Practicing Peace

Peace. 

What comes to mind when you read that word? It’s short. Simple. But its meaning is anything but. 

At a base level, you might suggest that “peace” refers to a positive or tranquil relationship between people, or on a broader scale, large groups or nations of people. To simplify, peace could be defined as the absence of conflict. 

Sure, this is true. That is one way to define peace…but not the definition I’m looking for. 

No, I want to focus on something more personal…inner peace.

Ready for a quick vocabulary lesson? 

Peace is derived from the Hebrew word, shalôm. Literally translated, it means “to be complete or whole.” 

A person who maintains a state of inner peace has a sense of personal completeness, regardless of what is happening around them. They are able to stay grounded even if the environment surrounding them is chaotic.

They are rooted.

Sound too good to be true?

Truthfully, finding and maintaining peace isn’t easy. Let’s face it, the world around us is anything but peaceful.

We are constantly being bombarded with noise and outside influences that seem to thwart our efforts toward cultivating inner peace.

Think about it! In a single day, we might experience…

• Twitter arguments with rage from all sides. 
• News reports that seem to be getting bleaker by the day. 
• A never-ending to-do list that seems to shout: “No time! No time! No time!” 
• Overly opinionated loved ones offering their critiques at every turn. 
• “Self-help” guru’s on social media suggesting that you simply aren’t doing enough. 

It’s no surprise that this constant exposure to negativity breeds anything but peace. On the contrary, many of us experience a daily life that fosters anxiety, anger, and fear rather than peace.

So, what can we do? Is it even possible to maintain inner peace in this day and age?

Yes, friend, it is…but it requires that we first accept an important truth:

Peace is a habit, not a destination.

That’s right! Like any habit, creating a consistent sense of inner peace requires practice and, at times, sacrifice. It requires making the intentional choice to do more of the things that increase peace and less of the things that get in the way of it.

What does this look like, practically speaking?

Honestly, it’s different for everyone. It’s important to take time to truly identify the things in your life that support or impede your sense of inner peace.

Here’s a tip:

Take a week. During this week, keep a log of your emotions. When you notice yourself feeling anxious or frustrated, record the circumstances.

• What were you doing? 
• Who were you talking to? 
• Where were you? 

Do the same when you experience feelings of peace. Your journal entries don’t need to be long or complicated, just enough to draw a connection between your emotional state and any external influence that may be impacting your interior life. 

It might look something like this: 

I recommend repeating this practice each day for one week. You’ll likely begin to see a pattern in both the things that bring peace and the things that leave you feeling stressed and depleted. 

Use this information to make some choices about how you will go about your day. Here’s a personal example offered by our Team Writer, Maria Lees: 

Maria has found that email notifications can be a source of stress or anxiety for her. This is especially true in moments when she is unprepared to respond to emails, such as in the evening when she is spending time with her young children and husband.

Instead of allowing her anxiety to climb with each “ding” of her phone, Maria chooses to silence email notifications when she is with her family and sets a time in the morning for addressing important emails.

It’s a simple choice, but it’s an intentional move towards practicing peace.

I’d love to hear from you! How are you making concrete choices to practice peace in your own life? What strategies have you found to be helpful? Let me know in the comments below.

Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx