​“Peace comes from within.  Do not seek it without.”
Siddhārtha Gautama
 
The Buddha is just one of many spiritual leaders who have shared this wisdom. It is undeniable. It is also as important in these troubling times as it was in the 4th Century B.C.E. I invite you to consider the importance of inner peace as we move through these perilous times.
 
Modern life wants us to believe that our happiness and peace depend on what happens beyond ourselves. Advertisers want us to think that by buying their product or service, we will be happy. Politicians offer us happiness through their policies. Societies that we conform to their rules and regulations in return for a peaceful world. The world wants us to believe that our peace and the things that make for peace lay outside of the human spirit. When we buy into this foolishness, we delegate our hope for peace to the world around us.
 
Billions of people project their inner chaos onto the world. Other people react and respond to those projections. It then reverberates back into our lives, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of continuing turmoil.  
 
Consider this example. A few people in a neighborhood notice a stranger from a different ethnic group walking down the street. One or two of them have had bad experiences or have heard of others having bad experiences with someone in that ethnic group. They project their fears and anxiety on that person. They assume his reason for being on the street is evil. They then share their suspicions with their neighbors. Some of those hearing these suspicions will become angry at their neighbor's racism, projecting their bigotry on the neighbors. They start a new "angry narrative" in the neighborhood. Some, again acting out of their internal needs, will jump to defend the neighbors with whom they agree and condemn others. A stranger walking down the street has inflamed the passions of an entire neighborhood. Where does the responsibility lay for this lack of peace? With the stranger? Or with the individual spirits of those in the neighborhood?
 
The same happens when we encounter a setback or challenge. It will trigger our fears and anxieties. We may overstate the consequences and turn it into a catastrophe in the making. We may fear the uncertainty of the future and deny that it will have any real impact on us or those we love. Both of these are coping mechanisms that we use to deal with our inherent lack of peace. Once this happens, we respond to this outer challenge with our inner turmoil. Others see and react to our turmoil, adding more chaos to our lives.  
 
This inner turmoil may blind us to the remnants of peace that may still exist around us. The snowball begins to roll. It picks up more snow and speeds away down the hill.
 
Much of our world is facing a deadly and challenging time. How do we limit the spread of the COVID19 virus? While the science is clear, people are bringing their prejudices to the party. Public figures have offered different opinions based on what is most important to them. The rest of us start choosing-up sides. Chaos follows our inner turmoil, and people are dying because of it. This chaos is not the result of a virus. It grows directly from projecting our fears and anxieties on those around us with whom we disagree, the stranger in the neighborhood of our mind.
 
What would happen if the neighbors looked out their window and could see that it was just a person walking down the street?  
 
What would happen if we all took a step back and started listening to the facts alone?  
 
What would happen if we opened our eyes and ears to those who understand the facts?

How can we find peace in these perilous times?
 
Imagine being able to recognize the things in our lives that trigger suspicion, anxiety, fear, and shame so that we can loosen their grip on our lives.  
 
Imagine letting our emotions empower us to act in ways that serve the common good without giving them free rein over our choices and actions.
 
Imagine having the inner strength to resist the lead of those who are engaged in fear-mongering and self-serving manipulation of the situation.
 
Will people still die from the virus? Yes, people will die. Peace is not the absence of suffering or even death. 
 
There are things we can do to limit the deaths from this virus. There are things we can do to help out those who are losing their jobs because of the pandemic. There are ways that we can mitigate the suffering created by all of this. Hope exists, but only when our hearts still the chaos and know peace.
 
Peace is possible in the middle of this pandemic. It requires that we find ways to live meaningful lives amid the natural suffering in our world. We can work together, care together, and suffer together. These are meaningful actions that are not dependent on any outcome. Such action will calm the furies blowing in our souls. Once our souls find peace, our minds and bodies can join together and find our way through these times.
 
There will be days when we "lose it." There will be moments when we cannot see past our feelings of anger, shame, inadequacy, and fear. These feelings remind us that something important is happening around us. However, we can absorb that anger and fear and not "act out" our feelings. Use the energy these feelings create to move us toward meaningful action. Engage our minds to direct our bodies to "act on" our emotions. Then, we will be able to maintain and share our inner peace and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us. 
 
 
How can I learn how to act on, rather than act out my feelings? "Acting on" is the result of developing a healthy spiritual life. By growing our capacity for love, trust, joy, and hope, we will find ourselves better able to withstand the storms in life and troubling people we encounter. Please check out the archives of Self Care Notes for information on how to grow a healthier spirit. 
 
In the meantime, step back and give yourself the time to embrace a quieter, more peaceful inner life. Find something meaningful to do. Obey "Stay at Home" orders. Maintain a safe social distance from the vulnerable in your life. Reach out to friends and family who may be alone. Donate to an organization helping people through this pandemic. There are lots of ways we can take meaningful action. Finally, join your spirit with those around you and write a new ending to these perilous times. 
 
We all have an opportunity to make peace in these dark days. Martin Luther King, Jr. understood what it took to get through dangerous moments in history. He taught us, "Be the peace you wish to see in the world!" He understood that we could re-write the ending of a deeply segregated America. We can also re-write the conclusion of the global pandemic of 2020.  
 
