When I think of serenity, I picture a quiet beach. I hear soft, soothing waves, and feel the sun’s warmth against my skin. I envision the most beautiful sunset and feel completely at peace.

At the start of 2019, I struggled to think of a guiding word for the year. Last year, my guiding word was “Courage”. The idea for a guiding word grew out of a deep conversation with one of my best friends. We were talking about our tendencies to hold back or shrink ourselves for the comfort of others. After bonding over this noble-but-ultimately-detrimental habit, we promised each other to be more courageous. 

A few weeks into 2019, “Serenity" found me. I first noticed the word while listening to a sleep story on the Calm app. The story (from what I recall before falling asleep) began with the rebuilding of a ship named “Serenity”, which had been wrecked in a storm. Shortly after listening to that story, I went to the movies and saw a sign for the film Serenity. And, just a few days after that, I was asked to read application files at work and was assigned the file of a girl named—yup, you guessed it—Serenity. “Okay,” I thought, “Serenity will be my guiding word for the rest of the year!”

As a PhD candidate, it is easy to think of “serenity” as something that can only be attained years from now. For an academic, serenity may look like: basking in the glory of tenure at the university of your dreams, comfortably sitting in your beautiful office, while effortlessly typing your next best-selling book. But, best-selling book or not, everyone is worthy of serenity.

Serenity is not a state of being that I have to wait for, but rather, a mindset that I can create and sustain every single day. 

Serenity happens when I take a moment each day to breathe deeply, recite affirmations, and express gratitude for the lifestyle I lead. It happens when I turn off my computer to pray or write a poem. I craft serenity out of time in between classes, meetings, and sections. It is not always easy, but it is always possible. 

I encourage you to take a moment to remind yourself that serenity is not some distant dream. Serenity is a possibility right here, right now—beach or no beach in sight.  

Love,

Jenesis