peace pilgrim.
as i mature, more and more i embrace the things that help me create and reinforce peace. once it’s all said and done, most of us just want to live a peaceful and comfortable life. i’m also beginning to accept that one’s efforts to maintain peace for themselves might create discord and discomfort for others. ultimately, with peace comes the necessity to create (healthy) boundaries. it should also be noted that peace isn’t a one size fit all type of thing. what i attribute to a peaceful life might vary in comparison to someone else.
let’s dig.
when we hear the word “peace" we associate it with images that are aligned with happiness, light, carefree, etc. what most aren’t able to grapple with is when a person manages to find peace, it’s often they will defend it tooth and nail. suddenly, the person is no longer accessible in the ways that maybe they once were. and that’s okay. depending on what motivated their quest for peace, plenty might be at stake should they lose even a slither of the sense of peace they’ve acquired.
peace for me started with the journey towards being peaceful. why? we simply can’t attract anything that doesn’t align with our spirits/who we are. through plenty of introspection and healing, i had to accept that inner peace was worth the fight and discipline. i had to face many things about myself that i was honestly unhappy about. i had to accept these things, and then release them. i had to take out the trash—my trash. i had to unpack the layers of disappointment, guilt, shame, and any other unfavorable emotions i had towards myself. i then had to lovingly welcome the totality of who i am with open arms. i had to remind myself of myself; that i’m so much more than my bad decisions and mistakes.
a few years ago, i came across a motivational speaker by the name of Lisa Nichols. i started watching a few of her YouTube videos, and she provided the following to recite:
i have nothing to protect. i have nothing to prove. i have nothing to hide. i have nothing to defend.
four simple sentences, yet so profound—so liberating. by this point, i’d come across plenty of motivational talks that left me inspired, but this right here? this was spiritual gold for me. i committed to indoctrinating this quote into my daily practice. i went so far as to write this quote on some post-it notes, and stuck them on a few walls throughout my apartment. at the time, i needed the constant reminder—a reminder that i was (more than) enough as i was. prior to this point, i can remember always feeling the need to protect, prove, hide, and defend various things about myself. no longer as it was time to loose myself from the proverbial shackles that kept me bound.
Lisa has another quotable that soothed me during some of my most challenging moments. she instructed the audience to enter their name before each sentence, fill in the blank, and engage in a full on self-talk:
(name), i’m proud of you for _________________.
(name), i forgive you for _____________________.
(name), i commit to you that ________________.
much like we become what we repeatedly do, similarly we absorb what we repeatedly say. the forgiveness piece was most impressionable for me. again, i’d been carrying so many things i needed/wanted to forgive myself for. i’d always been able to easily forgive others, but when it came to my own slights i was quite rigid.
while it varies from person to person, the journey towards inner/outer peace requires work. from this side of things, i can honestly say it was worth it. but even more than this, it’s all the more reason why i’m so intentional about who i choose and choose not to share my energy with. this type of ownership of my experiences is an act of peace.
ultimately, the wilderness that is introspection can either swallow you whole or liberate you.
it’s freedom time.
- mytenofcups x
