Where do you find peace?

I was recently asked this question in a class I’m taking.

There were many different answers like the beach, the mountains, in nature, and that’s true. I can resonate with those places being peaceful.

How often do we go to those places? Most likely at best once a day out in nature.

We must find lasting peace within ourselves. It cannot be dependent on where we are, who we’re with, what situations we’re in.

We must choose peace and cultivate it no matter where we are, who we’re with, or what’s going on.

Sometimes that means removing ourselves from places that are too difficult for us to hold our peace.

Our peace is our responsibility. Take a breath. I’m going to say it again, our peace is our responsibility.

Our training has led us to believe that our peace comes from outside us and that leaves it dependent on others and situations out of our control.

If we wait for someone to apologize (even if everyone in the world but them knows they’re wrong), we put our peace in their hands. They can hold us hostage for years waiting for that apology if we allow it.

I saw my mom wait her whole life for her mother to realize what she put her through and apologize and love her the way she deserved to be loved. My grandmother didn’t have it to give, she wasn’t valued and loved as she grew up. Unknowingly, all her life, my mom gave her power to someone else and situations out of her control and it ruined her health.

My mom has been one of my greatest teachers. She taught me what to do and what not to do. I spent much of my life also waiting for others to do what I needed them to do so I could have peace.

I’ve realized that my peace comes from a strong desire to have peace and honoring myself by making it a priority.

Years ago, I was in a time where I felt my life falling apart. I knew I wanted something, and I didn’t know what it was.

I spent some quiet time, which at that time in my life was rare, and asked what I needed in my life, what was missing.

A picture of my Grandma Zimmer popped into my mind. I was so curious because I didn’t have the opportunity to get to know her that well. As I sat quietly, the word peace came to mind. I knew that I certainly could use more peace.

So, I asked for peace.

In case you’re wondering, when you ask God or the Universe for peace, it doesn’t magically appear.

What does appear is people and situations that give you the opportunity to choose peace. It’s our responsibility to choose peace.

During that time, I was confronted with many opportunities to choose myself, my peace.

Even though on the outside my life looked like it was falling apart, on the inside I felt a peace that I had never felt before, and I learned to protect my peace.

As you find peace within, you radiate it out into the world. You bring it to the people and situations you encounter and that peace ripples through others.

We’ll talk more about how we can choose and protect our peace next week.

When we change the world changes.