Peace, Be Still And Ponder

"To be able to sit with oneself...with your thoughts, or no thoughts at all. 

Stillness.

Allowing peace to reign free."

Stillness - Without movement or sound

Stillness (Hindi) - Peace, serenity, calmness, tranquility

Sometimes we get caught in the madness of the world.

It is part and parcel of being human.

We argue, vent, get our feelings hurt, take a break, dust ourselves off, then jump back into the fray. 

Just writing that wore me out. 

I wrote some time ago something my mother used to ask me:
"Would you rather be right, or would you rather have peace?" Being a sarcastic teenager, I would respond "I want to be right!" She would respond this way "Then you will never have peace." 

She was right. 

For a long time, I didn't.

Time, experience, getting hurt, and seeing the damage my own bad behaviors have wrought, made me pause.

I had no choice but to be still and ponder...

Ponder - To think about something carefully, especially before making a decision or coming to a conclusion.

Do you ponder?

It's a precious and beneficial skill set.

 Be still and think deeply before making a rash decision, or saying something you will probably regret. Take a deep breath(two is even better!)and ask yourself "Do I want peace, or do I want to be right?"

Entering the fray is not necessary. And if you feel it is, why? 

Introspection. 

Accountability.

Honesty.

Be still and ponder. 

"If you want peace in your life, you have to stop declaring war."

S. L. Alder

Yeah, that was said. 

The biggest "war" we have, is with ourselves.

When we declare peace, a truce if you will, with ourselves, it becomes easier to find peace with others. I promise you!

Your peace is not expendable.

The war stops with you.

Be still.

Wishing you peace and love... But, mostly...Peace. 

Do You Believe The Lie?

There are people who say that you can't be happy unless you have gone through adversity. They say you can't be strong without struggle and if you have never struggled you don't know true happiness. 

This quote sums up everything I am talking about: 

"The one who falls and gets up is so much stronger than the one who never fell."

Really?! Is this the Struggle Olympics? I didn't know we were in a competition to see how bad life can get. 

Lies, all lies. 

That is a belief in the "Struggle Culture."

Let me tell you something that you might already know: Stress, struggling, oppression, kills. Study after study has shown and documented the adverse effects of stress on the Brain, body, emotions, etc. 

So how does the Struggle Culture help you? It doesn't.

But do you believe the lie that it does?

That is the most important question. Because what we believe to be true, we will manifest in our life. 

Have you ever spoken to someone who has been through horrible, life altering experiences? I have and I am sure you have as well. What always amazed me was how I never heard from any of them was this statement "I am so happy that I went through all of that pain because I wouldn't be who I am today!" 

What I have heard is this: "I did go through all of those things. I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy. I have learned to cope with my memories and scars, but I could have done without the pain." And most importantly, what I have learned from these individuals, is how they have chosen their happiness above anything else. They don't roll in misery and the struggle, the hustle, or the grind. They don't just survive, they thrive! 

We were created to thrive.

We were meant for happiness.

But you must believe this and take action!

How?

"What you are looking for is not out there. It is in you."

There are some things in life that we can't control. But we can control our feelings, our actions, our self-talk, how we decide to "move" in life. 

I know it isn't easy to change what we've been taught by society at large, but it is doable. There can be happiness without struggle. There can be happiness after struggling. There can be happiness! 

Believe. 

"The habits you created to survive will no longer serve you when it's time to thrive. Get out of survival mode. New habits, new life."

Wishing you love and peace... but mostly, Peace.