It is possible to have a new way of life and it is a private one. It often happens when something devastating happens to you. The rational mind has nothing to do with it, for the mind is on autopilot. We are looking for a way to live a rich inner life, growing more and more comfortable in the silence.

After having read thousands of books and thought millions of thoughts, I now see silence as a healing agent. Not repression, but silence. The mind must be parked at the curb so that the spirit can breathe.

The mental education I had bore no fruit, but the spiritual education is ongoing. There is no point at which I can say that I have achieved enlightenment. That is a newcomer’s game with no discernible payoff.

I have few books left on my shelves. Instead there is blank space where they used to be. I have a few favorites that I pick up from time to time. Joel Goldsmith, Nisargadatta, Vernon Howard, to name a few.

Esoterically speaking, the old becomes then new when your eyes begin to open. The Book of John in the New Testament always brings me to my inner knees. “In my father’s house there are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you.” The place is inside of every human being that wants to find it. It is worth repeating that it is inside of us.

I sit in a comfortable chair, close my eyes and breathe. The world is forgotten, albeit momentarily. I do this off and on all day long. I am inviting the silence to speak to me.

I lost a little girl to a childhood cancer and my husband to an adult one. The scars are where the new teachings begin. Now there are not only thorns but roses. And yes, they are inside.

There is reason for hope and there is a path for peace to arrive from within.

Peace, be still

Vicki Woodyard