Peace Amid Chaos

No matter what philosophy you follow, there’s likely a message about the importance of being present. In Christianity, it’s found in Matthew 6:34: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” In Stoicism, it’s the idea that anticipating future hardship doubles the pain—not only do you endure the hardship when it comes, but you also experience it days, weeks, or even years in advance as you worry. In Buddhism, it’s tied to the second noble truth: suffering arises from desire, greed, and craving—whether it’s craving good things you don’t currently have or wishing the bad things you’re experiencing would disappear. Across these traditions and others, one truth shines through: suffering and anxiety often emerge when we leave the present moment and focus on things outside of our control.

The Solution: Be Present

This is hardly groundbreaking news. “Be present” is a message that is both oversimplified and overused, yet profoundly underappreciated.

Life moves fast. Ask anyone over the age of 15, and you’ll rarely need to convince them of that. If you’ve ever felt like time speeds up as you grow older, you’re not alone. Psychologists and neuroscientists suggest that this phenomenon stems from our brains processing fewer “new” experiences as we age. Days begin to blend together as routines take over. We eat the same breakfasts, commute the same routes, and tackle the same tasks at work. Life becomes a blur—not because it truly lacks novelty but because we’re no longer present enough to notice the small, unique details of each day.

The New Among the Familiar

While every day may feel the same, the reality is that subtle changes surround us constantly. Maybe there’s a new coffee flavor in the break room, a person you’ve never noticed before, a song you’ve never heard on the radio, or a flower blooming outside. The world offers endless opportunities for discovery, even in the most mundane settings.

I once shared the story of monks who, while walking the same path daily, were instructed to find a new stone each time. The practice wasn’t about the stones themselves but about cultivating awareness and seeking novelty in familiar routines. The lesson? When we stay open to the possibility of newness, we refresh our perspective and enrich our lives.

This concept doesn’t just help us feel invigorated; it holds the potential to transform how we navigate life’s challenges.

Finding Joy Amid Suffering

The practice of being present isn’t just about finding “new” moments so life doesn't pass us by. It’s also about finding joy, even in the midst of hardship.

In Buddhism, a common meditation involves focusing on your breath while identifying the “seeds of joy” within you—especially during difficult times. There is a belief that everything you need to not only feel joy but also cultivate it to share with others is housed within each of us. This can feel abstract or even impossible when you’re struggling. But joy is often closer than we think.

If the idea of internal “seeds of joy” doesn’t resonate, look outward. Even in challenging times, acts of kindness and beauty surround us. Acts of kindness can be large, like someone making a donation to charity or a firefighter risking their life to save homes and lives from wildfires, but many aren’t. We miss so many acts of kindness when we think they are things we are entitled to receive. While we may feel our work and contributions to the world lead to us deserving things, this mindset alone can blind us to the beauty that goes into everything we consume.

There is kindness and generosity in the roads we drive on every day, the meals we grab from restaurants and dining halls, the clothes we wear, the cars we drive. There is kindness behind doctors caring for you, in the creation of devices that prolong independent living, in pictures and paintings that make your house feel more like a home. There is kindness in every aspect of our lives. We may pay for some of these things and think that means we don’t need to be grateful for them, that we earned them. But I promise more went into the creation of those products than we could ever imagine and that we could ever produce ourselves alone. There is so much time, energy, and love behind the scenes of everything we consume, and it can never hurt to genuinely feel gratitude for them.

The gestures may seem small, even insignificant at first. But when you sit still and take in the accumulation of kindness around you, it can be astonishing just how much warmth and connection exist in the world.

Stepping Off the Treadmill

Life moves fast. The modern world urges us to do more, achieve more, and consume more.

Pain exists. Hard times hit with force, and life doesn’t always go our way.

These truths are undeniable. Yet, I challenge the notion that life has to feel relentless and overwhelming. By stepping off the treadmill of endless striving and choosing to be present, we can see life’s richness more clearly. We might not make life pain-free, but we can make it fuller, more vivid, and more meaningful.

Being present won’t erase hardship, but it allows us to appreciate the beauty, kindness, and joy that coexist with the pain. And perhaps, that’s enough to turn a fleeting moment into a lasting treasure.

GOOD VIBES ONLYYYYYY

Kenzie <3