This week, I share some powerful practices you can use right now to create more peace and joy in your life and explain how taking care of yourself in this way will also improve your relationships. Pretty exciting stuff, yes?!
If you’ve been following my work for any period of time, you know that I love the work of Unity.org and their The Daily Word magazine and read it every day. As the practical, result-oriented person, teacher that I am, I often think that it would be helpful to include a little more explanation of specifically how one can get a desired result.
The message for Tuesday, October 20, 2020 is about Inner Peace, and because so many people are struggling to find peace with the current coronavirus situation and US politics, I was inspired to expand on this one.
The title is Inner Peace and the affirmation is “Through God within, I create waves of peace.”
It begins:
The energy I carry inside affects the world around me. When I feel sad, mad, or glad, the people around me can pick up on those feelings too.
Do you believe that? How does that make you feel? What do you think about that?
Have you noticed that you pick up on others’ energy and that you are able to sense how they are feeling?
Have you noticed that people respond to you in ways that mirror what you are feeling? — that you get a similar energy back? When you are angry, you evoke anger or some other negative reaction in others, when you are sad, you evoke sadness in others, when you are happy, you evoke happiness in others?
If all this is true, then would it follow that making your peace of mind a priority would also serve others? Is this what Ghandi meant when he said, “be the change peace you want to see in the world?”
The Daily Word goes on to say,
When I allow myself to open to the presence of God within and fully process my thoughts and feelings, the result is deep peace that radiates outward, contributing to the energy of genuine healing everywhere.
But exactly how do we do this?
The passage goes on to say,
I find time today to be still. Turning within, I become aware of any tension I may be holding in my body, which can give me insight about my emotions. I welcome all my feelings with acceptance and allow them to wash over me. Like a wave, they build, crest, and calm as I send myself love. The resultant peace that surpasses all understanding is mine to share.
Is that enough? To allow our emotions to wash over us with acceptance and send ourselves love? Will that bring you “the peace that surpasses all understanding”?
Have you tried that? Perhaps a meditation practice geared to accomplishing that?
I know for sure that it’s very important to take time to be still, turn within and become aware of our emotions and not just as a daily practice first thing in the morning, but also, throughout the day.
Most people don’t take the time to listen to their bodies or to acknowledge how they are feeling. This can cause constant underlying tension and stress that can wear down the body, affect the immune system, attract negative reactions from people and create negative results.
There is an additional practice for getting to peace that is not mentioned here and that is to pause and process our emotions. In the beginning it’s helpful to write down the process, but as you become more experienced, you can do it pretty quickly in your mind.
I find that I can process most feelings quickly in my mind, but occasionally, there is a stronger emotion or more challenging situation or circumstance that requires me to write the process down.
The process is to clearly identify the emotion and then ask yourself, “What thought or belief do I have that’s causing this emotion.” This is vitally important because our emotions or feelings are caused by our thoughts and beliefs.
Once we’ve identified the thought, then we can ask ourselves a couple of great questions recommended by Byron Katie…”It’s true?” and “Can I really know that it’s true? And “How would I feel if I didn’t believe that?”
These questions interrupt the thinking generated by the primitive part of your brain that’s always looking for danger (in order to protect you) and puts you in control with the logical part of your brain. Now you are aware that your monkey mind is yanking your chain, and that you have choices — you are in the driver’s seat.
The final step is to decide on a thought or belief that makes you feel better — makes you feel peaceful and happy. This is where “the presence of God within” comes into play.
Some people are not comfortable with thinking in terms of “the presence of God within” and have different names for it like the “Higher Self”, but the result is the same. When you ask, “What do I need to know about this?” A comforting answer will come. If it doesn’t come immediately, it will show up very soon. It may come as a thought in your mind or you will recognize the answer in something someone says, or something you hear or see during your day.
I always get the answer within a few hours, if not immediately. Trust me when I say, it gets easier with consistent practice and you will be highly motivated to practice after you experience how well it works.
So to review the practices:
- #1 take time to be still, turn within and become aware of your emotions throughout the day.
- #2 Pause and process our emotions by clearly identifying what the feeling is and then ask yourself, “What thought or belief do I have that’s causing me to feel this way?”
- #3 Ask yourself, “is it true?” “Can I really know that it’s true? “How would I feel if I didn’t believe that?”
- #4. The final step is to decide on a thought or belief that makes you feel better — makes you feel peaceful and happy. This is where “the presence of God within” comes into play. You may want to ask God, Your Higher Self, Universal Intelligence, “What do I need to know about this?” A comforting answer will come. Be patient and trust that if you don’t get an answer immediately, it will show up very soon.
- Extra Credit if you share your experience or any questions you have in the comments.
I hope you will try this. Make it a priority to stop and fully process your emotions and feelings whenever you are feeling less than peaceful and joyful and notice how your sense of peace, your relationships with others and your circumstances improve.
I’d love to know how it goes for you and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have if you’d like to post in the comments.
And… if you would love to have a mentor and coach to guide and support you in being consistent and anchoring this joyful way of living, schedule a complementary Discovery Call with me to learn more about my coaching program and whether we would be the right fit to work together.
In any case, it’s my honor and joy to introduce you to new possibilities for your life and I look forward to responding to your comments and questions.
Here’s to creating a life you absolutely love!
Bye for now!
Helpful Links
Schedule a Complimentary Discovery Session with Mardi
Details About The DreamBuilder Coaching Program
Free Video Training with the Time Machine Visioning Exercise https://dreambigandbloom.com/training120393