coexistence

This weekend brought a familiar yet unwelcome visitor: illness, for the second time in as many weeks. It was a reminder that nature doesn’t operate on a fairness system; viruses don't adhere to a 'punch card' system of sickness.

Experiencing illness back-to-back triggered a cascade of feelings: weakness, self-doubt about my health routines, and even guilt, mistaking rest for laziness. Yet, it also provided an unexpected opportunity to truly disconnect. Despite considering myself mindful of my phone usage, I often find myself consumed by digital distractions. But it's not really the phone, it's my need for distraction. My days are usually a tapestry of multitasking – podcasts during drives, background music while cooking, I can really fall into a habit of sounds, an avoidance of silence. Maybe avoiding the discomfort of emptiness.

This weekend I knew I needed a different approach: true rest, no distractions. I relegated my phone to another room and lay in the darkness. In this stillness, I observed the workings of my mind – its inclination to plan, analyze, and judge. But amidst this mental activity, there were also moments of surrender to the present. In these moments, I discovered the coexistence of peace and discomfort. They didn't oppose each other; rather, they shared the space of my experience.

The longer I rested in this undistracted state, the more accessible peace became, coexisting with my physical discomfort. This experience led me to an insight that might have come from fever delirium but felt profoundly real: peace and discomfort are not mutually exclusive.

"In our willingness to accept what is uncomfortable, we discover the peace that transcends all understanding." - Jean Klein

As I reflect on this experience, it becomes clear that the journey towards peace isn't about evading or overcoming life's discomforts but about learning to find harmony within them. It is in this harmonious existence that we find a peace that is both profound and transcendent, a peace that is as real in moments of discomfort as it is in times of ease.