Peace – Page 4 – Life Lessons

Don’t Lose Yourself Trying to Find Yourself

Certain events in life can cause you to re-evaluate your state of being. It could be loss of a loved one, a bad break up or ugly divorce, or a toxic relationship, to name a few. However, if you are not careful on your journey to finding yourself, you can surely lose yourself.

So what does this even mean?

Your sanity is at stake as you try to adjust to your “new normal”. Therefore, you might choose bad habits to help you cope in the interim.

Unless you predicted the outcome of something, then it may come as a shock to you. But even if you saw it coming, like in the case of a bad break up, divorce, any type of heartbreak, and even some fatalities, that doesn’t mean you were mentally prepared for it. When it comes to death, most are never mentally prepared to deal with it.

People often try to act as if they are not affected by such, especially when it’s humiliating and embarrassing, but certain behaviors or new habits usually reveal the truth.

You will first try to convince yourself that you are okay. Then you will try to convince others. Until you learn to admit that you’re not okay, you’re going to drive yourself nuts feigning happiness. You must learn to be okay with not being okay until you’ve adjusted to your new normal.

I get that you might want to be left alone for a while, especially right after the incident, but if you start developing bad habits during your period of distance, then you need to let people who love you help you. If you tell people you are okay when they check on you, they may believe you if they don’t notice a change in your behavior or have no evidence of your new vice.

Everyone copes with depression differently, so everything does not need to be shared. However, if your coping mechanism leads to self destruction, then you need to confide in someone you can trust, and that someone does not have to be a friend or family member.

You were not designed to fight every battle on your own. No matter how tough you may think you are, you will eventually meet your match in life. You might not turn to people for help, but if drugs (legal or illegal), alcohol, and crime could interact the way people do, you’d be a team player.

Don’t invite toxic guests to your team for emotional support when you’re trying to find yourself. Instead, you’ll find yourself locked up in a mental institution or corrective institution – or much worse than the two, needless to say.

If you have a healthy circle, invite those friends rather. Let them take you out, visit you, or just listen to you. That’s what they’re meant for.

If you don’t have anyone to confide in, then you should seek a spiritual advisor and/or a therapist.

And remember…
“Make sense of what you do, and make every cent count.”

What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear them.

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Photo: Flickr by Johanna Albert

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The World Owes You Nothing, But You Owe Yourself The World

As long as you are breathing, you will face problems on Earth. But you must understand that you are not the only one with problems. The lower class have a hard time keeping bread on the table. The middle class have a hard time keeping bread in their accounts. The upper class have a problem with sharing their bread. Now while this may not apply to every individual from each class, it does apply to many oftentimes.

What does this have to do with me?

Everything. When you hit a brick wall with your finances, you tend to single yourself out as if it has only happened to you. You get in your feelings and begin playing the “blame game” so people can feel sorry for you and offer aid. But you tend to leave out how you brought much of your stress and frustration on yourself in some instances. People from all walks of life do have problems of their own. They’re just not airing it on social media or bogging you down with it. And it’s because they understand that they are not exempt from encountering problems. It doesn’t mean they are not affected by them either. They just deal with them accordingly so they don’t worsen. When you realize that each day has enough trouble of its own, you learn not to spend too much time on present-day problems. Like laundry, if you let problems pile up, the load will only get heavier. Lighten your load before you explode!

So how do I give myself the world?

By protecting your peace. More money won’t bring you peace. A new body won’t bring you peace. A new car or home won’t bring you peace. A new job or career won’t bring you peace. A new mate won’t bring you peace either. You get my drift? You’re responsible for your own peace and how you obtain that is by learning to effectively manage the problems in your life. You can face a problem in ANY aspect of life, and that problem will welcome unwanted stress if you let it.

“Stress kills and joy fills.” (I’m G.O.O.D. Getting Over Obstacles Daily, Vol. 1)

“Peace and joy are priceless because they secure happiness. Though they may seem elusive at dark times, they deserve the energy burned trying to obtain them. Your sanity is worth it. Otherwise, you’ll lose yourself in a battle that can leave you scarred for life.” (I’m Still G.O.O.D. Getting Over Obstacles Daily, Vol. 2)

Turn your problems into solutions and your pity into a purpose. Then you can enjoy a world full of peace .

Don’t be selfish. Share this with your family and friends!

Protect Your Peace

“Peace is golden. But even gold needs a polish every now and then.”
-Bianca A. McCormick-Johnson

You don’t realize how significant peace is until someone disrupts it. That’s why it is of utmost importance who you let into your space how you handle difficult or challenging situations.

Problems are inevitable, but to have peace is a choice. I say that because I’ve witnessed some people welcome drama and conflict into their lives.

Every action does not deserve a reaction. I’m sure many of you have heard that before. It simply implies that you do not have to defend every attack on your character, whether implicit or explicit.

Anything you give negative energy to is an invasion of peace. Consequently, your peace is more important than you might think. Whenever someone makes your “blood boil”, “gets you outta body or out of your element”, or “gives you bad vibes”, that person is a cancer in your life. I’m sure we all know what cancer does to the body.

Nevertheless, situations beyond your control can take you out of your element, like a car accident. But once again, how you react in such situation can determine whether or not it will go from bad to ugly. You do have every right to get mad, but you don’t have to become angry, especially if it was an honest mistake.

In other words, don’t lose your mind over a fender bender. In major collisions, many people lose their lives. Count your blessings.

You must also protect your peace from gossips and negative people. These can be people you have close ties with such as family, friends, co-workers, and some associates. They may not kill your mood with their immediate presence or dialogue, but small talk can easily segue into an unfavorable conversation if you’re not careful. Before you know it, you’ve learned that Bobby has been wearing a toupee all this time, and Victoria has been sleeping with the next-door neighbor.

You may not think it affects your peace until you run into Bobby or Victoria. When you see Bobby, you can’t help but to take a glance at that toupee, and when you see Victoria, you can never think of her as the wholesome woman you thought she was.

If you are focused and determined to keep your peace, those types of thoughts will be short-lived. When you let them linger, that’s when they become problematic.

The reason you never want them planted is because they can take up useful space and become distracting. They also can give you negative perceptions you never had once before of certain people. When negative energy gets transferred, it can be damaging to an entire community.

What such and such said about you combined with the fender bender, Bobby’s toupee, and Victoria’s infidelity is enough to blur your vision and through you off track from your daily mental routine. When this happens, demons try to creep their way in.

That’s why it’s important to protect your peace.

Pray—Practice—Praise–Prosper

And remember:

“Make sense of what you do, and make every cent count.”