Choosing peace
We all have a need for some excitement, adventure and achievement. We can also buy into the tendency of having to do more, be more, live more, have more - with a focus that is perhaps on the noise being created, rather than contentment, joy and fulfilment. Sometimes people work in noisy environments, be it clutter, auditory noise, colour noise, energetic noise, personality noise, emotional noise, our own mental noise. We can numb the noise and override our body tension by 'powering through' or trying desperately to block it out. Yet tendrils of disruption can seep, creep and encroach on what at essence is our peace. It can distract from our purpose and values and ultimately it can be draining, exhausting.
The aim is to design your environments to support you so you can thrive, by remembering the power of choice - choosing peace, choosing tools and practices - consistently.
When a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment where it grows, not the flower. Alexander Den Heijer
Essentialism provides you with tools to design, tend to, organise and grow your external environments. For your inner environment, your mind, heart, body, soul, living from a place of inner peace helps you build resiliency, certainty and calm.
Here, are a few simple and powerful ways to create more balance, inner peace, and fulfilment with energetics.
Let's start with creating a stronger centre of peace in the moment because sometimes we don't have the time or environment to stop and actively meditate (e.g. you're in a meeting, about to go into a meeting, you're in a noisy, crowded location, someone has said something upsetting and you don't' want to react to make it worse etc)
When in those moments, ask yourself: If I am feeling peaceful right now, what can I do differently right now? Start with a full breath in and intentional breath out, letting go of tension- relax your jawline, shoulders, belly, expand your heart. If you're in a meeting, check your body language to be more open and relaxed. Your body, mind and emotions are linked, so moving your body can shift your mindset.
What do you hold sacred? What feeds your soul? We live moment to moment in both narrow and expansive ways. Make your moments sacred and allow yourself to present and to just be.
I spent some time with a very wise Native American elder decades ago, and he said to me
Never lose the rituals that feed your soul. Otherwise you can lose yourself.
So decide how you want to feel and develop your rituals. To feel more peace, are your rituals based on music, breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, taking a shower after work as a transition, movement (eg dance, running, walking, yoga, Qi Gong), art, mantras, essential oils - aromatic dressing, (see Oils For Work Life), energy work, space clearing, visualisation. Remember, maintaining consistency is key, no matter what your ritual is. You can change it up for variety or master something longer term. It is not something you do once and you're done. Treat your peaceful rituals as you would eating or showering, brushing your teeth. Acts of loving kindness and gratitude towards yourself help develop strong roots and groundedness needed in a noisy world.
What are your rituals or habits to help you be peaceful in a noisy, hectic world?
Want more? Listen to The I Thrive On Purpose Podcast