It takes a special level of FAITH, MATURITY and PATIENCE to display serenity in the midst of adversity. Serenity is a state of mind and being that is worth pursuing.
Serenity does not necessarily mean the absence of turmoil, but a state of serenity keeps the turmoil outside.
O. N. Rowe
FAITH: Faith is having the confidence that the current situation, no matter how dire, will get better.
Consider the sun as it goes about its routine cycles. It is always there, hovering high in the skies. The rain clouds form and often fully cover the sky, suppressing the sun’s visibility. But the sun is still there! The clouds will NOT last and eventually they dissipate to once again reveal the sun in all its glory.
Similarly, if we manage to hold on long enough, better will come.
MATURITY: Appropriate response to adversity requires MATURITY. At the same time, maturity is an outgrowth of adversity. They go hand in hand. We all have our different responsibilities, shaped by our circumstances. Being excited about something today does not guarantee future excitement. At the same time, not enjoying something today does not mean you will not in the future. Having responsibilities removes the luxury of stopping something just because we are no longer enjoying it.
Serenity is possible even under such circumstances, providing we use the opportunity for introspection, recalibration and the determination of what is important to us.
Maturity looks different for all of us, but underpinning this notion is the ability to put our experiences and expectations in their correct perspective, thereby allowing us to demonstrate serenity in our responses to them.
PATIENCE: I have touched on patience in some of my previous posts, and it’s the main focus being on patience being the result of our challenges.
Serenity occurs where turmoil meets patience. When things are going our way, it is expected that we will be at ease, at peace and in a calm state of mind.
However, patience is what allows us to endure when things are actually going wrong. It is that state of being where we recognize that being agitated and upset does nothing to help our situation. Patience plays the long game.
Serenity is not merely the absence of turmoil; instead it speaks to the state of mind that allows us to remain in a deliberately calm and rational state of being despite things going wrong around us. It is about having the patience to remain calm knowing that this current situation shall pass.
