WEDNESDAY WISDOM
Don’t Let Life Ruin Your Peace and Happiness
Allow yourself to feel the pains, but also remind yourself to keep resting in the peace
Guide us into peace with every step we take in our lives.
We all have bumps in life — some bumps are larger than others. Remember that you can choose to let the bumps become hills and mountains or you can choose to acknowledge the bumps and live in peace. In other words, don’t let life ruin your happiness and peace.
That peace resides within you.
The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it. — Thich Nhat Hanh
My therapist was teaching me how to navigate my emotions because they can seem overwhelming at times.
Her suggestion:
- Sit with the emotion.
- Allow it to have a voice, but not to the point that it takes over like bacteria in a petri dish.
- If you’re feeling sad, feel sad. If you’re feeling joy, feel the joy. She even told me that if she’s out shopping and receives some bad news, she acknowledges it at the moment and allows herself to cry.
My response:
“What?! I don’t cry in public!” always trying to show the world that I’m strong and unshakeable.
She said nothing. To say there was a seemingly endless awkward pause is an understatement. What seemed like an hour was just a minute (I’m guessing). She knew there was no sense in pushing me and I knew I had blurted out a blurred area in my emotional wellbeing.
Note to self: gotta work on that.
Most of us make ourselves literally sick from our responses to life. It’s as if we float on the surface of life, caught in the choppy waves of circumstances. Little do we know that if w allowed ourselves to sink down, there would be calm. —Ashley Davis Bush, Shortcuts to Peace
Life can seem like a paved road of gold, at times, and it can also feel like the black clouds are following you around. Regardless, you have a choice to acknowledge your situation and sit in your own peace.
Ways to sit with your inner peace
- Accept the things that cannot be controlled. Life is unpredictable. Rest in your inner peace. Remind yourself that you are doing the best that you can.
- Forgive yourself and others. If apologies are necessary, even for yourself, allow yourself the time and space to do that. In the end, you will feel better, and if another person is involved, hopefully, the relationship is mended.
- Stay present to the immediate moment — utilize meditation, deep breathing exercises, and centering prayer.
- Journal and art therapy. If you need to write it out, write out your emotions. If you need to take a crayon and cram it into the paper, then so be it. If you want to grab some paint and paint your emotions—happy, sad, or in between—then go for it!
- Practice self-care. Plan a date day for yourself and do some things that bring you joy and grounding.
- Go hug a tree. Get out into nature and take a walk. Hug a tree. Take your shoes and socks off and allow your feet to touch the earth.
- Get in touch with your body. No, not in a weird perverted way. When you have feelings, your body reacts in a particular way. Next time you feel joy, pay attention to where you feel it in your body. The same goes for anger, anxiety, and any other emotion.
- Does your belief system need a reset? If you think peace is impossible and only for monks, you might need an attitude adjustment. Ask yourself why you think the thoughts that you have. Where do they stem from? Are they right for you?
- Stop comparing yourself to the next person. You are you, full of Love, Joy, Peace, and Grace. Yes, you. You have a particular set of gifts and talents, as well as weaknesses. They are all beautifully intertwined within you. You matter.
- Release guilt, resentment, and bitterness. They really don’t look good on you. Sit quietly and allow your mind to slow down. Ask yourself why you’re feeling guilty, resentful, or bitter? Where does it come from?
- Is it time to let go of the go-go-go mentality? There won’t always be results to everything you do. Some things take more time. Some things are about internal peace. Are you satisfied with the results? Then, celebrate!
- Do more of what you enjoy doing. Peace seems to be attracted to people who are doing the things they love to do.
Don’t ask what the world needs now. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive. —Howard Thurman
Reflection Questions
- The last time you felt life pulling the rug out from under you, how did you react?
- If you were able to reflect and let things go, what went well? What are some things that could have been improved upon?
- If you’re going through a bumpy time now, how are you managing happiness and peace? What are some things that bring you joy and peace? When is the last time you did those things?
Make sure to take time to breathe into your own heart, mind, and soul so that you may live a long, peaceful life while on earth. May peace surround you as you walk through your days and may peace be the mantra that lives in your heart.
Cheyenne Prayer for Peace
Let us know peace. For as long as the moon shall rise, For as long as the rivers shall flow, For as long as the sun shall shine, For as long as the grass shall grow, Let us know peace.
May your soul be refreshed.
