Have you created that sweet spot in your life that feels peaceful and secure? Do you steadily protect it from outside influences? Is your peace dependent on everything being in order and in its place? This blog is written to explore whether true personal peace can be threatened, or is the essence of our truest nature and impermeable.
How To Maintain Your Peace
Before we dive into your personal peace, we need to identify it. Is your peace a feeling, a mindset, or maybe a collection of things that aren’t even tangible. Wherever and whatever you identify your peace as, it’s healthy to recognize it and give gratitude for it. Now notice where your mind goes as you give gratitude for your peace. Are you focusing on a place, experience, or maybe family and loved ones? Wherever your attention naturally goes when you are feeling peaceful is key to maintaining your harmony.
What fell away from your thoughts when you allowed your mind and body to rest in calm. It should clear what you need in your life to experience peace, and what pulls you from a peaceful state of mind.
My Story
I have several things that put my mind and body into a state of calm. The first is being outside, moving my body. I also love listening to music that resonates with me. Sometimes I share my peace with others, but if I need a deep reset, it’s outside on a trail by myself, or with a partner.
I also meditate every day and love having my home and life feel organized. When life gets too distracting or chaotic, it doesn’t feel good to me.
Recognizing that I am fully aware of what feels good to me, and what is not a fit, I still say “yes” to some different invitations. You never know what gifts the Universe is offering you, unless you step outside of your world occasionally.
Recently, I was invited on an all-expenses-paid trip to Tulum, Mexico. It didn’t take me long to decide it might be fun. The person inviting me is funny and easy to get along with. God knows I love a good laugh.
The downside was the amount of time I would be traveling from my home this summer. This trip was on the tail end of several other big trips. This can lead me to feel a little scattered and ungrounded. I’m also training for a big trail event. I knew this trip would set me back on my training goals.
After I decided to go, I wanted to discover some of the spiritual experiences that Tulum was recognized for. I was really excited to go to the temples and discover what the Earth and water felt like there. I’m typically pulled into the energy of non-man-made things; the exception to this is ruins and other ancient artifacts.
I was interested to see that Tulum is affiliated with the crown chakra. I planned to put a little extra attention to my crown chakra when meditating. I mostly have fun with the possibilities of having a profound spiritual experience, however it shows up.
Because of my other trips, I would start my journey out of Saint George, Utah. I live in Arizona; this meant that at the end of my Mexico trip, I would need to get back to Flagstaff.
After a long day of travel to Mexico, I was a little frazzled by all the people at the airport, and the immediate offering of alcohol. I remembered this from past experiences, but hoped that when I arrived at the resort, my stress would dissipate.
Without going into all the ups, downs, and secrets of the trip, I will share my travel, companion and I have very different ideas of peace. I enjoy the wilderness and working out, and eating healthy food. They prioritize their ability to rest, drink alcohol, and eat things that would put me in a stupor.
Even though we have completely different ideas of peace and therefore different lifestyles, we still had fun and laughed a lot! I’m not sure that my crown chakra was impacted, but I gained clarity on what I need to easily connect with my peace and wellness
If I return to Tulum, Mexico, I will dedicate much more time to snorkeling and exploring, the cenotes. As I move farther from this trip, I will also have a broader perspective on the lasting impact..
Our day of travel back to Utah was long; we landed around 11:00 PM in St. George. I had airline tickets to fly home in 48 hours but canceled them. I was so homesick, I opted to rent a car the next morning and drive for 5 hours.
On my drive home, a friend called; this was the beginning of me remembering what home feels like. Much of the drive was easy, with just two lanes of traffic. It felt so good, to be away from the hordes of people. When I reached the area just past the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, I felt so much gratitude. My home was two hours away, but this land held so many good memories of camping, backpacking, and spending time with friends,
Just before I dropped into the valley that is held by Vermilion Cliffs, I had my memorable moment. The grass was green from all the recent rain, and the cliffs were bright orange, purple and red. The sky was an amazing blue. There was a bird flying high that I thought might be a condor. My lap was filled with a patch of sunshine that was warming my legs. This might be one of those life moments that I won’t ever forget.
My spiritual experience showed up on my way home; it was packed with gratitude, colors, memories, and silence. I have no regrets about taking this trip. I gained clarity on what is important to me and recognizing peace begins with me. It’s my responsibility to give my attention to what resonates with my peace. It is when I am at peace that my heart opens and I am expansive; spiritual growth happens. Now that I’m home, I’m reflecting even more on what I’m ready to let go of and what I’m pulling into my world now.
Is Your Personal Peace Camouflaging Bad Habits?
Recognizing that my travel partner and I have completely different ideas of what constitutes personal peace and what is required for personal peace, a few questions came to my mind.
Are you holding on tightly to something for your personal peace? I might be holding too tightly to my workout schedule and desire to be out in nature. My friend might be holding on too tightly to alcohol and cigars.
Ultimately, it is up to each of us as individuals to recognize if we are grasping onto things that are not serving us. Is it possible to achieve more balance in these areas?
If we choose to live for today and in this moment, are we allowing this idea to condone reckless behavior? If we make decisions based completely on our current impulses, is this a green flag to be irresponsible? Our truest peace is a steady state that can respond to inspiration but is not driven by impulses or fear. It is the core of who we are.
Benefits Of Having Your Peace Challenged Personal growth: Personal growth can occur when we are forced to release habits or people that are not serving us anymore.
New perspectives: New life perspectives and opportunities can occur when we find ourselves in unfamiliar landscapes and demographics.
Opportunity to discover your self-soothing tools: When our peace is challenged, we often explore new ways of connecting to peace; sometimes a healthier way appears.
In Closing
I plan on staying close to home for a bit but will absolutely say yes to adventure. I will also pay attention to what resonates with my idea of peace.
There is a trick to experiencing new adventures, so you don’t live in a rut, while honoring what keeps you connected to peace.
With that being said, I think personal peace can be threatened in the sense that it’s harder to connect with, but it is never lost. True peace is a core part of who we are. Once you discover it, it is never far from reach.
Thank you for reading my article. I hope you are striking that sweet balance of inspired living with a calm heart and mind.
An Opportunity to Reflect
What qualifies as your peace? Do you recognize it by a feeling?
How do you maintain it?
Did you benefit from a challenging time?
Has your idea of peace shifted over time?
by Polly Wirum
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