Our world, especially the US, tends to be too full of frenzy. Maybe it is time we learn how controlling frenzy helps us live peacefully.
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. We moved there the year I started 1st grade. My dad was an engineer with Lockheed Missile & Space (the company’s name at the time) and was transferred to their Sunnyvale office. It was a nice, friendly, peaceful area. We had plenty of room behind our unfenced house to play and explore.
But, as you can guess, that did not last long. When I was in Jr. High, they built Interstate 280. In doing so, they tore down the old winery we used to play in and constructed the freeway near our house. By the time I had finished school in the 70s, the area was really starting to boom. New computer-related companies and housing for their employees began popping up (some started by classmates) where orchards once stood. Then, the fall of Vietnam brought in numerous refugees looking for a new start in life. During that time, I got married and started a family, which increased the activity in and around me. A bit overcome by the frenzy, we left the state and moved to a rural area in Wisconsin. 11 years later, we moved to rural Idaho, where I still live.
How I Controlled Frenzy
I learned about controlling frenzy earlier in life by moving to quieter and more peaceful areas. But the frenzy still went on in my head. I was raised by a father who was an A-personality type. He never stopped! Between work, family, and Boy Scouts, he never seems to have time to find peace. This, apparently, took a toll on him as he had a heart attack at 50.
Trying my best to learn from his mistakes, I began slowing my life down in my 50s. To be honest, I developed some health issues at the time that made me realize I needed to slow down. I did not want to end up like my father (who died when he was just a few months older than I am now).
Realizing how important it is to control my own mental frenzy, I am learning to let go of things that are not mine to do. After all, I cannot control the world, but I can certainly control myself.
My daily spiritual practices became more than just ‘something I should do.’ They became a way of controlling the frenzy in my heart, mind, and body. Since moving to the Mobile Home Park on the river, I take mid-day breaks to walk on the levee and around the park itself. The walk is a spiritual practice for me. Even writing these weekly articles causes me to slow down and enjoy my world, which promotes peace in my life.
What do you do to control the frenzy in your life?