Awareness
Order is a pathway to experiencing peace. Awareness is the key that opens the door and it is the first step in the process. When we go through life distracted by our jobs, roles, new gadgets, countless emails, endless app notifications, and the thoughts racing through our minds, we lose sight of our true purpose. Our purpose, though unique to each of us, can be understood as the manifestation of our divine expression. To discover it, we must connect to a higher power. Awareness starts with the practice of noticing when we are distracted.
Finding Balance
Are you exhausted? Rest is essential—it connects us to our Source and is the next crucial step. Rest gives us the energy we need to accomplish our daily tasks. Take a moment to close your eyes, clear your mind, and breathe deeply. Release all distractions, even if just for a minute. Balance is found in the natural rhythm of work and rest: do the work, then rest and recharge. Repeat.
Prayer and Meditation
Once you've committed to the practice of rest, how can you deepen the experience? This is where prayer and meditation come in. These practices infuse purpose into our rest. Prayer is often seen as a way of communicating with the still, small voice within that holds all power and answers. Meditation, on the other hand, is our method of listening. We can ask for help in prayer for any problem, pray for others, and express gratitude for what we've received. When we surrender a problem in prayer and ask for guidance, meditation is the means for receiving answers. Once the course of action is revealed, we take it.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is what I think of as constant conscious contact. It's a high-level action, one that takes skill, and that skill is refined through practice. When we can silence distractions while performing tasks and stay connected to the peaceful state we found in rest, prayer, and meditation, we are practicing mindfulness. In this state, doing and being merge into one, and action becomes limitless in its power.