Take a lesson away

This morning, in a public place, a friend of mine lost her 22 month old toddler. This woman was frantic. It appeared to her as if everyone around her appeared unaware or simply minded their own business. A few people were helping but not panicking. As my friend raced around, looking high and low, her focus shifted from composure to fear.  I reassured her and yet she felt time was running out and so, started calling the police.

Even so, I continued to search the immediate area. Soon afterwards, I discovered the child happy as can be. This toddler had innocently wandered out of a busy library, unnoticed by a manned reception desk, by automatic doors to the street, run down a corridor, by an open toy library, passed doors to toilets and by people before entering a playgroup area. The child easily blended in and started playing with toys. This child continued acting as if all is well.  How you would respond in her mom's shoes? Feel relieved by a hug and move on?  Come what may, are you always calm as a cucumber? Or do you struggle to let go of fear?

Very often the body is here, but the mind is not.  It gets caught in the net of uncertainty.  It is not totally here.  The past is totally gone and future not yet here. Breathe mindfully to focus on the present.  The next time you are fearful, follow your breath.  You touch the miracle and insight of being alive.  Exhale tension, fear, anger, regret and guilt in the body.

It may surprise you that nobody in the area responded as if a wandering toddler is out of the ordinary.  Even the adults near their children attending playgroup did not look for a missing parent. Its not about others though, is it? Its about how each of us responds to the situations life throws our way. Every situation offers lessons. We can be grateful for guardian angels, and focus on knowing all is well, or assume the worst.  Notice visions triggered in the mind.

What causes you to shift away from peace of mind?  What do you take away from situations that scare you? Who or what prompts you to lose your cool and freak out?  How is each new focus of attention a true gift? When are you 'calm, cool and collected?'

“Happiness is not the absence of problems, it's the ability to deal with them.” -Steve Marboli

"God is happiness and available twenty four hours a day." - Andre Gide

Comments

[Bernie]

If one is truly a child at heart, there can never be anything possibly wrong, where living life means playing with that which we create with each and every moment no matter what judgments exist outside ourselves. Why see something wrong when something or someone obviously feels expressively right. No supervision is then required if one sees life with super vision. The child will let the world know when it wants to return to a familiar and familial reality.

[Alexys Fairfield]

Liara,

I feel for the mother. That must have been very nerve wracking. I have retrieved a couple of toddlers who had wandered away from their parents. Both times the parents did not know how their toddler got away because they were preoccupied. Thank God for our guardian angels.

[Jannie Funster]

I do know that missing toddler freak out feeling, I had it once or twice.

I recently had an incident like this when my child did not get off the school bus, and was not answering her phone. Panic. Physical sick feeling. While calling the school a minute later, to see if she was there, I saw her walking up the street towards me. She'd been so engrossed in a game on her phone she missed her stop, as did her driver. So she walked from the next stop, not really too far away. She was strolling along as happy as could be.

What takes me away from peace of mind otherwise is not remembering to smile inside and out at whatever's going on.

xoxo

[Liara Covert]

Bernie, that child-like innocence or omniscient vision you speak of is indeed, ever-present. To let go of fear is to know everything takes care of itself. Everyone you encounter is a gift that invites you to recognize, recall and shift attention back into that state of inner peace.

[Liara Covert]

Alexys, we are each a heavenly reflection or Earth angel. When we help others, we are helping ourselves. Every moment,we behave in ways that encourage and support the evolving soul. Any experience is only as real as we believe. Admittedly, the mind can be very convincing when fear is in control. Recognizing fear for what it is takes the power away. Imagine you are the frantic mother, the reassuring friend, the child, the police and the silent bystanders all at once. Each one is pointing toward core state of being.

[Liara Covert]

Jannie, modern tech is often viewed as a two-edged sword. Anything is a blessing if you do not cling to it. Impatience and suffering exist in the mind. Watch what happens as innate telepathic skills arise. Suddenly, fear dissolves and cell phones are obsolete.

[Grace]

This post resonated with me as it also happened to me years ago. But it was only for a few minutes but it was the longest terrifying time. I think the crowd and just a lot of things in our mind, makes us forget momentarily our tasks and focus at hand. Thanks for your visits in both of my blogs !

[Liara Covert]

Grace, the universe may bring you to your knees by presenting a situation where it seems you could lose what is held most dear. In truth, we only really pray to ourselves, asking the mind to awaken. It is always possible to meet situations with calm and peace, to generate feelings of joy and happiness. It may take practice to create mindfulness. In truth, fear only exists when mind believes in it. Its easier to see during periods of calm.

[Hilary]

Hi Liara .. what would and has 'frightened' me now .. is that if you reach out to help - people assume you were doing something 'nasty' ... it's a do and be damned, or don't and be thought of as inconsiderate ... cheers Hilary

[Liara Covert]

Hilary, this fear you acknowledge is an invitation to recognize caring about what people think is a choice. You can also choose not to make effort to control the uncontrollable. You cannot control what people think only how you respond to this. Simply shift attention from the mind to the heart. When you do what feels right in the heart, and focus on that, then the fear of 'what people may or may not think about you' no longer affects you in the same way.