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Stillness is a great teacher when the society of noise becomes overpowering. _ - A.J. Sherrill
Tis’ the season. The holidays have come and gone and now we find ourselves in the new year, new goals, new body, “let’s get going” lifestyle. Our list of to-dos become as long as the New Year’s resolutions people are putting together. Now, don’t get me wrong…Goals are good. Planning is good. Having a vision is necessary. But I want you to take a moment and ask yourself, how much are you letting the external affect the internal of your life?
Many times, we believe that to have peace within ourselves, we must have peace around us. As long as everyone is together on Christmas, things will be great. As long as I have this many clients by April 4th, business will be right on target. The external noise can become so overpowering that we lose sight of what it takes to break new ground.
There was a point in my life where it felt like there was no more oxygen to breathe. I had lost two of the most beloved people in my life in the same day. One to cancer and the other to a traumatic decision. Talk about pain I never knew existed. I was on track to complete my Masters in a few months, pursuing my non-profit career traveling and working with women. I was getting my hands dirty and breaking into new ground that had been waiting on my skill set and unique gifts. Then boom…life feels done. I had the choice to let the external noise and chaos overbear me, or let the power of my internal peace take control of how I approached each experience.
As we begin this new year with new opportunity and new ideas, I want to give you a few tangible, peace bringing skills you can do to have peace within yourself no matter what you face externally this upcoming season.
Meditate : Research shows that taking at least 15 minutes a day to get quiet, reduces stress and overall increases satisfaction in your daily life. Start small and work your way up.
Make the decision to like who you are : Sounds funny, right? Like yourself. You will not be able to get along with anyone or have much confidence doing anything without getting along with yourself. Talk to your “safe people” about this one. Vulnerability produces growth and opportunity to make an impact not only in other’s lives, but also in your own.
Forgive : Many times, bitterness can hold us back from moving forward. Here is a perspective shift…forgiveness is about you. When you forgive, you are releasing the other person, and you are set free from all the resentment that may try to stick around. As you make the habit of forgiveness, you will begin to notice how much easier it gets to detach yourself from the person or memory.
Engage in what brings you life : What makes your heart beat? My days consist of many meetings and extroverted activities where I am working with clients or planning future events. Getting outside is something that I love whether that’s trail running, hiking, or walking my dogs-doing what brings me life gives me all the happy feels (research backs this up!).
Finding peace within yourself is a discipline, and if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. You have the power and the skill set to have internal peace, no matter what noise is happening around you.
Photos by Kimberly Jurgens
