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SPECIAL EDITION – Lessons I’ve Learned from Life

Lesson 1: Peace of Mind

By: Anna Collins on .

Lessons I’ve Learned From Life

A View from a Broad
SPECIAL EDITION – Lessons I’ve Learned from Life?Lesson 1: Peace of Mind
In my new trilogy (soon to be on DVD), Lessons I’ve Learned from Life, I’ll explore three lessons I’ve learned that I feel are paramount to being “all that you can be” without joining the service. Today we’ll talk about one of these: Peace of Mind (for which you can find the accompanying link here for an AnnaMation on YouTube).
It’s crucial to have peace of mind. Without it – you can’t be… well, at peace with yourself. And if you can’t be at peace with yourself – you can’t be operating at top productivity – whether it’s for your art or for anything else. Your mind will be at war with itself. And unfortunately, the one thing you can’t get away from is yourself. (Even with alcohol, prescription drugs, and completely inappropriate relationships.) Alas! We are our own GPS!
All of us have experienced that nagging nervousness in the back (or front) of our minds that keeps us fretting about issues – real or perceived – that ruin our day, dictate our actions, and foil our sleep. Fie! on the unpeaceful mind! It robs us of our life! So what do we do?
Well, from my experience – the one thing that has always caused me the most unrest has been my relationships with other people – as probably is the same for most of you, if you really think about it. And not just a relationship with a significant other (although God knows, some of those are enough to turn you into a knife-wielding serial killer with a permanent grimace), but also the relationships we have at work and those with family members. Often we have conflict in these relationships; differences of opinions, philosophies, and whether or not it’s acceptable to hit someone over the head with a ball peen hammer if they piss you off enough. A wiser person than me once said, “If you can choose to be right or be kind – be kind.” (Unless of course you find out someone is bilking your bank account or scamming you to invest in phony hedge funds in which case call the authorities immediately and realize that you were kind enough not to Taser them.)
Yup, relationships are the biggie. Did you think I was going to say money? Money is just a by-product of relationships with people. You need to establish good relationships with people – whatever field you’re in - whether it be the arts, the corporate world or anything else to sell your art, strike deals, or invest millions.
Okay, what else?
Find something you like to do. If you’re lucky enough to make a living at it, then you’re lucky enough. If you can’t make a living at it, do it as a hobby. Just find something you are passionate about and do it. It’ll make a world of difference for your psyche. Even if you have to work a job that’s not your ideal profession – at least you will have something else to look forward to doing. Human beings need hope to survive and passion to thrive. Finding some activity or project that gets your mojo moving is worth its weight in hemlocks.
And finally to get a peaceful mind: Relax. You have permission. So many of us get caught up in “busy work” running around like nuts never stopping to smell the Yankee Candles. BTW - aren’t those the best? I love the Sun and Sand scent. They’re a little damn pricey though if you ask me – it’s like: Do I eat dinner or buy the medium tumbler with two wicks? Tip: I buy mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond with the 20% off coupon. You?
And speaking of candles, why not light some – pour yourself a nice cocktail or maybe toke a little wacky tobaccy and then immerse yourself in a nice hot bath. Ahhhh….
Just relax. Take a walk in the park, go rollerblading, go bike-riding, paint a picture, get a massage, get a mani-pedi, get a man who will give you a pedi, go to the beach and people watch, now that it’s season make fun of the French Canadians at the beach that after two weeks look like human beef jerky wearing bathing suits eight sizes too small, or… just do NOTHING. The Italians have a saying: l’arte di non fare niente that means the art of doing nothing. Have a glass of wine, listen to an aria, sit by the water, and gaze at nature. It’s okay. Really.
Peace out.
And that’s the View from this Mindful Broad.
Anna Collins is a standup comedian, writer and animation stylist. Check out her videos on YouTube: user AVFABAnna and Anna Collins Comedian. Her upcoming DVD AnnaMation Creations will be available soon!

In my new trilogy (soon to be on DVD), Lessons I’ve Learned from Life, I’ll explore three lessons I’ve learned that I feel are paramount to being “all that you can be” without joining the service. Today we’ll talk about one of these: Peace of Mind (for which you can find the accompanying link here for an AnnaMation on YouTube).

It’s crucial to have peace of mind. Without it – you can’t be… well, at peace with yourself. And if you can’t be at peace with yourself – you can’t be operating at top productivity – whether it’s for your art or for anything else. Your mind will be at war with itself. And unfortunately, the one thing you can’t get away from is yourself. (Even with alcohol, prescription drugs, and completely inappropriate relationships.) Alas! We are our own GPS!

All of us have experienced that nagging nervousness in the back (or front) of our minds that keeps us fretting about issues – real or perceived – that ruin our day, dictate our actions, and foil our sleep. Fie! on the unpeaceful mind! It robs us of our life! So what do we do?

Well, from my experience – the one thing that has always caused me the most unrest has been my relationships with other people – as probably is the same for most of you, if you really think about it. And not just a relationship with a significant other (although God knows, some of those are enough to turn you into a knife-wielding serial killer with a permanent grimace), but also the relationships we have at work and those with family members. Often we have conflict in these relationships; differences of opinions, philosophies, and whether or not it’s acceptable to hit someone over the head with a ball peen hammer if they piss you off enough. A wiser person than me once said, “If you can choose to be right or be kind – be kind.” (Unless of course you find out someone is bilking your bank account or scamming you to invest in phony hedge funds in which case call the authorities immediately and realize that you were kind enough not to Taser them.)

Yup, relationships are the biggie. Did you think I was going to say money? Money is just a by-product of relationships with people. You need to establish good relationships with people – whatever field you’re in - whether it be the arts, the corporate world or anything else to sell your art, strike deals, or invest millions.

Click This Image for AnnaMation

Okay, what else?

Find something you like to do. If you’re lucky enough to make a living at it, then you’re lucky enough. If you can’t make a living at it, do it as a hobby. Just find something you are passionate about and do it. It’ll make a world of difference for your psyche. Even if you have to work a job that’s not your ideal profession – at least you will have something else to look forward to doing. Human beings need hope to survive and passion to thrive. Finding some activity or project that gets your mojo moving is worth its weight in hemlocks.

And finally to get a peaceful mind: Relax. You have permission. So many of us get caught up in “busy work” running around like nuts never stopping to smell the Yankee Candles. BTW - aren’t those the best? I love the Sun and Sand scent. They’re a little damn pricey though if you ask me – it’s like: Do I eat dinner or buy the medium tumbler with two wicks? Tip: I buy mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond with the 20% off coupon. You?

And speaking of candles, why not light some – pour yourself a nice cocktail or maybe toke a little wacky tobaccy and then immerse yourself in a nice hot bath. Ahhhh….

Just relax. Take a walk in the park, go rollerblading, go bike-riding, paint a picture, get a massage, get a mani-pedi, get a man who will give you a pedi, go to the beach and people watch, now that it’s season make fun of the French Canadians at the beach that after two weeks look like human beef jerky wearing bathing suits eight sizes too small, or… just do NOTHING. The Italians have a saying: l’arte di non fare niente that means the art of doing nothing. Have a glass of wine, listen to an aria, sit by the water, and gaze at nature. It’s okay. Really.

Peace out.

And that’s the View from this Mindful Broad.

Anna Collins is a standup comedian, writer and animation stylist. Check out her videos on YouTube: user AVFABAnna and Anna Collins Comedian. Her upcoming DVD AnnaMation Creations will be available soon!

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