dig a little bit. You don’t push away the feeling. You just learn to accept it for what it is, and that acceptance ironically allows to develop a deeper sense of meaning from your struggle. It allows you to be open towards your vulnerability and be open to who you are as a human being.
Even thru loss and heartache, you can tap into that acceptance of the present as it is. Accept the grief. Accept the anxiety. Accept the sadness. It will come. And eventually it will go. Because it is a feeling. And feelings are – for better or worse – simply transient. Just be you. And it’ll be okay in the end.
Once the strength of the feelings fade away, once the tidal waves come crashing thru the shore, you are left with more wave upon wave upon wave coming forth. But just find a way to look beyond the surface waves of the vast ocean. Look deeper. Look at the unmoving presence of the vast ocean itself. That is the beauty of this world. The vastness of your mental state.
We can all tap into that if we develop the right tools. Perspective. Humility. Acceptance. Gratitude. Compassion. Forgiveness. Amongst others. Meditate. Share your feelings. Just know that inner beauty and peace can reside within us all. We are more than our surface-level tidal wave of thoughts and ideals.