THE EARTH IS OUR PLAYGROUND! | Rainbow Intl Restoration of Dickinson

By
Chris
Beernaert
| Photos by Cheyla Beernaert

Today’s world is face paced, high
anxiety and high stress, with things moving so fast, epidemics, negativity,
bad news everyday it seems. Complaints are plentiful and humility
is hard to find. We can’t trust our own community anymore. Locks and cameras
on every door. Should I let my child go outside? Should I even borrow a cup
of sugar from our neighbor? Remember when we used to come home when the
streetlights came on and the whole village looked out for us until we did?
The iconic American dream seems unreachable. It makes even the strongest feel
hopeless, trapped in a storm with nowhere to turn, and nowhere to run. What if
I told you I can tell you how to enjoy solitary peace regardless of what
terrible thing happens next and inevitably it will. What if I told you the
turmoil around you didn’t have to affect your mental clarity, peace, joy,
love, productivity or hinder your greatest goals?

Let’s get to the meat. Do you want peace?
Well, you can have it and it’s not that hard, of course it’s not that easy
either. Yeah, I know story of my life. Always a catch.

Fact is I have struggled for peace for all my
life. On November 13, 2022, I woke up with the clearest overwhelming sense of
calm ever experienced. Normally, I am not known for my joy, peace, or being
calm. I am known for my ability under pressure, and probably my apathetic
demeanor, if I had to guess what others think about me. This is what life
experience has taught me to be. My defense mechanisms.

This perfect peace was unsettling for me and
left me confused, which is not one of my traits either. This led me to
certain thoughts and later conclusions. So now I will ask you the questions I
asked myself and give you my conclusions as you make your own.

The perception that time and justice are
limited is a major source of our stress. The precipice of a downward cycle of
counter productivity. Reality is we have no control over these matters, but we
consume energy contemplating and analyzing items we will never be able to
control or overcome.

Do you get anxious for lack of time? Being
late? Rushing to make deadlines? Do you believe in everlasting life?
Regardless of your spiritual viewpoint, I assure you it is good for your best
life now to believe that you have infinite time. If you can remember
you have all the time in the universe you will become more productive with
the time you have here. You will begin to spend your time as you
choose because it is no longer a limited resource merely limited to how much
of it you have to give here.

Do you get anxious for the injustices of the
world? Can you solve all the injustice in the world? Better yet, is it your
job to? The world was here before you and will be here after you.
Accept that it’s not your responsibility and you can’t rid the world
of injustice. Unrest over this is probably where I have shortened
my own life the most. A man once asked to understand who is the greatest of
heaven and a very wise man answered, “Without humbling like a child, you will
not enter heaven, children are the greatest there”. This has always been
obvious, children are innocent. Makes sense, right? Maybe that’s not all
there is to it? Maybe the children are carefree, living every day, enjoying
the now, sponges for learning, absorbing every opportunity with endless
potential. Children yearn for more community, brushing off bad behavior and
quickly filling with joy on their next quest for fun.

I am yet to see a 5-year-old worried about
bills, pacing back and forth concerned about every problem they can’t
control. When they do fight to contest their broccoli consumption, fighting
with all their heart, we should take notice how quickly they resolve the
matter after its over. I don’t see children holding grudges burdened with
matters of yesterday. There seems to be no regret from past, they have no
control over, they just move on. Wow. How? For them joy starts new every
minute. Seems we have a lot to learn that we lost along the way. Did we
forget? Where did we learn to stress? I have an idea where it is not from. Go
tell your five-year-old, “We are going to be homeless tomorrow”. I guarantee
you in five seconds that child will somehow make you laugh.

Where do your little ones beg you to go?
The playground. Why? To have fun and interact and enjoy
others? I am proud when my kids fare well with the good or “bad” kids. I am
most proud when they handle the difficult kids well. We all know that’s
harder, don’t we? Have you ever considered you are not here to solve all of
life’s problems but here to live, love, and be happy?

Remember each day, your joy is worth
more than what you are stressing over. Temporary things will steal
your priceless joy if you allow it. We will be remembered by certain things.
Is it the things you are worried about every day? Most of us would probably
say, “No”.

The father takes the children to the
playground to have fun and be happy. The earth is our playground the
point in being here on this earth is to enjoy our lives. We are
here to live life to the fullest. Today, start to intentionally enjoy living
and have fun NOW!

I felt responsible to share the above with my
community feeling it would better us all. A message able to transform the
entire earth when you realize our lives are just a playground. Enjoy your
life! Nothing matters more than in keeping our joy and helping in bearing
each other’s burdens by showing support and love for one another. Peace be
with you.