Finding Inner Peace is Easy – Part I

Some people find little moments of peace in life by making jokes, having a drink, getting a massage, or reading a trashy sex novel so that they can forget whatever it is they need to forget. This is a time in history where a lot of people need solace, comfort and peace. Imagine trying to find peace sitting on your couch watching television and your house explodes around you, or you are enjoying a beautiful day on a sidewalk when the earth is rocked and people are flying around you.

Over the last week and a half, alarming news and images glared at us every time we opened our laptops, used our smart phones, checked Facebook, or turned on the television. Horrible and vivid images of blood splatter on the streets of Boston, molten heaps of rubble in the small town of West, and hoards of shattered lives. All of this spewed out by the media whether the facts of the story were right or not. Either way, the images never lied.

Needing a little extra peace? You could do what many have done in the past, take a hiatus from the news. That would mean no Internet, no television, no Facebook, no Twitter and so much more. Not impossible, but very hard to do in our society, especially if you need to see how traffic is moving before you leave the house for work.

Of course, inner peace comes in many forms, and giving is always one of them. It feels good to give and to help someone else piece their life back together. Even if that person is forever going to miss a piece of their own life and we probably can never make them whole again, we can help. Amazingly, a lot of the people who need our help can help us find our inner peace. They are calm about their situation. They know things will improve, they will rebuild their lives. Most importantly, they have handed us an easy opportunity to help others. Here are some ideas:

1. For people in Boston, there is “The One Fund” found at https://secure.onefundboston.org/page/-/donate4.html. The money will be distributed to those persons and families of persons that sustained serious injuries and were killed in the bombings.

2. For people in West, Texas. At this point the people of West need money. Money for building materials, food, etc. If you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, you can drop off money or gift cards to The Ballpark in Arlington. They don’t want your stinky old sheets and blankets, they need money. You can also donate to the Red Cross www.redcross.com.