I’m writing this on Monday night, really Tuesday morning at 3:30 am. I went to bed but was too excited about all the fun things I want to do. I was happy about the fact that my massive mountain of receipts from last year are organized. I was feeling good about getting a great massage from a friend I helped in the past. I love my handcrafted Valentine’s decorations, the fresh tomatoes from my garden, and the leftover Christmas hot cocoa. I was really happy that even though an angry spirit knocked a glass vase with my Valentine roses off the table while I was on the phone with someone I love, I didn’t bother getting upset. I just cleaned it up and prayed for their peace. No use crying over spilled roses! They are none the worse for the wear, and although I loved the vase that was shattered, I love my peace more.
There are always things to get upset over. I could make a list every day and I bet you could too! However, there are always things to be happy about as well. Glass half empty or half full? Some days it is easy to see the full glass. Some days everything seems to tug at us with an invitation to battle. Those are the days when I work even more diligently to make peace a priority.
The minute something starts to feel less than joyful in my life I know my vibration needs a little fine-tuning. Usually, on these days, I take the first available opportunity to do what I call a “walk of appreciation.” I walk around the house or yard and appreciate everything I see. I look for silver linings, glass half full, and all the good. I literally count my blessings and give thanks for as many things and beings that come to mind. If I can’t get myself there for some reason or another, I take a nap, appreciate a cup of coffee, or do something to stop my mind from going down a track that doesn’t feel good. These days I rarely let my thoughts go too far. I catch myself at the first unpleasant feeling and shift to peace as soon as possible. It just takes practice.
For example, the TV is having issues and I don’t want to replace it since everything plugs and plays so nicely. Peace comes from accepting my desire to have it work, reminding myself I have choices and hearing the guidance on what to google. Lo and behold there’s a great repair place nearby. In another device, a memory card is on the fritz. That feels inconvenient, so I accept my desire to have it fixed with ease, and receive guidance about who to call. I’m sure it will be worked out. My thumbs aren’t working right yet after my massive type-a-thon in December. Peace comes from acceptance, rather than beating myself up for past choices, from knowing they’re healing, and from focusing on appreciating the fact that my body knows what to do.
A dear one has health issues. Peace comes from knowing that they’re in good hands with God and that I can pray. My inbox is filled every day with beautiful souls who have serious challenges and I know I can’t get to them all as fast as either of us would like. The angels urge me to honor my desire for balance and to trust that God will help everyone in proper timing whether through me or another. Peace comes from that trust that God cares for us all. An angry spirit knocks a vase off the table, and it is what it is. I want peace, so I clean it up, send them off unceremoniously, without anger, and get back to appreciating life. Peace comes from focusing forward, knowing that I can change only the future, not the past. When someone I love dies, or leaves, I accept my grief. I accept their expanding journey. I remind myself that all forms change but God and love remain the same within all things and all beings, and then I find peace in the journey, even in emotions that we might otherwise judge.
Life offers so many opportunities to disturb our peace. Sometimes, even in spite of all the tools we know and love, it does. I accept myself even then. “Ok, I’m upset. I use humor, “Angels get out the composter because I need to vent until I balance out again!” They send me love while I accept my frustration. That may be as much peace as I can make with a lack of peace. some days. Some days I make peace with being sad, wrap my angel blanket around myself and let them use it to send all their love to me. Some days we make peace with our tears. Peace comes from accepting ourselves, and life as it is, then moving forward.
We know peace is an inside job. We know it isn’t something that someone can ever “give” us. We know we’ll wait a lifetime for it if we wait for outer circumstances to look just right. We also know and feel a lot of people and situations tugging and pulling at us, wanting their little wars. We can choose peace anyway.
Peace – the kind that surpasses all understanding – comes from acceptance of self, life, and others; from honoring your feelings as your guidance; and from giving yourself permission to feel good, or at least feel better…one loving thought at a time.
