✨You can’t control the noise of the world, but you can control how you meet it. With presence as your anchor and intention as your compass, inner peace becomes not only possible, but sustainable.✨

Finding Inner Peace Through Presence & Intention

The other day, I fell into the doom-scrolling trap. One headline led to another, and before I knew it, I was knee-deep in political arguments and heated comment sections. My chest felt tight, my mood heavy, and it was time to start my day.  That’s when I caught myself. I set down my phone, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. For a few minutes, I let myself notice the warmth of my coffee mug, the sound of birds outside, and the rhythm of my breath. In that pause, the noise faded. I came back to myself, back to a calm centeredness.  In that moment, I remembered that while I can’t control the chaos of the world, I can control how I engage with it. That’s where presence and intention come in.

Presence: The Anchor in the Storm

Presence is the practice of returning to the here and now. In a world where every headline pulls us into fear about the future or anger about the past, presence brings us back to this breath, this moment.  Our media, be it broadcast or social, feeds on ratings. Ratings feed on sensationalism. Sensationalism feeds on our fear and anger.  Our fear and anger feeds on the social fabric of our nation and our world.  As the social fabric unravels, we pour time and money into becoming warriors for our causes and pack war chests for our politicians.  Those politicians pour the money in their war chests into the media to create a feedback loop that perpetuates more fear and anger of the "other side."  They know that if we are kept in this state of mind, in fear and anger, that we are as controllable as Pavlov's dogs.  This is why we have political football issues - both sides know that fully resolving hot button topics means we will tune out, and if we tune out the war chests shrink. 

Recognizing this fear entrapment game helps me to ground myself in the present moment.  When I ground myself in presence, I’m not ignoring the world, I’m choosing not to let it hijack my nervous system. It’s the difference between being swept away by the storm and standing firmly with both feet on the ground.  I certainly believe in awareness of the political landscape and voicing personal convictions on matters that are important to individuals - these are basic principles to the American way of life. I also believe that in the larger scheme of the Universe, energy connects everything and everyone, so if we get lost in fear and anger, the collective energy of the whole becomes lower in vibration.  Low vibes won't bring us up from low places.  Mindful presence halts the cycle and allows us to steady ourselves in the storm, allowing for the collective vibration to rise.  Simple practices like noticing my breath, feeling my body, or even taking a mindful sip of coffee remind me: peace is available now, not later.

Intention: The Compass for Engagement

While presence anchors me, intention guides me. Every time I engage with any media, I ask myself: Why am I here? Am I looking for connection, information, or just numbing out?  Without intention, it’s easy to slip into reactivity; arguing with comment threads (even if only in my mind), sharing content that spreads more fear, or letting algorithms decide how I feel.  Setting intentions about why I am engaging and the amount of time I will allow myself to engage helps me to keep hold of my power. 

Some days, my intention is to listen with compassion. Other days, it’s to share something uplifting. Often, it’s simply to protect my energy by stepping away.  I use to be the person who insisted that the only way to fight for peace, justice, equality, the environment, and all the things of value to me, was to engage no matter how stressful it might be.  Now, I feel like I can bring these values to life better by being peaceful, acting justly, practicing equality, and directly caring for the environment - even in my small individual ways - than by allowing myself to become overwhelmed.

Presence + Intention = Inner Peace

When presence and intention come together, they create a foundation for peace; even in a noisy, divided world.  Peace doesn’t mean ignoring social or political realities. It means engaging with them from a grounded, empowered place. It’s the clarity to respond instead of react, the ability to stand firm in your values, and the freedom to decide what kind of energy you bring to the table.

The truth is, I still slip into old habits. I still get caught up in the scroll or pulled into fear, but every time I come back to presence and intention, I strengthen the muscle of peace.  This practice has taught me that when we choose to engage with the world consciously, we don’t just find calm for ourselves - we create ripples that reach others. In a socio-political climate fueled by outrage and distraction, the choice of presence and intention matters more than ever.

Practical Ways to Practice

Here are a few small shifts that have made a big difference in my daily life:

• Pause before scrolling. Take three breaths before opening an app.

• Set an intention. Ask: What do I want to give or receive here?

• Curate your feed. Follow accounts that inspire and unfollow those that drain.

• Return to the body. Place your feet on the ground or notice your breath when you feel overwhelmed.

• Choose your contribution. Before posting or commenting, ask: Does this add peace or more noise?