Want PEACE?

  • PICK where

What area of your life do you feel unhappy about? Frustrated with? At a complete loss? Is there an area where you just can’t seem to solve a problem? Where you can’t find ease? Where you can’t bring what you want to fruition?

Be specific. If you have a whole list – work with one area at a time.

 

  • PLAN how

In order to achieve any goal – including peace – the key is to start with exactly where you are and work with the elements that only you can control.

What specifically are YOU doing that is allowing a lack of peace in your life having to do with your chosen subject matter or relationship? Make a list of actions/interactions you’re participating in.

Then take it a step further. What are you telling yourself that keeps you in a state of anger, unrest, sadness, frustration, desperation, fear, helplessness or disgust? This has to do with the thoughts swimming around in your head.

 

  • Make a PACT

Decide that peace in that particular area is your ultimate goal and make a pact with yourself to do whatever it takes to experience and offer peace. Make a list of the thoughts and actions that you can change. Not the thoughts and actions of others involved in any of these scenarios. But rather your own choices, behaviors, beliefs, boundaries.

Write them as “I will….” statements.

Examples:

I will allow __________ to make her own choices and learn from her own mistakes – even if that makes me feel like I’ve failed somehow.

I will walk away for at least 5 minutes in order to compose myself and gather my thoughts before responding in stressful, frustrating or heated interactions.

I will tell myself I forgive myself, every time I realize I am being judgmental…whether it is towards myself or others.

I will not blame anyone else for my current state of affairs. I will own my “failures” as well as my “successes”.

 

  • PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

I recommend choosing one thing at a time to work on. Committing to 40 days is a great way to form a habit. But maybe a week works for you. Or you want to focus on a new area everyday. Or a month at a time. Or maybe you have one major area you want to focus on for an entire year.

However you slice it, put into action that what you say you want. Practice peace. Offer it to others. Accept it for yourself.

 

  • PAY Attention

I recommend you write about your experience with the PEACE Adventure Challenge in your TAL journal. Answer all the questions above. Journal what you learn. Where you get tripped up. Notice and document when and where you feel peace naturally and when and where you attain it through new choices. And even where you lose your shit – again.

As you move through this Adventure Challenge exercise, remember PEACE option #2 from the blog: If you can’t have peace now, make peace with that.

As always, if you have questions, a story or insight please share in the comment below.