In the midst of exploring Techniques for achieving peace of mind through our PACT with ourselves (see last post by Jennifer Smith on How to Build a Peace Habit), a friend of mine shared some thoughts on an earlier post in the series, Want Peace in Personal Conflict? Improve Your Attitude! . Coming from his [...]

Having made a PACT to Practice Attitudes and Characteristics using serenity-building Techniques, let’s consider Characteristics. Previously on Insanely Serene we explored the personal traits that determine our ability to change ourselves, Do You Have What it Takes to Change? Check the 10 Personal Traits. These are important elements in creating peace of mind on a [...]

Last week we looked at attitudes (What’s in an Attitude? Only Peace of Mind) and how they affect peace of mind. Now let’s get down to brass tacks with practical examples in an area we all struggle with at different points – relationship conflict. Relationship conflict is certainly in the top 10 causes of stress [...]

Our series on Peace at Any Point kicked off with the idea of making a PACT with yourself to: Practice Attitudes, Characteristics, and Techniques. Since practice applies to all three, we’ll weave it into our explorations of attitudes, characteristics and techniques. Today the focus is on attitudes. at·ti·tude noun 1. manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., [...]

Turkey isn’t the only thing to gobble today, and it’s not even the tastiest. As we celebrate the end of the fall and a bountiful harvest, the best thing on the menu is gratitude. It’s better than food for so many reasons: It’s an attitude anyone can choose at any time – no matter what’s [...]

When someone in your life has an addiction, the focus is usually on that person. Addictions take many forms, from substance abuse to workaholism and overeating, and the effects on that person are often very obvious. Chaos, conflict, lost jobs, unpaid bills, arrests, jail, hospitalization, institutionalization, even death. Less obvious are the effects on the [...]

In the same way a child may repeat a grade for lack of passing the courses, each of us is given the chance to learn our life lessons over and over again, until we have mastered the proffered knowledge. Until we learn our lessons, we are not maximizing our enjoyment of life. So listen up [...]

What? Someone doesn’t like me? ME? I’m so nice, I’m so sweet, I wouldn’t hurt a soul, everyone on earth should like meeeee! How can I survive in this world knowing someone does not like me?! Sounds a bit silly, but this is how many of us really think. I used to have a huge [...]

Loneliness is entirely a matter of perception. It is not defined by the other people around us. I’ve felt deeply alone when in a conversation with a very close friend or family member who is focused on me. And I’ve felt connected and completely satisfied with the universe when hiking by myself in the middle [...]

Personal change is not for wimps. It is often a slow and arduous process spread across years. Think about an athlete practicing for years to go to the Olympics; a soldier training for combat; mountaineers preparing for and climbing Mt. Everest. These efforts will never lead to success without one key ingredient: determination. When things [...]