The Secret to Reclaiming Peace in any Moment
I used to be totally swayed by the occurrences of a given day. If the news of the day was about a terrorist attack, I would immediately step into fear. If someone disagreed with me, I immediately began to judge them and run down a list of all the reasons they were wrong and I was right. If I got a parking ticket, I would immediately launch into a long speech about how local government is profiting off of tickets and would tell everyone I spoke with that day about my frustration. I could go on and on, but you get the point.
At first glance, one could look at the list above and say, “What’s wrong with that? Isn’t that normal?” Yes, it is considered “normal” in this society to respond in such a manner, but do those responses lead to peace? Absolutely not. Those responses not only lead to lack of inner peace, but they lead to lack of peace in the world. Peace in the world cannot exist without peace in the minds of all. So how do we do it? How do we maintain our inner peace, regardless of the day-to-day challenges that arise? Is it really possible or were the revered sages, saints, mystics, and prophets making that up?
It is indeed possible to maintain inner peace, no matter what is thrown our way. The “secret” to doing this is training our minds to remember that we are 100% in control of our response to all that arises. While what comes our way cannot always be predicted or controlled, we can pre-determine what our response will be to all situations. We can choose to extend the Love of God.
There is never a time in which we are without the power to control our response to what arises in a given day. Choose Love.
So, how does this work – practically? Imagine you are in a meeting at work, and you have just presented what you believe to be a wonderful idea with your co-workers. One of them laughs, and says the idea is “ridiculous,” and then launches into a 5-minute long rant about why your idea won’t work. You can feel your blood boiling as they are talking. You can barely hear what they are saying because you are calculating your response in your head. This is a critical moment. There are essentially two choices for responding to this situation (and any situation): Love or fear.
If we respond from Love, we are remembering the Divine nature of ourselves and everyone else. What do I mean by that? We are created in the image and likeness of God, and God is Love. If God is Love, we must also be Love. To express anything other than Love is out of accordance with our True Nature, and always leads to stress or lack of peace of some sort. When we respond from our True Nature, we extend Compassion, Forgiveness, Harmony, Peace, and Love in any situation. We remember that whenever someone is not expressing Love, they are out of harmony with their True Nature, so you pray for their return to the Light.
If we respond from fear, we are forgetting our Divine nature and believing we can be attacked by another. When we are in fear, we feel vulnerable and immediately launch into defending ourselves. When we defend ourselves, we offend another (with our judgment) and continue the cycle of attack, anger, frustration, hate, etc. Which would you rather extend – Love or fear?
“The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite…
Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herein lies the peace of God.”
~A Course in Miracles
So, in the situation with the co-worker, instead of rebutting their argument point by point, we could simply say something like, “Thank your for sharing your opinion” and then silently send them a prayer for inner peace. It is clear that whenever someone feels the need to attack another, they do not have inner peace. So, you begin to feel a deep compassion for those who are experiencing that sense of lack. After the meeting, you may even invite them to have a private discussion with you to see if you can work together toward a solution. The key is not to get caught up in the need to defend ourselves. There is nothing to defend in God, in whom we “live and move and have our being.”
There are some who are reading this, and plan to continue on responding to life’s situations in the same way they always have; and, that’s okay. We certainly have free will. There are others who are tired of feeling out-of-balance and are ready to try a new approach to living that can support their deep desire for inner peace. For the latter group, consider this daily practice:
Pause before you respond to anyone that frustrates you (via written or spoken message). Ask the Spirit to help you see the situation through the eyes of Love. Respond once you are centered in remembrance of the Light within you and the one who has upset you.
You will marvel at how wonderful it is to be in harmony with your true Self – an extension of the Love of God. Have a peaceful week, resting in your Divine nature! Keep Loving! Keep Shining!
Peace & Blessings,
~Kandace
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Kandace Jones
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BLOG: http://kandacejones.wordpress.com
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/livinginthelight
TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/queenkandace
About the Author: Kandace Jones
I used to live life shackled by fear, doubt, and worry. I put on a happy face while navigating my day-to-day duties, but I was emotionally drained, stressed, and unhappy. When I hit rock bottom, and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, I was determined to live life differently. I knew there had to be another way. Out of that determination, and guidance from Spirit, the "Living in the Light" blog was born. It documents my spiritual journey out of the darkness and into the Light. After nine months of publicly sharing my journey, and consciously releasing my attachment to the ego, I experienced a powerful spiritual awakening. I went from living in fear, doubt, worry, and stress to complete inner peace. My greatest passion has become assisting others on their own journey to inner peace.
My spiritual memoir, From Stress to Peace: An Intimate Journal on the Journey from Living in Darkness to Living in the Light, is available now on Amazon and BN.com. Click the tabs at the top of the page to learn more about the From Stress to Peace 21-Day Challenge, Living in the Light Retreats, 1:1 sessions, and the Living in the Light Community - all of which are designed to support your journey to inner peace. I appreciate you taking the time to visit the blog and look forward to supporting you in any way I can!