Daily writing prompt
What brings you peace?
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That’s a very good question, WordPress! A very good one indeed.

There are things that, over time, have changed, but there are a few constants in all the chaos that happens during life’s events:

  1. Nature: This one has followed me my entire life. From the mountains in Northern Wyoming to lakes in Minnesota, to my own backyard, I’ve found my soul is quiet when I’m in the middle of nature. Yesterday, my wife and I took a 15-mile bike ride, then visited a local landmark, Dunning Springs. She’d taken me there when we first were dating, and we’ve taken our daughters to expose them to the wonders of nature. Last month, we took some friends there, and we realized it’s a place we need to visit more often. So we took a small picnic and enjoyed the sounds of the water and birds (with a few people around too!). Afterward, we took a small hike up the hills, discovering this huge maze of trails developed by the town of Decorah. Damn! As we walked out, we both thought that we needed to come back and see what we could find here because my wife, as someone who grew up here, wasn’t aware of the trail system. Very cool! But, as we were both on the bikes and at the springs, a sense of calm came to me. It’s the last week before school starts and I’ve not been sleeping well. I just felt at peace for that time, and it’s what I needed, right there.
  2. Music: Right now, I’m listening to this house mix by a DJ named Valentina Bravo. She’s amazing at putting together these mixes! The locations that she films are out of this world. The music calms me and settles my mind enough to be writing! 🙂 But it’s not just house music, I can feel that sense of calm with Metallica, Enya, Big Bad Voodoo Daddies, or whoever I need to listen to. Music calms my restless soul and helps me to focus in on the task at hand (although I should be setting up my room).
  3. Writing: While I’ve gotten away from this one, writing helps me find peace. I helps me see order where there is none. It helps me to put down all those things in my head that I cannot say out loud. I helps me feel connected with a large group. No, I’m not the writer I thought I could be, and yet, I’ve found this is ok. I find joy in the words, in the struggle for those words, and it helps me to see more clearly what might have been blurry before.

So, there are three things that, throughout my years, have been a constant for my own peace and calm. Things have come and gone: watching sports, running, volunteering, and more. While these can give me peace, the things that go with each taint the feeling. Nature, music, and writing all are, to me, pure forms of calm. Sure, I get frustrated with each, but in the end, they are what I fall back to if everything else has failed.

Now, what about you? What brings you peace? I love to hear your thoughts in the comments! 🙂