Today is all about peace. And I’d love to ask you, what your relationship is with the sensation of peace?
Back in my pre-escape corporate days, I had plenty of money, status and many, many great pairs of shoes. What I didn’t have was any damn peace! I felt I was permanently in a state of “rush”, scurrying from one commitment to another in both my personal and professional life and never really at ease or at peace. I kept searching for some peace. Was it to be found on an island beach? In the spa? In a hammock? On a quieter weekend? In a bubble bath? On Waiheke? Down the back of the sofa? Peace was hiding from me, and I had no idea where it could be found.
None of those places as it turned out, including, and – shocker – especially not the spa.
What I learned was that peace wasn’t to be found in a specific location. Whether I was in a hammock, a beauty spa or on the beach I was still wound up. Still thinking about other stuff that needed to be done with work, family, home commitments. I could BE somewhere peaceful but still NOT have the feeling peace in my mind, heart or soul. Frustrating. Finding how to get some peace in my soul was harder to crack than the Da Vinci code.
The answer of course is that inner peace is not OUT THERE, in the spa or on the beach or anywhere external. Peace, clarity and calm are 100% inside job. Peace is something that lives inside us, deep down, but we have covered up with insidious layers and habits of people pleasing; perfectionism; overachievement; self-esteem issues, unachievable body image comparisons and so on. It’s like peeling an onion, peel back the layers that limit us…and low and behold…underneath, right there is peace. It was there all along.
The peace of mind and heart we seek is already with us if we take the time strip away what separates us from it. We can actually have peace and clarity wherever we are. No hammock required.
Great question to ask yourself: WHEN do I feel most peaceful? WHY? The big CLUE here is not where you ARE, or who you are with: it’s what you are THINKING about where you are and who you are with. That’s the start of unravelling your personal path to inner peace. Well worth a moment of your reflection time.
Could you do with more peace?
