Peace of Mind

Serene: Undisturbed; tranquil; quiet; calm.
Peace: An undisturbed state of mind; absence of mental conflict.

We have spent our entire lives burning in a firestorm of fear and worry. It’s as if our first swim lesson begins with the instructor just tossing us into the deep end of the pool – we thrash about wildly and barely manage to stay afloat. Hands seem to be pulling us down. We gasp for air and swallow water. We can’t touch bottom or find the edge of the pool. Shark fins are circling. Bolts of lightning are flickering around a lightning rod installed on the diving board.

This is what it feels like to succumb to our alcoholism. Our mental state is not serene and it is not peaceful. Our mind is at war with everything – our mind is trying to blow itself up. It darts and drifts restlessly. Nothing seems to fit and nothing is in the right place. Nothing makes sense.

It is a blessing to lose this frantic restlessness. As we develop a relationship with our higher power we find that our thinking begins to slow down and sometimes even stops. We are in the moment. All of the maniacs rampaging about in our heads calm down and take a nap. It’s nice, this tranquility.