Alarms of Calm

Church bells, fire engine sirens, door buzzers, telephone ringtones and other noises designed to interrupt and disturb can also foster tranquility.  Let such sounds remind us to return to our breath, suggests zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Even alarms can be clarions to concentrate on the now, as warnings for calm.  Maybe the competing confusions and complexities of this rapidly accelerating life can be harnessed to help us find sanity and balance if we approach at an odd angle.