Peace Begins with Me

We all want it, but we don’t choose it.
We believe something needs to change before we can have it.
Deep down, many of us think we don’t deserve it…we haven’t done enough to earn it.

The path to peace is in front of us all, right there, but there is so much trying to distract us from it and destroy it.

Do you know what peace feels like?

This is the first step. We have to experience it, embody it, so we can bring it more fully into our life. At first, I needed the right circumstances and setting to feel it. On vacation at the beach watching the waves crash. At the top of a mountain after a long hike looking out into the expanse. Sitting alone in the quiet of the morning in silence with my coffee. Laying in bed filled with gratitude after a long but fulfilling day of serving and getting things accomplished.

The feeling, for me, is full, warm, calm, open, loving. My heart rate slows and my breath deepens. I have a slight smile on my face and my heart is open. I feel connected to everything and everyone in that moment. Safe, joyful, settled.

Once you experience this feeling, it’s so powerful that you naturally want more. If you want it bad enough, you start to become aware of and evaluate what distracts you from and destroys your peace. At the same time, you start to think about what habits and practices you can put into place (or break) to allow more peace.

Most of us stop here because we realize the life we’ve built, the choices we’ve made, the people and patterns we’ve chosen may have to change and that seems impossible. We tell ourselves, “If only…” and “Maybe once x happens…” We make excuses and list all the reasons that peace just isn’t possible for us right now.

Even more often than making excuses, I witness people looking at the list of tradeoffs and they are simply unwilling to make them. I get it, I’ve been there.

I didn’t want to give up the money, status, opportunities, possibilities, etc. that I saw if I just kept maxing out my time and energy and doing all the things keeping me from peace.

And then, one day, the stress and anxiety rose to a level I couldn’t control or push through. I’m so glad they did. Stress and anxiety became my wise friends that day. I wasn’t going to choose peace until it was a last resort.

Choosing peace was challenging. I listed my true priorities (what was in my heart, not in my head) and I started scheduling those in first. No more would faith, family and friends just get the leftovers. I made my stop doing list, and started to celebrate my “no’s.”

I allowed myself (aka made myself) rest, and start to layer in activities that brought me joy and peace like: swinging at the playground, writing, reading, sitting and listening to the birds, walking in nature, meditating. These things that held no perceivable “value” to me or anyone else.

It was terribly uncomfortable, and I mourned the loss of all I gave up, but I forced myself to focus on how I felt and celebrate small wins.

Within days, my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health started to improve. I was calm in my body more often. I smiled more. I felt rested and not resentful. I didn’t react so much. I had to stay focused on the progress and the good because I was drowning in what I thought I was losing and these extreme feelings had to coexist for me to make it to another way of doing and being.

The biggest marker that showed me that this was working, was that for the first time I was fully aware of, into and enjoying, the present moment.

I was less and less stuck stressing about what had happened or worrying about what might happen. I wasn’t thinking as much about what other people were thinking or focusing on what was outside of my control.

I could feel my power coming back to me. My energy had been scattered in a million directions before, and now it was here. I was fully present to the life unfolding before me.

And now, after all that work, I realize that full presence is what brings peace.

Yes, some of us may need to go through a journey, similar to mine, to make adjustments but many of us simply need to practice and live into being fully present.

Peace is a gift of mercy and grace freely given to us by God. It is our birthright.

Phillippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

The shortcut to peace is surrender. To put our full faith and trust in God.

When we are disconnected from God and not co-creating life with Him, we don’t trust that life is unfolding as it should be. When we think that we have to do and control it all, and we don’t let Him play His part, we cannot have peace. We also miss the opportunity for life to surprise and delight us!

When something unexpected or terrible happens, because it will, we have the choice to resist it or accept it. Acceptance displays our level of trust and faith, and it is what brings peace.

Your level of peace is an indicator of your level of faith.

Peace is a gift freely given through faith.

Will you choose it?