Paradise

Circa 2022

Paradise is not a place. It may be found under palm trees, upon porch swings, or in crystal clear waters beneath the blazing sun. But it is always found in the moments of peace when the mind is still and all that can be heard is the rhythm of your heartbeat as you immerse yourself in the present - when past and future do not exist except for the purposes of reminiscing fondly or feeling excited for what is to come. Paradise cannot be found in the most exquisite surroundings if it does not exist inside of you. Paradise is not a place. It is an internal state of being that can radiate from within you in the most random locations at any given time. Where you are can affect how you are, just as how you are can affect where you go. But they do not always match. You can look at the most beautiful sunsets and be color blinded by the darkness that overshadows your vision. You can also find warmth in cold and sterile places if there are happy chemicals inside your brain that allow you to find beauty in the mundane, in the emptiness, in the dullness. You can find paradise where light and love are found, but you can also find it in dark places where the resilience within overpowers the wars in your mind, the violence on TV, the loneliness in a room whose only sound is the ticking of a clock. You can find paradise in the most ironic ways - in dilapidated, abandoned, or hopeless places. Inhumane living conditions have housed some of the most joyful people on the planet. Meanwhile, there are people living in million-dollar homes who "have it made" but don't seem happy at all. Where do you find contentment? I find it in a certain state of mind, way of life, and accessible feeling. Our bodies will always have earthly needs, sometimes that go unmet. Our brains will always be wired to solve some sort of problem or another. It is our spirits - our true essence - that can dominate the rest as long as we are feeding into whatever nourishes it. What nourishes your soul? For me, it is nature; connection; expression; release; fulfillment; reception; give and take; balance; surrendering to our Higher Power; intuition; the "I" above the "self"; dreams; flow; harmony; alignment; protection; opening; sensation; rising above the finite constraints of the mind; presence; allowing your body to rest; movement; flexibility; love; trust; withstanding storms; searching; finding; being light; being illuminated.