Create Rituals.  Setting rituals can help you eliminate the unnecessary, create focus, and find peace. Especially in the morning and night, develop personal rituals that you follow consistently–whether it’s a soothing bubble bath, reading quietly, or spending time with your children.  Find peace by knowing that at this time I will be doing this thing.

Create Meditation “Opportunities.”  The dishes must be done, the dog must be walked, and the bathroom must be cleaned.  So why not make any activity you perform an opportunity for meditation—for breathing, for being present in the moment, for focusing on what is happening in front of you at this very moment?  Every activity we participate in—no matter how humble or mundane—is an opportunity to meditate, reflect, and be mindful of our lives.

Create White Space.  In our hyper-speed society, we must get the kids to practice, be home in time for the clarinet lesson, then crank out homework before prepping for the SAT.  To be honest, we’ve gone a little crazy.  We’ve lost the art of leaving some of those little calendar boxes empty.   But it’s possible.  Here’s a rebellious thought: leave space between things on the calendar for doing absolutely nothing.  That’s right. You heard me.  Meditate. Listen to music (not while doing something else, but just because it’s good music).  Sit on the patio and watch the trees rustle in the breeze.  Whatever moves you and lowers your rhythm.  Try this simple formula:  Do Nothing. Find Peace.  TZT