✍️ Some people may ask: “How can I stay peaceful when difficult situations arise?”. We must begin by understanding: we are where we are. Situations happen—often without warning, often beyond our control. We cannot always prevent or change them.

 

But here is what we can control: the way we respond.

 

When difficulty arrives, our minds rush forward—overthinking, catastrophizing, creating stories about how terrible things are. We make situations heavier by adding layers of worry and fear on top of what is already challenging.
But if we pause, if we become mindful of our breath in that moment, if we notice our thoughts without getting swept away—something shifts. The situation doesn’t disappear, but we stop making it worse. We create space for clarity, and in that clarity, we can see what we should actually do to help the situation, instead of just worrying and feeling defeated.

 

In that mindful pause, we might also remember something we’ve forgotten: right now, countless conditions are still nourishing our life. We are alive. We can breathe. We can eat. We can walk. These are profound gifts, genuine happiness—but we rarely see them because our minds are too busy racing toward worry, too consumed by what’s wrong to notice what remains right.

 

This is what mindfulness offers in difficult moments: not power to control what happens, but wisdom to see clearly what helpful action we can take, to breathe consciously, to remember that even in difficulty, we are still held by life, still capable of responding wisely instead of simply reacting.

 

The situation is what it is. But we can change how we meet it—with presence instead of panic, with clarity instead of confusion, with wise action instead of helpless worry.

 

Peace in difficult times doesn’t mean nothing bothers us. It means we stop making everything worse by losing ourselves in our thoughts. It means we stay grounded enough to see what we can actually do, then do it with a calm heart.
May you and all beings be well, happy, and at peace.

 

 

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🙏 Deepest Gratitude to Lexington County Sheriff’s Department

 

We are profoundly grateful to Sheriff Jay Koon and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department for welcoming us into Lexington County, South Carolina on Day 76 of our journey.

 

Sheriff Koon welcomed us as we entered the county, and his department has assigned deputies to travel alongside us, ensuring our safety as we walk through the beautiful community. Their dedication to support means everything—not just for our protection, but for the peace of mind of everyone on the road.

 

Thank you to every deputy, every officer, and every member of the Sheriff’s Department who is working behind the scenes to support this journey. Your support, your professionalism, and your care do not go unnoticed. We are honored to walk through Lexington County under your protection.
📸 Photo credit: Lexington County Sheriff’s Department

 

May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace. 🙏💙

 

 

 

 

 

 

#TykheoTueNhan #BaoThapTangKinhThanhDien #Buocchanhanhgia
#WalkForPeace #W4P #Walk4Peace #Dhammacetiya