On the weekend I celebrated 55 years on the planet - all weekend long. It was wonderful to be with friends, family and dance the night away on Saturday.
I also took time to reflect and be with me. There are so many things to be grateful for. The list is long and includes how at peace I feel in my body and in my life.
From what I have shared with you over the years, you know that for a lot of my life, peace was something I longed for but never had.
I know full well what it feels like to live with anxiety, fear and pain – and I also know there is a solution. Taking the journey inward.
What I recognize so clearly now is that no matter how much love, support and opportunities I have in my life,
if I don’t have peace in my heart nothing else has meaning or really matters.
For so long, I thought I would find peace on the outside, in my work, having a relationship, how I looked, success, having stuff. That’s what we’re taught, right? But the good feeling was fleeting (it wasn’t true peace) which continued to create more emptiness and angst.
What I know now?
Peace is an inside job.
And when I have inner peace life flows with more ease, grace and passion.
I had a teacher years ago that would tell me over and over and over again that if I wanted peace, I had to stop searching for it. I didn’t know what he meant until I did.
I remember being so afraid to be in silence. I kept busy so I could block out the chatter and feelings within me. I remember telling my teacher I was afraid of what I might find when I meditated; I was worried I would be disappointed with what I discovered. That there wouldn’t be this peace or stillness that I heard other people talking about.
But I never gave up.
Peace comes when I have the willingness to practice being present and have acceptance with whatever shows up – all emotions and experiences that life brings. To not be afraid of fear. To love and respect my shadow side that has experienced pain and disappointment, rather than judging it or pushing it down.
Darkness dissolves when you shine light on it. Not when we push it down or run away from it.
If I push down my emotions, feelings or pain or try to buy peace, I am actually pushing true peace away and the search will be never-ending.
It takes courage to go inward to be. It takes the strength and resilience of a spiritual warrior to continue on the journey and not give up. For me there is no other option or way I would choose to live. This is it.
Peace is available to each and every one of us and the journey inward is the only way to experience the everlasting peace. True peace. The truth of who we are.
What if we valued ourselves and our life enough to stop and be with those parts of ourselves that feel afraid, stressed, less than?
What would happen if we stopped looking for peace on the outside knowing that the search will be never-ending – and turned all of the focus inward?
The older I get the more precious life has become. The greatest gift I have been given is peace. I cherish it. I nurture it every day and then I share it.
My wish for you, is to know your value. Know your worth. Know you are deserving of the inner peace that awaits within you. Find the courage to do the hard work and you will reap the rewards.
Much peace,
Diane