In these troubled times,
With unsettled nations,
A rancorous public discourse,
And unprecedented disruptions,
Cultivating our own sense of peace and presence has never been more important.
Perhaps the first and surest step we must take is establishing a good relation to the constant stream of news.
It's easy to be overwhelmed by the pitch of the news,
With its strident urgency,
The constant sense of doom and threat.
We may find ourselves having difficulty sleeping or turning off the sense of alarm our bodies respond with.
If we look about ourselves,
However,
At any given moment,
We will likely see that the goes on.
People are working and thinking and enjoying one another.
The sun shines or it doesn't.
The seasons pass.
If we can live here now as in a sphere of presence,
We might then see that the world of the news exists out there just beyond the edge of this sphere of presence.
Here,
Inside this sphere,
We find peace in the present moment.
I tune into the news stream only once per day and for a limited time,
Not before bed and not first thing in the morning.
These times are mine and they are sacred.
I attend to the world in the afternoon for about 30 minutes and then I set it aside,
Go on with my day with whatever is next,
Whatever lies before me.
This does not mean I do not take action.
Locally,
I'll attend the protest.
I'll work to further social justice in my workplace.
I'll seek to expand opportunity for others.
But I do so at my best from a position of presence and peace.
Occasionally,
When I find myself engaged in some internal argument,
I have to bring myself back to the present moment,
Just as I do when my mind wanders in meditation.
Then I look about this sphere of presence and know that there is nowhere but here.
There is no time but now.
This is where we can do our good work.
In these troubled times,
Let's cultivate a sphere of presence in which we can practice peace for ourselves and for those around us.
Thanks for listening.
I hope you have a beautiful day.
