Peace. Stress. Peace. Stress. Peace.

There is a way to make stress (or peace) out of any situation.I sit outside on the lawn swing; surrounded by beauty - the dew-jeweled grass, a white-gold sunrise, my book open beside me, a cup of tea, all my iTools - laptop, phone.And here is this stress. When I inquire within, what do I find: this stress is asking, "What if I don't make the best use of this beauty, this freedom, this time? What if I (dramatic gasp) WASTE it?"Laughing at myself. Stress dissolving.Lately, I am seeing that I can also make peace out of any situation. I find myself becoming entangled in another family drama; a story of everyone else's needs but my own; and suddenly, I feel peace. What is this peace? The awareness of the present moment. The awareness of the sovereign nature of each person in the situation.I peel away each layer of illusion:

• the illusion that I am responsible for anyone's experience but my own
• the illusion that this drama (this story we are telling) is taking away my freedom
• the illusion that this situation is separating me from the sacred world

As I peel, I find only peace - and the sacred world.I watch myself hurrying along, rushing myself (or my husband or friend) through a conversation and suddenly, I ask: where are you running to? What is the urgency? Again, I peel:

• the illusion that the next moment is more important than this one
• the illusion that if I linger, if I rest in the fullness of THIS moment, the next moment will be less
• the illusion that I am running late, that I am far behind, that I will never catch up

I peel and I peel and I find only peace, and this moment.There is a way to make peace or stress out of any situation. This is what I know this morning, on the lawn swing, in the sun.