For me this picture speaks tranquility. The water is calm and the boats appear to be aimlessly floating along.  As I was sitting this morning with this view, I was contemplating when I feel most tranquil. The answers included  when I am in Yoga, painting,  with my grandkids, or viewing the ocean and hearing the waves softly lap at the shore. Yoga relaxes me completely and I usually am in the moment on my mat with a clear intention for the day. Painting brings forth my creativity with color and imagination of beauty; I can get lost in my picture for hours. The grandkids provide a different kind of tranquility; of course, it   is not always tranquil. The most tranquil time with them is when I am reading a book to them and they are  literally wrapped around me, or if I happen to be at their homes and get to tuck them in after their prayers.

These are simple moments of  JOY,  calm and a feeling of being ‘right with self and the world’. It isn’t about appearances, what money can buy,  where one might travel, or the pursuit of anything.  It is that inner place of  freedom from anxiety, doubt, or  stress one can get to when all other worldly distractions are set aside. One’s heart and mind can just be. Sometimes, we have to intentionally chose to find this place.

“It is in your power to withdraw yourself whenever you desire. Perfect tranquility within consists in the good ordering of the mind, the realm of your own.” (Marcus Aurelius)

What brings you tranquility?