What exactly is peace and why is it so important?
My dear roses, today I want to talk about peace. Google defines peace as "freedom from disturbance; tranquility," much like what the picture above represents. Most of us feel like we can only achieve peace when we're in a state like how Susie is, chilling on a beach somewhere with a drink in our hand, basking in the sun. You and I both know it's unrealistic to think that's how your life is going to be all the time, so I'm here to tell you that peace is so much more than vacations and paradise. True peace is being calm even when things aren't so pretty, when everything around you has turned upside down but you're able to maintain stability despite it all. It's knowing that even when you're going through a storm, you'll come out safe and in one piece once it's passed. Your peace is one of the most important aspects of your mental health, and too often we take it for granted. It's something that is constantly tested and taken advantage of, but only if you let it.
"Even something as trivial as social media can disrupt your peace..."
There are many outside forces that you'll notice might disrupt your peace. I don't know what it is, but once you're able to withstand tough situations with a mindset of positivity and optimism, it's like everything you have overcame tries to fight its way back into your life. Whether it's people or old mindsets, something will try to get under your skin and disrupt your newfound peace. You'll feel like everything you've worked towards is one "I just want closure" conversation away from going to shambles. You know damn well that conversation is going to end up with you in the backseat of a car, repeating the same cycle you just put an end to. I promise those brief moments won't feel as good the next day when you've compromised your peace for someone who doesn't deserve you.
Sometimes, the ways we have to protect our peace can be embarrassing and hard to admit. For example, I'd always feel so embarrassed when I would have to unfollow somebody I didn't associate with anymore on social media because I'm very easily triggered. Seeing them post and talk about their life knowing I wasn't a part of it wasn't something that made me feel particularly good about myself. However, I'd always put this off because I didn't want to admit to myself that their presence affected me. Even something as trivial as social media can disrupt your peace, that's why I often take breaks from Instagram and Twitter to make sure they aren't becoming toxic for me. It's like, if you see a movie that you really don't like, you're not going to continue to keep watching it over and over again. So why would you put yourself in situations to be exposed to things and people that aren't positively impacting your life?
"The more time you spend worrying about somebody else's life, the more time you waste to work on your own. "
Another thing to recognize is that your peace may not look like your friend's or other people's around you. First and foremost, you shouldn't compare yourself or your situation to anybody else's. That's number one. But if you so happen to get caught up in wondering why those around you seem so peaceful and content with life while you're struggling, try not to worry. You never truly know what somebody else is going through and their life may not be as picture perfect as it seems. The more time you spend worrying about somebody else's life, the more time you waste to work on your own. Once again, we take our peace for granted. You could potentially miss an opportunity to bring yourself one step closer to experiencing true peace because you're so busy trying to figure out and mimic how the person next to you accomplished their own peace. We aren't clones, all of us are unique in our own beautiful way. Learn what works for you, and solely focus on your own progression.
The last and final thing I want to say about peace is achieving it is not going to be as easy as you think. It's going to take some serious rewiring of your cognitive and behavioral tendencies, especially if you're a chronic over thinker like me. It's going to force you to let go of people and thinking habits, things you've become comfortable with and continue to let have a presence in your life. Something I really focused on this past summer was self-reflection. We've all ignored that gut feeling where we know someone or something isn't necessarily good for us, because it feels good to us. When you realize this, stop and take a step back. Assess why you're allowing your peace to be disturbed and really think about if it's worth it. Remember that true peace comes from within.
I hope that you find the peace you deserve. Much love.
- Z