Day 128 - The Peaceful Easy Feeling

February 13, 2026

Episode Theme:
Why lasting peace is an illusion—and why temporary peace is enough.

Key Topics:

The story behind Peaceful Easy Feeling
Who wrote the song and what it was really about
The difference between achievement and acceptance
Why peace is not a destination but a moment
The human condition as constant change and instability
How even wealth and power fail to create lasting peace
Temporary peace as a coping mechanism
Finding calm without reaching the goal
Self-preservation through emotional acceptance

Notable Takeaways:

Peace is not something you arrive at and stay in.
Acceptance often brings more peace than success.
Temporary calm is part of surviving long struggle.
Ambition and contentment must coexist.
Emotional peace is a moment, not a milestone.

Suggested Reflections:

Where are you waiting to feel peaceful “someday”?
What would it look like to feel okay without arriving yet?
Are you chasing peace through achievement instead of acceptance?
When was the last time you felt calm despite unfinished goals?

Memorable Line (Paraphrase):

“Peaceful, easy feeling isn’t a place you reach — it’s a moment you’re given.”

Episode Transcript

Guy Reams (00:01.048)
Day 128, Peaceful, Easy Feeling In 1972, you would undoubtedly have heard many songs from the self-titled debut album, The Eagles, playing on your car radio. One of the more popular singles from that album was Peaceful, Easy Feeling. The person singing that song is Randy Meisner, the band's bassist. Although the emotion, feeling and understanding in his voice reflect a deep appreciation for the lyrics, the song was not written by him.

Jack Temchin, a popular songwriter from Southern California authored the song. Surprisingly enough, was about a girl he was in love with but could not have. He was singing about something he could not have yet had come to grips with the fact. Which seems ironic because this concept of a peaceful easy feeling is also elusive and oftentimes unattainable. It seems that the peaceful easy feeling we all seek is only a temporary achievement.

not something that can be sustained. You can strive for it and occasionally reach it. Still, if you think you are going to arrive at that state and stay there for an extended period of time, then you are going to face a lifetime of disappointment. We are organic, living creatures, constantly changing, growing, and dying. This means that our very existence is always swirling in chaotic change. Even the richest, most powerful people in the world do not seem to find this elusive lasting peace.

The most humble, non-imposing souls also struggle. I've come to realize that the peaceful, easing feeling that Temchin memorialized for all of us is not a state you reach, but rather a temporary feeling you are occasionally blessed with as a coping mechanism. His song was exactly correct. This is the feeling you get. Not when you have achieved something amazing and finally reached the destination.

It is the feeling you get when you realize that you are not going to achieve what you want anytime soon, but that you are okay with that because you are already standing on the ground. This is a place of self-preservation and understanding and a knowledge that despite my lofty ambitions, despite my struggles, I know that I'm going to be okay anyway. Well, that is unless you took peyote to get there, then the peaceful, easy feeling comes rather quickly.

Guy Reams (02:22.456)
followed by hours of nausea, dizziness, and confusion.