Look within. Discover peace in yourself. Share that peace with others, and that new day will dawn.
 
“You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one”
(John Lennon)
 
Blessings,
Bob

 
Self-Care Notes Archive
 
Wikipedia on Peace
 
Wikipedia on Inner Peace
 

In light of everything that is going on these days, I will be rebooting Self-Care Notes for a while.  I hope to share insights and tips for staying spiritually healthy during this global pandemic.  Most of the former subscribers will receive this by email.  If you do not want to receive it by email, feel free to unsubscribe through the link at the bottom of the page.  For those who receive it via Facebook or LinkedIn, you may subscribe through a link on the right.
 
I will be publishing these as long as I feel I can add something to the conversation regarding taking care of our spiritual health.  I am not sure that there will be a regular schedule, but I will do my best to stay in touch.  As always, I hope that these are helpful.  If so, I enjoy hearing from you.  If not, I would appreciate hearing that as well.  It sounds like we will have a long road ahead.  Take care, my friends.  Remember, we are in this together!
 
Bob

​Panic is a natural response to situations filled with uncertainty and threat. It is part of the "fight or flight" response that served us well for millions of years. It protected us when we were hunter-gatherers, eking out a living in the open plains and jungles of the prehistorical eras. However, "fight or flight" has become less useful. I have written before on how modern stress that triggers the "fight or flight" has eroded our spiritual health.  (Please look back at that series if you are interested. You will find the link below.)
 
A quick Google of the word "panic" will define it as a "sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behavior." Let's take a closer look at each element of this definition.
 
 Sudden – Panic seldom comes on slowly. We may experience concern, worry, apprehension, or uncertainty. But all of these fall short of the panic described above. Panic is a sudden sense of urgency that we are facing some life-altering circumstances. It comes on us quickly, even though we may have been watching the threat evolve over many months. The feelings occur suddenly, even when if the event has been on our mind and heart.
 
Uncontrollable – Panic feels like we have lost control of our lives. Circumstances have gone beyond our sphere of influence. Our usual methods of coping have been disabled, and we are overwhelmed. We can cope with stressful situations as long as we have some measure of control. But when control slips through our hands, panic sets in. We reach for that big red button in our soul to sound the alarm.
 
Fear or Anxiety – Our soul is the seat of our emotions. It enters the inner conversation when circumstances warrant. When our body or mind tells us that things have suddenly gone from bad to worse, the soul triggers fear and anxiety. These closely linked emotions are among the most powerful in our arsenal. They create lots of energy that can overwhelm reason and physical strength. They can create a feedback loop that limits our attention to the threat itself and cause fear and anxiety to escalate. This is why FDR told the people of the Great Depression, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
 
Wildly Unthinking Behavior – The end result of an increasing level of anxiety and fear, coupled with a limited range of ways to cope, and a narrowing focus of attention, leads us to commit wildly irrational actions. The mind is disengaged as the body does whatever it can to protect itself from the perceived threat. The is the big hairy monster that appears "bigger" and "hairier" than it is in real life. These perceptions cause us to act without thinking. It causes us to rely more on groupthink than it does on reflection and rational assessment. Panic replaces patience, measured responses, and mindful perception of ourselves and the world around us.  
 
Panic creates predictable responses. Farmers know this. They know that you do not want to start a panic if you're going to get your herd in the barn. They know what will happen if they scare the animals. Panic never makes a situation better. When the Titanic was sinking, the crews knew that the best way to save lives was by calming the panic-stricken passengers.  
 
We must avoid panic in these troubled times. It will empty our grocery stores leading to hunger for many. It will overwhelm our medical facilities leading to the death of our most vulnerable neighbors. Panic will tear apart our communities and destroy the support we all need from our family, friends, and neighbors. Most of all, it will eat away at our immune systems and make us more vulnerable to the virus and any complications that may arise.
 
It is time to ask ourselves several questions. Am I in panic mode? Am I inciting panic in others? What can I do to help those around me avoid panic? What can I do to prevent panic in myself?

​How can I tell if I am starting to panic?

• Is the pit of your stomach upset?
• Are you experiencing heart palpitations?
• Can you feel a tingling on the back of your Neck?
• Do you believe that you are facing a life or death situation and need to take drastic action?
• Are you thinking and speaking using "danger" and "catastrophe" words and ideas?
• Are you able to listen to people who see things differently? Do you feel the need to defend your position at all costs?

 
What can I do if panic is starting to take over?

• Breathe
• Step back and create some physical and emotional space in your life.
• Find a trusted, less anxious person and talk out your feelings.
• Allow your mind to enter your internal chatter between your body and soul.
• Recognize the power of your soul, but do not allow it to make your decisions.
• Avoid making major decisions in panic mode.
• Keep your eyes open, looking at the near future with an occasional glance ahead. (Like driving in a Thunderstorm.)
• Breathe

 
Take care of yourself and those around you. In the end, we are all we have, and that will be enough to get us through this pandemic.
 
 
Many blessings, my friends.
Bob

Self-Care Notes Archives on Stress
 
How To Stop a Panic Attack
 
A Social Panic Attack
​