What I learnt at the Victorian Night Markets

It's an old story and one I've probably told before but it was one of those treasured moments that changed the way I thought and taught me something super important. Every now and then when I move out of alignment (as we all do) the memory surfaces to remind me. Many years a go now I was meeting a friend at the Victorian Night Markets and it was super, super crowded! We made our way through the dense crowds, grabbed some food and found somewhere to eat. To be honest with you I was finding the crowd annoying or should I say, I was letting myself be annoyed by the crowd! Anyway we sit down on the ground in a place that was not too crowded and without knowing why, something in me just shifted and I simply enjoyed being with and talking to my friend. As I did this it was like the world disappeared and it was only us in that moment, so much so that by the time we went to get up I was surprised to see we were actually in the middle of a mass crowd, our relatively empty spot had filled up without me even realising it. Since then I use this story as a teacher, to remind myself that how I respond inside helps shape my experience on the outside. Inner peace is not only found in a deep meditation on a mountain top, it can be experienced in all conditions and in any moment. Creating a beautiful & peaceful environment can help but bringing that inner peace into challenging situations and noisy environments can help. Practice meditating or taking deep breaths in busy & noisy moments & next time you feel yourself getting stressed out or agitated, ask yourself, "How could I respond to this situation/challenge better" or "This is interesting, I wonder what that's all about". Talk well to yourself and trust that inner calm that lies within.