Calm in the Chaos

I was at Chuck-E-Cheese's tonight with my kids. I received one posting from a friend on Facebook about how she would rather "slowly pull off her toenails one by one" than be at Chuck-E-Cheese's. Okay, I understand completely. Chuck-E-Cheese's for those of you who may have never been in one is a pizza place chock full of hundreds of arcade games and kiddie rides. Those kid arcade restaraunts can be noisy, crowded, sticky, crazy places on a Saturday night. However the lesson for me today, that you can have a zen moment in the midst of chaos. As quoted by Buddha, "Peace comes from within, do not seek it without." As I sat in the chaos, I decided to really be in the moment and observe what was going on around me. I saw kids laughing everywhere, parents playing with their children, a child gave another child a token who didn't have one, birthday parties, and kids who were strangers to each other taking turns and interacting. My daughter was skipping on her way to a game, she looked so happy. A very sweet couple with their child caught my eye. This couple really struck me because they were so clearly genuinely in love. The way they looked at each other adoringly was surprising. They actually looked happy together! They could hardly keep their hands off of each other. Nothing crazy, just hugs, caresses and kisses as well as kisses to their child. It was heartwarming to watch. So in the middle of chaos, I found myself at peace, observing some of life's joyful moments. In those chaotic moments we all have a choice on how we perceive it. If I had sat in Chuck-E-Cheese's only noticing the noise and cries, the crowds and the runny nosed kids, I would have walked away stressed and vowing to never return. Instead, I walked away with a smile, thinking about that loving couple and all of the kids that got to play with their parents tonight. We cannot always get to peaceful environments, so the journey is to practice bringing the serenity of nature within. Everyday we are all confronted with different types of chaos like traffic, malls, movie theatres, restaurants, sporting events, office buildings, deadlines, getting the kids to school and a lot more. With practice and attention, our awareness can be shifted to focus on the good, the joy and to calm the mind. Even shifting one's perception to focus on what you can control versus what you cannot can make a difference. We cannot make traffic go any faster, but we can control how we handle it! Some people can even be in the most peaceful environments and still bring chaos with them. The next time you are in the midst of your own chaos, remember that it is all a matter of perspective, so even with a minor adjustment in how you see it, you too can enjoy some calm when you least expect it.