Finding Peace

Can You Handle Peace?

“Nobody can bring you peace but yourself” Ralph Waldo Emerson


When was the last time you were able to stop long enough (30 minutes) without being interrupted?

Were you able to simply kick back and breathe deeply and bring your life into focus?

When was the last time you took a FULL DEEP Breath?

Did you get interrupted by the thoughts that batter our minds?

Did you jump to the “ping” of your cell phone in the middle of finding peace?

“If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace.”
― John Lennon

Are you constantly thumbing through your iPhone (or droid) when you have an extra six seconds at a stoplight?

Humans have been redirected to believe that if they are not constantly “busy” they are not producing in life. Im here to tell you that there is greener grass right where you are this very day.

Take a quick analysis of your typical day. If it is anything like my old life (and I still battle this daily) it starts early in the morning around 5:30am to grab coffee that was pre-made last night so it would be ready as soon as I wake up. Then Im rushing out the door to my “fast food fitness” program. Then Im coming back to eat my instant breakfast and the tone has been set for the day. Im speed dialing my contacts in rush hour traffic.

Everything we see in life is marketed to believe we cannot live without it and that it will instantly make us happier, give us more time and receive instant results.

Experience even tells us that it doesn't work that way.

Remember buying a new car? It made you a new person. Something new to learn. To show off. Only for about 5 days and then it wears off. Think about your last vacation. We spend months preparing, saving, planning and making sure “life” doesnt get tip tilted when we decide to take a 14 day getaway. By the time we get to the vacation, we are too exhausted to enjoy it and three days before it ends, the depression sets in that reality is only 3 days away.

How to find peace right where you are today!

What would happen if you didn't instantly respond to that text message?

Would your life end if you stopped dropping everything for other peoples needs?

“I don't know the secret to success but the secret to failure is trying to please everyone else” Bill Cosby

Truth be told, the majority of peace thieves come from the people in our lives. They shift responsibility, cast their cares upon others and demand we solve their problems and it leads to us feeling guilty if we don't lend a hand to someone in need.

“ You cannot give what you do not have” Acts 3:6

So just exactly do you begin to reclaim the peace in your life?

This is the painful part. Most people will argue that you are refusing to be a servant if you dont meet every single persons demands.

Finding peace in your life begins with YOU.

Set a time every day, preferably in the morning to sit in silence. Take a count of all the things you are thankful for. Visualize how you would like your day to go. What selfish thing in your life have you been putting off because you are constantly running to the aid of others? Go get a massage. Sit in a park and listen to the birds. Shut your phone OFF and sit in absolute silence. Think about the goals and ambitions you once set out to accomplish and stir them back up.

You will quickly find that this is where life is lived. By owning your time you dont have to live in the grey zone. You can be at dinner and mentally be there. This will take a LOT of conscious action but it will work for you.

Let your mind run wild with this for a bit. What would happen if you put off the immediate needs of everyone around you and simply focused on pursuing peace? Would your world crumble without you? Would they find another source to handle their problems? Are you sure your even helping or are you enabling them to keep  stealing your peace?

Write down what brings peace to your life? Its ok to drift off. The world will still work frantically towards whatever it is we believe is going to magically be there one day. All to often, it never shows up.

For me, peace only comes with the satisfaction of knowing my Creator and his Will for my life. This does not mean I sit around passively just waiting for life to happen, but certain requests for my time will simply go unanswered, especially if it conflicts with my peacefully crafted agenda.

Hint: You will never totally master this. Life is a game of checks and balances. And the odds are all stacked against us. The more you have going, the more will work itself out. Keep in mind that airplanes use 75% of their fuel just getting off the ground. Once your airborne, there will be turbulence, but the resistance isn't as great.