“He that would live in peace and at ease, must not speak all he knows nor judge all he sees.” – Benjamin Franklin
I have always been one to lose stuff. A wallet, (with money or a check in it) car keys, a phone, you name it. If it were not lost, it was certainly misplaced for a good period of time that usually drove me and those around me a little bonkers. Thankfully I have become a bit more careful when it comes to losing or misplacing my belongings, however nothing can compare to the loss or displacement of losing our peace of mind.
Honestly the two do not compare at all actually, because when we lose our peace there are usually other contributing factors, often not in our direct control or cognitive thought. And although losing my keys will prevent me from physically getting from one place to another, which is really important, losing my peace will prevent me from even having the desire to arise for a new day. Who cares about keys at that point, right?
As for cognitive thought, I firmly believe in Maya Angelou’s quote that states, “When we know better, we will do better.” This is why it is imperative to learn lessons, and apply those lessons as soon as we learn them. When we choose to not acknowledge or live by this creed, we probably will find ourselves repeating poor choices, stifling our growth and surrounding ourselves with people who do not promote our good welfare, which is a pretty good indication that we are not living in peace yet.
Quite honestly, we mess stuff up with the best intentions. We hurt those we love the most, but authentically desire to do them well. We make promises we cannot keep, and commit to things that are not sustainable by our own strength. We are easily influenced by societal pressures (whether we care to admit it or not). We see what others do and swear we will never become like them, until we are the splitting image or worse. Was this just my life or can anyone else relate?
Life can be like a whirlwind. Things are always changing and for every question we have, there are 100-plus more answers to navigate through, from well-intentioned family, friends, acquaintances and I’ll add the internet. How do we know which road to take, what job to pursue, which school to attend, should I date him or her, should I marry him or her, do I get a second opinion on a negative diagnosis? It can all be quite overwhelming. I have been there, done that and on many occasions I might add. And I suppose I will experience more of it in the future. That is life. The real truth is in life we can always count on most things changing. Imagine that.
However as things change, which they will, we can remain more consistent and stable even in the hardest of times. It all begins with what we are doing with our time. There is a scripture in the Bible that says, “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Simply stated, what we are attempting to shape will be impacted by who and what we allow to have dominant influence over it. Whether a marriage, a child or your own mind. It will become and respond to what it exposed to the most. That said, consider what and who you allow in your space. Be selective and protective, like your peace relies on it.
There are no quick fixes or easy buttons to press to obtain peace. My personal route for peace comes in my relationship with Jesus, however even with Him, it requires something from me. It is a personal decision to surrender my life in way that releases control, and anything that requires me to give up control, my personal control, is not an easy an easy thing to do. So consider the cost, weigh the options and decide if you are ready to no longer be at the helm of your own life. Seems crazy I know, but what good things have you accomplished alone, really?
Keep Pressing,
Hank G