Where’s Home…?
If you’ve ever spent protracted periods way from your home, or even from your home country, you’ll know that it takes time to acclimatise to new locations, new customs, new relationships and sometimes new languages. You probably know that humans generally aren’t comfortable with change. It’s why a change of house, a change of partner, the loss of a close relative, a change of job are often listed as some of the most stressful events that we can encounter. As a mental concept, we might accept the idea that change is inevitable but our emotions don’t seem to be able to adjust so easily to disruptions. Familiar surroundings and predictable routines are, for most people, the safer and therefore the preferable option. But change is inevitable. It’s one of the most natural facets of life. There is no escaping its influence. So, how can we learn to cope more effectively with its unwelcome intrusions into our lives?
If the old adage that ‘home is where the heart is’ holds any merit, it’s as a reminder that the best place to feel comfortable and at ease in this world is within the domain of our own hearts. This is, in so many ways, where we really live. When we feel comfortable with who we are, in spite of our catalogue of faults, failings, errors, doubts, weaknesses and mistakes, we no longer depend upon external conditions for our happiness, wellbeing and sense of security. This inner state of calm, the oasis of tranquility that restores our confidence and sustains our need for peace, enables us to face life’s challenges with equanimity. Wherever we might be in the world, we feel comfortable because our inner peace grants us immunity from the shifting tides of fortune and the unexpected changes in direction that often prove to be so disconcerting. Be at home with yourself rather than with your circumstances. Seek the ocean of stillness within your own heart where no storm or sea-change can trouble your equilibrium. These ideas have endured for thousands of years because they have proved to be of such immense value in the quest for better health, happiness and an enduring sense of fulfilment in an uncertain world. When you are at home within your own heart, your address will never change. The world will lose its power to throw you around like a leaf in the wind. You will find your true power and your enduring home within yourself.
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