;)

What do you do when you find days where the negative headlines glare in your face - the innocent are abused, those in power are corrupt, and the masses are apathetic? How can we easily find peace on these days? Or, maybe it isn't easy - and maybe it's just making the choice. (no, it was not a good week)

A couple of ideas:

1. Meditate and seek inner peace, the place where you are simply being the observer: without judgment, desire, or even emotion. While this may be only a temporary fix, it might help to calm that raging river. It might also help to give you a different perspective and a vision of the forest above the trees. Society's life and journey through time is one of ups and downs. Nature seems to always find balance. It's the eb and flow of the great wheel in the sky. It'll come back around. Perhaps things will get much worse yet as humanity continues to destroy Mother Earth, abuse itself, and indulge in gluttony. But, eventually, the tide will turn and our race will wake up in the dawning of a new day and ignorance will be replaced by enlightenment. Just enjoy the ride as it's meant to be.

2. Find a way to throw some peace and love around. Vounteer at a school (working with children can always bring a little joy and peace into one's heart) or something like that. Give. When we give, we create the peace we seek.

3. Take a nice drive, listen to some Creed, or find some other way to check out the good stuff in the world.

4. Feel the lack of peace, the pain, the pity, and those ugly parts of our soul that do exist. We cannot always shut them out. For, as these things glare us in the face, we must sometimes glare them in the face for what they are and go through this fire to get to the other side.

Some other suggestions, if I may. CALL A FRIEND. You know you have them, you know you have their phone numbers. You know they will always have a few minutes to talk to you. Get online and email them and pour out your feelings until you are exhausted. Don't fear that it will bring them down, feel the sorrow leave your body as you get it all out and away from you. I have even tried to open a new "word" document on the computer, type out everything that is bothering me until I can't type anymore. Then highlight the entire thing and just DELETE IT!! It's gone and it can't bother you anymore.

Go to the zoo to see some animals, pet that cat of yours, blast the Creed until the cops are called. And for GOD'S SAKE, turn OFF the television, throw away the newspapers and get away from the horrible headlines. Turn the news on about 10 minutes after it starts, that way you'll miss the sadness, pain and sorrow, and catch the sports and human interest stories.

<b>Some other suggestions, if I may. CALL A FRIEND. You know you have them, you know you have their phone numbers. You know they will always have a few minutes to talk to you. Get online and email them and pour out your feelings until you are exhausted. Don't fear that it will bring them down, feel the sorrow leave your body as you get it all out and away from you. I have even tried to open a new "word" document on the computer, type out everything that is bothering me until I can't type anymore. Then highlight the entire thing and just DELETE IT!! It's gone and it can't bother you anymore.</b>

WORD!

Teri and Dogstar are soooo right!!! Call a friend, believe me in times of need you find out who your "real" friends are! I listen to Creed and as goofy as it may sound I ALWAYS feel better! That band has such a hold on me, never realated to music quite like this before in my life!!!! I have even played music and never felt like this before, I played piano for years and years!!!!!!! And something about that awesome music and soulful voice that gives me a warm comfort feeling, like a warm blanket or cup of coa coa...*sigh*:)

Thanks so much for the helpful ideas and tools. What a great place this BB is - and what helpful friends you are! Hopefully, this thread can be a resource, if others run into those dark times. Feeling a lot lighter now. Needed to release that bottled up pain, did some crying, writing, and walking (while BLASTING MOP). I came across a nesting site of 30-40 egrets (waterfowl) nesting on trees along the river at dusk. Their beauty and peacefulness took me to that quiet place inside. Today I visited a friend and am getting back in midstream. Now, when I am stronger, I can do some of the giving back/service - and the perfect week to show gratitude. And, I am soooooooo grateful for all of YOU!:)

Right back at ya, babe. Glad to have you in my life! Please hang out for awhile!

Glad to hear you are coming around!! I believe in such a short time we all have made such an incredible bond!!! I never could understand, and I actually used to make fun of people who meet others on the internet, NOW I can see how a key board and some wonderful people can make your day! You guys are considered "my refuge" when the day gets rough and I want to relax!!! Yeah snowy igrets are breathtaking !!!! I have a lot of them around where i live as well as blue heron and bald eagles!:D

I am right there with you, SD. Reading this thread has given me some hope and I will try to find some peace although I know it will be (I hate to admit it) almost impossible. The only thing that ever gives me relief is when I force myself to push it all out of mind mind and IGNORE it. The ironic thing is, I detest it when people ignore injustices and thus do nothing to stop them. So when I ignore things to get relief I feel like I am selling out and am just like those people, but I guess if I do not ignore it all sometimes, I am bound to lose my sanity. If this makes ANY sense!

Yes, it does make sense, Allison. I know how you feel. I work at a newspaper and sometimes, it gets so overwhelming. I have to unplug every now and again or I would lose my mind. There's a lot of gallows humor in a newsroom as well, that as sick as it sounds, does help. You'd have to be there to understand.

Music, walking and reading a good book are some of the ways I escape, but trying to find that balance to do the right thing and stay sane isn't always easy.

That's good medication!
Sometimes I find that as long as I am 'in tune' with how I feel, whether it means 'sane' or 'insane', then I feel OK....it is when I get lost into distractions of busIness and mindlessness that I feel I am selling my soul. I work on accepting the tides in life, the highs and the lows. Today, in helping a friend in need, by giving them a pep talk, I felt a lift given to me.

It's amazing how helping others helps yourself, too, isn't it?

yes indeed ;)

I love peace. Jesus is the prince of peace. Truely, I have found peace in Him. I can't even explain how much different my life has been since I allowed Jesus to be the center of my life. I am pretty much always at peace now cause I've got nothin to worry about cause I've got Jesus, what is there to lose? Whatever happens in this lifetime I can take cause Jesus is ALWAYS gonna b there 4 me, He will never leave my side.:)