“When you are committed to inner peace above all else, all else will take care of itself.”
~ Alan Cohen
One of the quickest ways to lose your calm is when you react to what others say or do (or don’t say or do).
It happens so quickly, almost automatically… the urge, and sometimes pressure, to have to say or do something, right here, right now. Do you feel that too?
I used to think that I had to respond to a text message, email, or request the moment it came in. My body jumped right into action. I felt this sense of urgency and rush of adrenaline. Some matters do require an immediate response, of course. Others can wait a bit. Why not take this opportunity to pause for a breath or two?
My friend Peter likes to say that most of the time it's not a matter of life and death, unless we’re brain surgeons or pilots. It’s ok to gather my thoughts, read carefully what the person wrote, and respond in a way that feels good to me.
Because as humans, especially in this external-focused and fast-paced world with ever diminishing attention spans, we have a tendency to react – based on our emotions. And when we’re really honest… that’s not always the best course of action. I read recently that actions don’t need to be triggered by every wind that blows.
That’s true, isn’t it? Reflecting upon this, I realized that when I react on impulse, my energy is not clear and focused, that I give my power away, suddenly I’m on the other’s person’s timeline or agenda.
I’ve experienced plenty of times that when a person doesn’t have good boundaries, they can get sucked in and feel like a ping pong ball in an interaction or situation they don’t even want to be in, let alone have the time or energetic bandwidth for.
September 21 is the International Day of Peace, also known as World Peace Day.
It was established 40 years ago, in 1981, by the United Nations General Assembly. The intention for this special day is to cease hostility and conflict and to promote peace.
And when we think of it, how often do we breed an inner ground for hostility towards ourselves? By beating ourselves up or letting our negative self-talk run wild? How often are we in conflict with ourselves? Hint… tension is a great indicator…
Maybe you can take this message as an invitation to think about what peace looks and feels like for you. How you can be at peace and find this place of calm inside of you, regardless of what others say or do, or don’t say or do.
About Andrea Deierlein & Thrive Reiki, LLC: Andrea's work specializes in helping people transform the pain of life challenges and daily adversity through the practice of Reiki. She helps people struggling with stress, anxiety and overwhelm, to relax, calm down and breathe again. Focusing on stress management and the mind-body-connection, her clients shift out of survival mode, build focus and resilience. Connect with her on www.thrivereiki.com or follow her on Instagram @andreadeierlein
