Happiness is elusive and not terribly important in the overall scheme of things. Peace is. You see, happiness happens to the individual, but peace emanates from the whole self within us all. Peace cannot be bought or sold. It is there waiting for us to receive it.

I watched a documentary on public television last night about happiness. After I had watched it, I tried to make a list of what might make me happy. I thought of getting to know Leonard Cohen personally. That would do it! I thought of downsizing, finding the perfect place to live, knowing that no such place exists.

But peace is real. It is not the opposite of anything.

I asked the angels to tell me more about peace. And now I will let them speak.

“Peace bypasses the mind. Catch yourself thinking yourself miserable and see what happens. You can’t think yourself “unmiserable.” And yet that is what people try to do. They try to think themselves out of all kinds of messes.”

The mess happens in the mind and what happens in the mind stays in the mind (on that level.) Peace is above the thought plane and is a given. Grace accompanies peace. No human being ever finagled their way into peace or grace. Egos are born “finaglers.” Shysters, crooks and frauds, they ply their trade on other hucksters. The first talk I heard Vernon Howard give, he said, “Never blame the con man.” True dat.

Just imagine yourself lying on a hill looking toward heaven. The firmament twinkles all silvery and shimmery. Let thought die down. Peace lies just above you and inside you.

Happiness is just okay, but peace, well, that’s priceless.

Vicki Woodyard