Most of us would like less stress, anxiety, struggle and agitation in our lives. Ironically though, the pursuit of peace can cause more frustration especially in those moments when we are genuinely feeling vulnerable, distressed or hurt. It can become yet another thing that we feel we are failing at.
In her poem Dorothy Hunt is inviting us to stop the pursuit for peace and be at peace with what is. Wishing negative feelings away and fighting with them are cause for greater frustration than was there in the first place.
If you are feeling sad, or stressed, and then berate the feeling, yourself and the situation, you only go farther away from really experiencing the feeling, from connecting with yourself.Accepting whatever feelings are there within you ends your war with them. Even if, just for a moment you stop fighting your feelings and instead connect with them, you are likely to experience more peace.
Peace Is This Moment Without Judgement – Dorothy Hunt
Do you think peace requires an end to war?
Or tigers eating only vegetables?
Does peace require an absence from
your boss, your spouse, yourself? …
Do you think peace will come some other place than here?
Some other time than Now?
In some other heart than yours?
Peace is this moment without judgment.
That is all. This moment in the Heart-space
where everything that is is welcome.
Peace is this moment without thinking
that it should be some other way,
that you should feel some other thing,
that your life should unfold according to your plans.
Peace is this moment without judgment,
this moment in the heart-space where
everything that is is welcome