Here are a few gentle reminders to help you find peace, even when life or someone else is starting to “disturb” it…
1. Practice Radical Self-Acceptance
There’s a tendency to be hard on yourself when you’re not feeling particularly “high and holy.” Don’t. You are where you are. Love yourself as you would love a child who is tired, cranky, sad, scared, or joyous. Just choose to be kind to yourself. Catch negative self-criticism and sweet talk yourself instead. Allow you to be you. Resistance wastes energy. Self-acceptance with kindness, compassion, and love for self, allows you to move past any present disturbances and into a more peaceful flow.
2. Surrender to the Beauty in the Present Moment
Here you are. Right here. Right now. You’re in whatever mood you’re in. You’re in whatever condition you’re in. You’re in whatever circumstance you’re in. Look around. Notice your surroundings. Notice your breath. Don’t escape now. Breathe deeply. Notice your body. Breathe again. Look for something good, something to appreciate. Find the beauty now and you’ll see more later. Peace can be found anywhere, any time.
3. Surrender to Your Desire for Better
You want more most of the time. That is natural. This desire for better is what causes us to keep the force and Source of life flowing through us. Acknowledge your desires. Don’t talk yourself out of them just because you have no clue how they’ll come about. Fantasize about the person you want to be, the life you want to live, the things you want to create, and the world you want to live in. Imagine it. feel it. Indulge in the good feelings of your desired future so you can become magnetic to it. Don’t resist the part of you that calls for life and love and guidance to flow through you, guide you, and create with you. Joyously anticipating the future creates peace in the now. You don’t need to worry if something is coming. You can trust it will appear at the right/time and right way if you’ve found the feeling of your future. That’s just the way the universe works!
4. Resist the “invitations” to battle
I laughed the first time the angels used that phrase. “Invitation to battle?” “Who on earth would want that?” was my first thought. Over the years, however, I’ve met many who are stuck in a need to create little wars in their lives. There will always be those who taunt, criticize, judge, invite you to argue, etc. They’re not horrible souls. They just have a strong need to be right, acknowledged, validated, etc. It isn’t your job to replace the Divine within them, to fix them, or save them from their own anger. Don’t respond. Walk away. Ignore the darkness and focus on the light within. Your ego will live if you don’t defend it. Your soul will ache if you get drawn into senseless, hurtful, battles.
The angels aren’t ever asking us to sweep our feelings or point of view under the rug. You can lovingly dialogue from the heart, without a need for agreement, and you can debate without hate. “Battles” as the angels call them, are energetic tugs of war in which you and another vy for agreement as to who is “right” vs. kindly stating your point of view.
It might be tough but it feels so good to resist the urge to get drawn into arguments. You know who you are. You know what is right for you. If you plug in regularly to the love within, by appreciating things in the moment, reaching for better feelings, and practicing self-care you won’t want to lower yourself to get involved in battles of the ego. They’re not worth it. Feeling good is feeling God, and battles never feel good no matter the temporary “high” that comes from winning an argument. No one really wins. Disconnecting from love is always a loss. Honor yourself, and allow yourself to feel good, by refusing to engage. Anyone wanting to battle is in fear or pain. Don’t add to it.
Resisting yourself or making others wrong in order to be right disturbs your peace. It creates friction between you and you, or you and others.Accepting yourself and life – in each moment – allows you to quickly move around your own boulders and release yourself to the vast, loving flow of life The Divine and your angels want for you the loving realities that you want for you. You don’t have to agree with anyone. You don’t have to like life or what others are doing. You simply have to accept things as they are and reach for the next best thought, the next higher vibration, and thus allow yourself to shift into new realities little by little. Knowing you have that power is peace 🙂
I feel pretty peaceful knowing this newsletter came quickly. It is 4:44 am and I think I’ll catch a few Z’s before another wonderful day dawns 🙂 That’s just where I’m at right now and accepting it is peaceful 🙂
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