Calm

“The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.18.5b

When I read this, it struck a chord. I am not always calm. I have my frenzied moments. Moments where I don’t trust timing, hormonal moments (there should be greeting cards apologizing for PMS– I could use one now), and moments where my patience feels like it has run out. We all have those amplified emotional moments. And then there are the moments where the most dramatic possibility hijacks my brain. Yup. That’s me. (Ever the catastrophic thinker– though I have learned I have been able to tame that a bit).

Do you ever feel frenzied? For some people it’s not frenzy or an exasperated attempt of something, but it may be anger. It may be fear under it all. It may be self-protection or a desire to manipulate. Whatever your worst default mode is– Marcus Aurelius makes a bold point that I agree with: the calmer we are when we handle a situation, the closer we are to strength.

My calm can come from many things. It can come from taking a slow morning and noticing the beauty all around; a tight embrace; a hot tea; a good book; peace granted from God after a vulnerable prayer. In our calm, we find strength. May we always seek out peace. I am hoping we can all live life at our strongest.