Peace Be The Journey
Peace has become the ultimate priority for me. Peace in my mind, in my heart, and even in my body. What I eat and how I fuel my body has been a game changer in this arena for sure. Fueling the body also includes the TV I watch, the Podcasts I listen too, and the people I spend my time with. Even my musical playlists have been revised. Everything we surround ourselves with and all that we consume can either add to our peaceful path or take away from it. Another key factor for me has been discarding past limiting beliefs that were taught to me by society in one way or another. Below is a short list of 5 personal realizations that have shifted my perspectives on self and the life that exists all around us. Perhaps you may agree with some or disagree with others. Either way, here we go….
- Success is relative. — I grew up thinking that the word “success” meant “money.” If you had a couple college degrees under your belt, an office with a view, and a 6-figure paycheck, you were automatically considered successful. This is no longer my vantage point. Sure, that is absolutely a form of success, but there is so much more that can be labeled successful. Success can also mean, happy. Having peace in your heart. It can mean mastering acceptance. Finally embracing everything about who you are. Overcoming hardships. Marrying the love of your life. Being blessed with positive friends. Having a supportive family. A job you adore. Finding reasons to laugh each and every day. We all get to decide how we wish to define success. It is no longer a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits all, kind of path.
- Allowing yourself to be a priority is not selfish. — Forgive me in advance for being so cliche right now, but the airplane metaphor is coming out in this blog. That’s right, you’ve heard it before. Flight attendants everywhere will remind loving mothers that in case of an emergency, you are instructed to go against your instincts and put the oxygen mask on yourself first, instead of your toddler. Why? Because if Mom passes out, who’s taking care of baby? Exactly. We must take care of ourselves. And nobody is going to be able to take care of YOU the way that YOU can. Because you’re you! Fueling our bodies properly, getting enough sleep, saying “No” to taking on too much, creating healthy boundaries, and carving out time for things that light us up, are just a few sprinkles of self-care examples. It is super-duper easy to get caught up in being the parent or the spouse or the boss or the bestie or whateverrrr, that we often forget before all those hats we wear, we are still just 1 person. We each have our own set of needs, wants, goals, hobbies, and desires. Pushing them to the waste-side is NOT heroic. Putting ourselves last is NOT a virtue. And we are NOT selfish. Do not let society trick us into that one. Care for yourself in the same loving and compassionate manner you do for others. You are just as valuable.
- There is enough to go around. — The Universe is abundant. Endless, eternal, everlasting, and bottomless. There is no such thing as competition. Sure, ego will tell us that’s not true as we go up against others for that job or that promotion or that insert human yearning here. Spiritually speaking, it’s all a bunch of bologna. There is no reason to compete. It’s low-vibe and proof that we are not trusting Spirit in that moment. Everything we want will come to us, in the way it is supposed to, and in Divine Timing. Cheer for yourself and cheer for others. We can all win. The Universe does not run out of blessings.
- We are all enough. — It’s hard to avoid the constant bombardment of hearing how we are just not good enough. Take notice to every advertisement, commercial, flyer, poster, or social media post about all the products that we “need.” Anything from anti-aging, weight loss, and muscle gain, to continuing education courses, preventative medicines, and a new car or new home. I am not against these desires, and I am certainly not saying that if you want these things, it’s bad. It isn’t. I am simply pointing out the overwhelming tidal wave of consumer ads that pour onto us daily. It is a rare moment that we are somehow not wondering if we are smart enough, pretty enough, rich enough, or happy enough. We are being groomed from birth to constantly want more, better, or different. I invite us all (yep, even me!) to just tune-in a bit more and truly FEEL what it is that we are actually seeking. Beyond being a mindless consumer. What we truly crave is rarely found outside of self, in an overpriced bottle of whatever skin care chemical crap that’s being pushed this holiday season. (Okay, that was sassy. But someone had to say it!)
- You are your own Guru. — Oh, this is a good one. My hand is raised high in the air as I snitch on myself. This one I was guilty of for years. YEARS. I didn’t trust myself, at all. I constantly looked towards family and friends to help guide me in every avenue. Whether it was a new career, new haircut, or new boyfriend, I was forever running to hear everyone else’s opinions so that I could properly form mine. Being open minded is one thing, but giving all your power away is another. I no longer emotionally cling to mentors. They are not the end-all-be-all. Honestly, even the self-proclaimed “I killed my ego” type of Gurus are still just humans like me and you. Even if they aren’t ready to accept that just yet. Nobody has life perfectly mastered. Enjoy the feedback from those you love and trust but let your own gut instinct be the loudest.
To sum up, we are each on our path. Our path may even look different from one day to the next. Certainly, from one year to the next. And of course, our path will not be the same as other people’s paths. Life is ever changing. Us humans, are ever changing. We grow, evolve, and shift. We fall, slip, and backstep. The journey is not linear. It is up, down, and around. Peace is my personal journey, but what is yours?