Every journey should begin at the basics. When developing peace, there are four area to focus on: mind, body, heart, and spirit. Here are some ideas of how to bring peace to each area...
Mind: To bring peace of mind, you need to find something that helps clear your mind of unnecessary stress. Personally, I use photography. I enjoy finding beauty in the world and expressing it through pictures. Mostly I photography my cute kid, but I also enjoy nature. Spend some time searching for what helps clear your mind. What helps you forget your troubles? Once you find your release, find a way to incorporate it into your daily life. If I can't get out to take pictures, I simply look at other people's pictures. I also put pictures of beautiful things everywhere. How can you bring peace of mind into your daily life?
Body: I have found that high intensity, face paced workouts are not the only way to strengthen your body. There is this wonderful world of peaceful exercise that we don't talk about much. Don't get me wrong, there is a place for blinding sweat workouts. The thing is, if your life is already high intensity, why add more stress though high intensity exercise? If you've never tried yoga, you are missing out. Also, swimming forces you to slow down and focus on planned breathing. Both are still great workouts, both include strengthening and stretching, and both are low impact on your body. I would highly recommend taking a break from the chaos and adding some low intensity into your crazy routine. Your body will thank you.
Heart: Peace of heart is very much linked to Peace of spirit. Peace of heart comes though letting go of the hurt and heartache stored there. There are basically two ways you can do this: remove or repair. Are there relationships that are causing increased stress in your life? Evaluate the importance of each relationship and either remove it or repair it. Removing a relationship can be terribly difficult, but a harmful relationship is not worth having. Repairing a relationship can sometimes be more difficult that removing one, but some relationships are worth keeping.
Spirit: Whether or not you are religious, you have a spirit that needs to find a place. That same spirit needs to be at place with it's place. Basically that means you need to find who you are and be happy with you. You are important and you have a place. It's okay if the you you find is not the you you used to be. You are allowed to change. You are always learning and growing and becoming. And if the you you find is not the you you want to be, you can be a better you. It's your choice! Just know that the world needs you. You are the only you we get! We love you, can't you too?
Don't get discouraged as you journey on. I've been at this for a year and still have plenty of chaos to replace with peace. Start small and start with the basics. Build a solid foundation before you worry about building up. Remember, there are no shortcuts, but the results are worth every step. The journey only becomes more beautiful the further along you get. Peace is waiting for you.
