Yesterday I wrote about struggle because I think about how much stress is present in your and my lives. Struggle is caused by fear and that fear is of the unknown, of the uncertainty of life. When you and I struggle our bodies contract, tighten up. (If you tune in right now you may feel some of those contractions.)
The world you and I live in is too often filled with these feelings of fear and bodily contraction. This got me thinking about how do we counteract the stressors, how do we take back the natural quietness that is in all of us. My blog yesterday gave you a list of 15 resources to counteract these challenging times but now I want to write about finding our own peace within.
The world we live in is constantly speeding up, everything happens so quickly these days, everywhere there are road hurriers and mad worriers. We may even find ourselves pounding on our horn or wide-awake staring at the night ceiling trying to resolve our anxiety. Even the best of us who work at reducing stress daily often still tighten up and after a while loose touch with our numbness. That numbness can spread and soon we can feel out of touch with what was once alive in us. This loss is not necessary.
I am writing this today as a reminder to both you and I that we must take care and imprint on our ways of living the following: First you and I need to take time each day to be mindful, to tune in and notice what is running through the river of our thoughts and over the rapids of our emotions. Emotions are clear signs as to how we are doing. If we are feeling lousy, we are not doing well; we have gone off course. If we are feeling energized and open, we are doing well and heading in the right direction. If our thoughts are supportive we feel positive, if our thoughts are negative and blaming we feel poorly. This inner feedback system works very well if we pay attention to it.
Secondly, we need to tune into our bodies. If we are: low energy, feel uptight, losing flexibility, restless, eating to placate, gurgling in the gut or other signs of stress, then we are not taking care of our bodies. Every day needs to include some down time, some time for rest, relaxation and renewal. Naps, yoga, mindfulness practice, meditation, eating healthy, walks, taking a break, exercise and more all can do wonders.
Thirdly we need to align with our spirit, our Higher Self, our compassionate heart and/or the intuitive knowing inside that is waiting this moment to give us guidance. (Take a moment right now to listen in to your higher guidance.) Silence is not only golden but the door into the infinite within each of us. If we take the time to hear the higher forces that flow through us we will always be living on purpose, expanding in consciousness and available to the peace inside.
These three ways lead to inner peace. Walk any one or all three paths and see the return of the sparkle in your eyes, the spring in your step, and the joy of well-being. Peace to you.