Embracing Peace

Peace happens not by controlling our environment, but by embracing it.

This photo was taken at a musical festival with thousands of people. These days, I do not enjoy that much noise and even have an issue with my ear where loud noises hurt. Being part of a crowd can overwhelm and confuse me because I hear divergent energy so loudly. So what was I doing going to a music festival?

I had no clue if I would enjoy the music. I did not know if I would be safe. I wondered how I would be able to drink enough water and get to the bathroom frequently enough. I did not understand why this type of thing needs to last all night. I was invited by a friend, and after hearing my concerns, he suggested I not go.

Right before this festival, I was invited to a beach club party with a couple I trusted. I had decided to be adventurous and go. It felt so freeing to party on the sand by the ocean with the full moon above. I greatly appreciated how much people loved the DJ and how the audience and DJ fed each other energy back and forth. I remembered how much I used to love going out dancing in clubs.

I also visited that beach 25 years ago when there was nothing there. I camped on the beach with my friends, and we did not see anyone else for a couple of days. I loved the quiet and the purity. I have been resistant to all the loud partying, appreciating my memory of that peaceful, exotic time. However, that is no longer how things are in Tulum. And this is fun too, so long as we can find a way to do it without harming the environment.

The tourists in Tulum, where I have been spending the winter, all talk about Zamna. After being invited to Zaman and having a successful venture to a beach club party, I thought I would continue to expand my horizons and go to Zamna.

All my qualms were taken care of. For most of the night, there was a walkway right in front of me with easy access to the bathroom. I had six men surrounding me, protecting my space. I was front and center, with excellent viewing of the DJs and all the people partying on stage. That also focused my energy away from the thousands of people present and to the main focus of the night, the favored DJs Keinemusik. I somehow made it through the night to see the sunrise over the stage. Although, that was mainly because I did not want to squeeze my way through the crowds until they lightened up. Once the walkway in front of me disappeared, my stomach did hurt from needing to go to the bathroom, but I survived without any accidents. And once again, I enjoyed all of the dancing and seeing the crowds inspired.

I chose to embrace life as it was and had a great time. So many people around me looked so happy. I also noticed that when people looked angry or stiff was when they tried to control their experience to be a certain way. That was when any light quibbles would happen. If our happiness relies on life turning out a certain way, as you have probably experienced, you have many moments of sadness, frustration, anger, or disappointment.

What if we expanded our vision of how life is meant to be to what it actually is? What if the rules of good and bad were different? “Man plans and God laughs.” Life is here to teach us; to go on a journey and experience the Divine in its many forms. What if we looked at life with open eyes to what it brings us, making our task how to navigate each moment, rather than how to make it a specific way that we think will make us happy?

The great yoga Guru Paramhansa Yogananda said, “Circumstances are neutral.” There are circumstances that we cannot conceive accepting, and we should not. Yet, what if there was even more happiness available to us than we have realized in the past? A music festival that is meant to bring enjoyment is a good space to expand our potential for happiness. Where in your life do you think you can find even a little more happiness than you currently experience?