Five paths to serenity
Posted on November 08, 2012 by Shway Modi, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
We explore five different paths that can lead us to serenity through changes in thoughts and behaviors.
Does “serenity” sound like a very elusive and abstract concept to you? Do you wish to have a more serene life with less stress and more peace, joy? In this article, we will explore 5 tangible ways you can achieve serenity in your life.
1. The Serenity Prayer
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” The short form of this powerful prayer can become a valuable tool in your quest for serenity. Take a sheet of paper and draw two columns on it. In one column list the things you cannot change, and in the other column list the things you do have the power of changing. For example, you do not have power over losing 25 lbs but you do have the power to modify your lifestyle (eating and exercise habits) so that you can achieve that goal.
2. Gratitude lists
Develop an attitude of gratitude. When we start listing the things we do have and are grateful for, we shift our thinking from a scarcity mode to an abundance mode. Sharing your gratitude with other people makes this tool even more effective. Try starting an email chain where people can email in their gratitude lists, or create a Google Group for the same purpose. Reading other people’s gratitudes will spark inspiration for untapped gratitudes of your own.
3. Simple Breath Meditation
Just doing a simple meditation where you close your eyes and focus on the breath can help you calm down and bring more serenity to your present moment. All you have to do is focus on the in breath and notice how your belly rises, and then focus on the out breath and notice the belly deflating. Even doing just 5 minutes of such a meditation can help bring your stress levels down and regulate your Autonomic Nervous System.
4. Journaling
Buy a beautiful journal or find a scrap of paper – just engage in the act of putting pen to paper. In this day and age of computers, smartphones, etc. we seldom hand write things. There is a rhythmic and serene quality to the act of writing manually. If you are having a hard time coming up with topics to write about: address your journal entry to someone, make a list of things you love, or just write in freestyle stream of consciousness style.
5. God Box
Our fifth path to serenity is to create a physical or virtual “God box.” You can consider this your spiritual box or Box to the Universe, if you are not comfortable with calling it a God box. Get creative with what you put inside your God box – gratitude lists, hopes, dreams, aspirations and prayers. You can also use your God box as a tool to “turn things over” to God, the universe, a Higher Power. So, if you have a resentment toward someone or a fear gnawing at you, turn it over to God by putting it in the God box.
I hope you will explore one or all of these paths of serenity. I invite you to get in touch with me if you would like to build a regular serenity practice.
