It's a Matter of PEACE
Discovering the meaning of peace and learning how to cultivate it within your mind, heart, and spirit for a more balanced and joyful life.
Peace, What Is It Exactly?
Since 2015, the feeling of Peace has been heavily on my mind, ever since we embarked on a big move across the country for which I wasn't mentally prepared. I had no idea what our lives would be like in a new environment after 18 years in the state we were leaving. Because of that, I knew I needed to set my mind on being okay with the move.
That's where Peace came in—and stayed.
Over the years, I have strengthened my ability to be at Peace and stay at Peace. But I never took the time to research what it really means—the essence of the word. I have always known what it means to me, but while preparing for this newsletter, I decided I wanted to dig a little deeper. So, I took a few minutes to research the word Peace and found a website that provided a pretty deep dive into its meaning.
Here is a little of what I found when I landed there.
According to the "Positive Words" website, the word Peace means many things, ranging from the absence of war or other hostilities to freedom from quarrels and disagreements, as well as freedom from anxiety, annoyance, or other mental disturbances.
It is truly a word with a broad range of meanings and interpretations.
"Positive Words" touches on both the actions that can be taken to prevent discord and promote cordiality and harmony among a group of people, as well as the feelings that Peace promotes, including what I have termed the Atmospheric side of Peace.
The Atmospheric side of Peace is when the space you are in is serene and silent, and within that space, you find quietness and tranquility.
In addition to these definitions of Peace, "Positive Words" also stated that "Peace of mind is to feel ataraxis & heartsease."
Ataraxis is defined as the absence of mental stress or anxiety, while heartsease simply means peace of mind and a state of peace and quiet.
I had never heard these words before; they are now part of my vocabulary.
It was refreshing to connect words and definitions that fit directly into my understanding of Peace.
Now that we have had a partially in-depth look at the word Peace, here is my take on it—what it means to me and how I incorporate it into my life.
Peace & Joy 🌱
Peace and Joy are the two most important words in my vocabulary, and they are active in my mind on a daily basis. I work at and strive to stay at Peace and to have Joy in my everyday life, so much so that it comes naturally most of the time.
I'll be honest, though, and admit that there can be times when I have to remind myself to stop and regroup, take a moment, and bring myself back to center—back to Peace.
Those times are exceedingly rare, thankfully, but they do occur. When they do, I can either let them consume me or resist them, and I choose to resist them.
How do I resist them?
I resist them by first acknowledging them for what they are and then letting them know that they CANNOT dwell there.
"There" is my mind.
I simply refuse to let them stay there, taking up space in my mind in a negative way that turns into negative thoughts, words, and sometimes actions.
No, thank you! Not me.
Instead, it is during those times that I put Peace into practice.
Putting Peace Into Practice
Putting Peace into practice simply means doing an activity that will put my mind at ease, calm it down, and help me relax.
These are activities that bring me back to a balanced state of mind that says:
"Peace Lives Here."
Writing about Peace and its significance in our lives reminded me of an article I wrote on Medium in May 2022 titled "I Don't Have Time to Put You in My Psyche and Keep You There."
That article spoke specifically about the people in our lives who think it is okay to consume our time and energy.
Even though the article spoke more about people, it is still relevant today and to the topic of Peace in general because the same can be true of thoughts and feelings.
When left unchecked in your mind, they can run amok and begin to wreak havoc on your emotional stability.
With this in mind, I encourage you to begin trying to Put Peace Into Practice by finding ways to keep it at the forefront of your mind.
The Peace IN It All
There is so much going on in the world today, and we can tend to allow ourselves to become removed from our own peace of mind by placing so much of our attention on the happenings around us that we fall into the trap of anger, venting, ranting, and raving about things that, honestly, we don't have direct access to changing.
During those times, we really should be Speaking Less.
What we put out is a reflection of who we are, so we should be putting out Faith in action, which sometimes means putting out nothing at all.
Sometimes, this can be the only way to prevent further discord and promote cordiality.
Peace that surpasses ALL understanding only comes when we sit down long enough to listen with our hearts, minds, and ears without saying much at all.
Speak less and go within more.
You'll find that life is much less stressful that way.
Sit Still and Walk 🧘🏾♀️
When your mind is troubled, Sit still and walk.
I know this statement makes no sense. I'm sure you are wondering, "How can you sit still and walk at the same time?"
Naturally, this is not possible, but mentally, it is.
Think of it like a mental exercise:
Sit still in the physical.
Walk away in the mental.
Sit down, close your eyes, and take a moment—and then a breath. Begin to remove everything from your mind that's causing that trouble or strife.
When you Sit still and walk away in your mind, it gives you a brief reprieve by allowing you just a few moments to separate yourself from the situation you're going through.
Usually, when you do this, you not only come out of that quiet moment with a little clarity and insight into how to handle whatever it is you are dealing with, but it also provides you with the ability to keep your Peace and your Joy even when you are in the middle of a storm.
Peace Equals Change
I believe that PEACE can lead to change when change is needed.
When a person has no peace in their own heart and mind, their behavior can be different because they are living in discord within themselves, which they may then project onto others without even realizing it.
Peace in a person's heart and mind can create change in the atmosphere around them when their lack of peace is contributing to the chaos.
Peace in heart.
Peace in mind.
Peace in spirit.
Peace in the atmosphere.
When you are at Peace, the chaos is not so Loud!
It's a Matter of Peace
When we have the ability to understand how to have, keep, and create Peace and peaceful moments within our minds and in our surrounding spaces, life becomes just a little easier.
You'll find that things don't bother you quite as much, and when they do, you are better equipped to manage them.
Practicing the art of living in Peace takes time, but it is so worth it. And once you get there, you will find that you can also actively NjoyPeace.
Original Original Canva creation by Glorious Raine LYLT Expressions
NjoyPeace
You should NJoyPeace in your heart, mind, soul, and spirit. That is the internal embodiment of Peace.
However, there is also a tangible form of Peace that comes through your everyday activities—"Ways to NjoyPeace (Enjoy Peace)"—the things you do on a daily basis to keep yourself balanced.
Here are a few of mine:
TV, reading, dancing, walking, yoga, meditation, Pilates, and exercise.
Now, of course, I don't engage in each one every day, but I engage in at least one or two on a daily basis.
I hope that you are able to find something that you can make time for every day or every few days.
Don't let life consume you to the point where you have no Peace. Then you are no good to anyone—not even yourself.
Make room for Peace today; you'll be glad you did!
This article is also published in my "Intimation Messages" newsletter on LinkedIn (8.10.26), on my "LYLT Expressions" newsletter, and on "LYLT Expressions" on Substack (8.10.26).
~~ Glorious Raine
