Category Archives: Peace

What if there were no missing pieces in your life

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“What if there were no missing pieces in your life? What would be possible if you found yourself to be whole and complete just as you are?”

—Author Unknown

 Image from Unsplash by Ross-Sneddon

We recently met a new neighbor named Larry, who has always been fascinated by puzzles, and a day never passes without him working on one.

Now in his 70’s, he takes great pride in his lifetime pursuit which covers his entire basement—including one of his masterpieces made up of 43,000 pieces!

Wendy and I enjoy talking with him about his passion and how he has created a vibrant and down-to-earth personality that is nicely put together.

EXERCISE:

How often do you focus on the missing pieces of your life?

What peace, joy and freedom could you find by simply putting together the pieces within yourself and the colorful ones you find along the way?

Discover the quiet moments in your life and absorb their peace

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Discover the quiet moments in your life and absorb their peace.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Karen Easley

I like the phrase “Peace and Quiet.”

Looking at this saying closely, it seems to me that the word quiet should precede the word peace.

Explore for yourself the quiet times of your days and the level of peace you experience.

What is your life like when you operate during high volume situations?

How peaceful do you feel during these insults to your eardrums?

EXERCISE:

What are some new and better ways you can seek, find, and absorb greater quiet and peace in your life?

When the outside world is loud, be quiet inside

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“When the outside world is loud, be quiet inside.”

—Niklas Goke, writer/blogger

Image from Unsplash by chairulfajar

For as long as I can remember, I’ve avoided loud noises.

I rarely seek out or attend big gatherings such as sporting events, concerts, or other  crowded venues. Big cities, airports, and driving in traffic are definitely not for me.

With this awareness in mind, one of my favorite possessions is a set of noise cancellation head phones with those squishy ear buds.

I use them every day to meditate and listen to calming sounds of nature to relax and calm my inner world.

EXERCISE:

How loud is the world around you?

What strategies do you employ to lower the volume to discover greater peace and quiet within?

Seek out the peace and comfort in the familiar

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Seek out the peace and comfort in the familiar. Enjoy the taste of the same fruit twice.

Image from Unsplash by Taras Shypka

What’s your favorite movie?
How many times have you seen it?
What’s your favorite song?
How often do you play it?
What’s your favorite comfort food?

You get the idea…

With the barrage of media influences these days, there seems to be a lot of pressure to always seek novelty in our lives.

Constantly seeking what’s new to check one more thing off our bucket lists seems to be contagious. This excessive busyness and urgency for more and new rarely offers the enduring peace and comfort we truly want.

EXERCISE:

Where do you seek and find comfort in your daily pursuits?

How does savoring the familiar things in life offer this satisfaction and sweetness?

The forced separation from ordinary ambitions

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“The forced separation from ordinary ambitions temporarily right sizes one’s life.”

—Arthur C. Brooks, faculty member of the Harvard Business School

Image from Pixels by Lukáš Vaňátko

How often do you wake up in the morning with a strong sense of peace and calm?

What percent of the time do your thoughts spring into action with all the to-dos for the day, before your feet even hit the floor?

When do you first check your phone for texts or emails that have piled up overnight?

How many truly important messages do you receive each day, and how many do you consider clutter of junk?

Although we are now well into summer, there is always time to do a bit of spring cleaning.

How would some forced separation from your ordinary ambitions that clutter your various inboxes help you right size your life?

EXERCISE:

Where would unsubscribing and removing various barriers to your aliveness make the biggest difference?

Where can and will you begin today?

“If peace comes from seeing the whole, then misery stems from a loss of perspective.”

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“If peace comes from seeing the whole, then misery stems from a loss of perspective.”

—Mark Nepo, Author of The Book of Awakening

Image from Unsplash by Nadine Shaabana

How many of the following issues have you observed in the media and perhaps experienced in your own personal and professional communities over the past couple of years?

Misfortune Burden Adversity Ordeal
Trouble Hardship Pain Sorrow
Trial Catastrophe Disaster Affliction

As you zoom out to what the media shows you and zoom in to the world you objectively experience, how do these two views compare and contrast? Given these often considerably different views, how much has the loss of perspective or disinformation added to your misery? How does seeing the whole offer you a greater sense of peace?

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can you gain greater peace from seeing the objective whole of things?  How might greater perspective about your world and the world lessen the levels of misery you may be experiencing?

“Don’t let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”

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“Don’t let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”

—Gyalwa Rinpoche, the 14th Dalai Lama

Image from Unsplash by Shashank Sahay

Each tropical storm and hurricane season, meteorologists begin naming the weather events alphabetically, alternating between male and female names.

Who are the people in your life that create the stormiest weather and buffet you with their winds and waves?

What strategies do you use to deal with these disruptive people in order to remain calm and centered?

EXERCISE:

Take time today to notice the people in your world who exemplify the inner peace and calm you desire.

Consider asking them what they do to channel their inner Dalia Lama, then give some of their ideas a try.

“One day I would like to turn on the news and hear, There’s Peace on Earth.”

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“One day I would like to turn on the news and hear, There’s Peace on Earth.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Dimitry Anikin

John Lennon’s “Imagine” is one of his best written and most powerful songs. Consider and contemplate the lyrics relative to today’s quote:

Imagine there’s no heaven / It’s easy if you try / No hell below us / Above us, only sky / Imagine all the people / Livin’ for today…

Imagine there’s no countries / It isn’t hard to do / Nothing to kill or die for / And no religion, too / Imagine all the people / Livin’ life in peace…

You may say I’m a dreamer / But I’m not the only one / I hope someday you’ll join us / And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions / I wonder if you can / No need for greed or hunger / A brotherhood of man / Imagine all the people / Sharing all the world…

You may say I’m a dreamer / But I’m not the only one / I hope someday you’ll join us / And the world will live as one.

EXERCISE:

What peaceful thoughts and actions can and will you bring into your world today? How can and will you influence others in your communities to join us so the world will live as one. 

CLICK HERE to see the video and hear the song.

“Human beings are members of a whole, in creation of one essence and soul.”

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“Human beings are members of a whole, in creation of one essence and soul.”

—Shaikh Saadi, 13th century Persian Poet

Image from Unsplash by Matthew TenBruggencate

Most nations are members of the United Nations, and send diplomats to the headquarters to hold meetings and make decisions about global issues.

The goals of the UN are:

  • To keep world peace
  • To help countries get along
  • To improve living conditions for people all over the world
  • To make the world a better place

Today’s quote can be found in the UN general assembly hall as a reminder to all people and all nations for unity.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways are you and others in your various communities playing your part in this fundamental mission?

What additional steps can and will you take to bring greater unity to the world?

 

“A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.”

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“A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.”

—Charlotte Bronte, 19th Century English novelist

Image from Unsplash by Priscilla Du Preez

Perhaps no single part of our sleeping ritual is more important to a good night’s sleep than a comfortable pillow.

There is actually a pillow market 2019 Global Industry Report that covers the latest statistics and trends in this very competitive marketplace, with far too many details to even scratch the ten-billion dollar surface in this post.

A company called Scandia Home manufactures the St. Petersburg Pillow, with a cost ranging between $900 and $1,500. This unique piece of heaven can be customized for your yacht or private plane, with only the finest imported materials, including Siberian Down, and 439-thread-count silk!

EXERCISE:

Beyond memory foam, thread count, and perhaps pharmaceutical intervention, what strategies can and will you utilize to unruffle your mind, and sleep more peacefully in the future?

Feel free to reply to this post with the strategies and techniques you choose.