Obtaining Peace Of Mind

On December 30, 2017, I enjoyed a bus ride. I sat snug in a leather seat aboard a Greyhound bus heading to Daytona Beach, Florida.  I could have flown for an hour and gotten there in a snap, but the adventurer in me chose a 4 hour and 50 minute ride instead. I'm sure you have twisted your face, asking why would she pick a bus over a plane? Here is my why.

We all live our lives on extreme over drive. We wake up to rush to do whatever it is we must do. All day we rush. All day we are moving and shaking. At the end of the day, we rush home in rush hour traffic to rush, and then we shut down to only wake up to do it all over again. Tired is an understatement when the alarm goes off. Or if you are like me, an insomniac, you are looking at the clock when it sounds off. We repeat this cycle day after day and week after week and our bodies are screaming, STOP! But we don't stop.  Saturday is the day to get something done. So where is our rest?  We want everything now. We create stress and frustration. We even become lazy to the important things, unintentionally of course. Why? Because nothing is good enough and everything has to be done now. Noone is truly satisfied. We literally cannot see the forest for the trees. Moving on fumes and caffeine. Every other word is a complaint because finding something positive in the midst of chaos is to much like the right thing to do. Every other comment is negative because our emotional bank is dwindling. I raise my hands.

What gets me is many will shout; I'm on the positive tip or I'm not dealing with no negativity, but the Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts are rude, crude, vulgar, and down right foolish. Every negative thing is shared. The phone calls to gossip about Sally has taken up precious time and our emotional bank is now in the negative. Listen up. We cannot escape the negatives of this life. We can only adjust how we react, respond, or to not respond.  Our lives are human sponges. It will soak up everything that the eyes and ears receive until it holds nothing more only to drip. That drip is our natural responces to what we see, hear, and feel. You can't expect positive energy to come your way if all you're entertaining is a negative Nancy or complaining Craig. I made that last one up.

Seriously. How can we embark on the road to positivity and peace if we are the senders and participators in darkness. I see it and hear it every day. The thing is, I CHOOSE what I'm going to participate in. I, by CHOICE ignore most of it on social media. I don't share negative content by CHOICE. I hear, but I CHOOSE what I will participate in. With the climate of the world today, I make an effort to be as far removed as possible. Not that I dont care, I do. I just cant allow it to send me into a rage that I may not be able to recover from, mentally or physically. Yes, I have negative moments, but I process it all differently. Ignore and shake my head. I pray and praise God because He is my peace.

Back to the bus ride. It was more about adventure than the time spent. I enjoy most things that others shun. I literally wanted to sit back and take it all in. People watch. Have a conversation with a stranger. STOP at a strang place for a bus STOP, especially a Greyhound bus. Adventure. I no longer desire to be in a rush. I dont want to fill my days with chaos and expect calm. Remember this, being busy does not mean productivity. I'm slowing down on many fronts. With the world spinning out of control, I need to break away from the beaten paths and pause on the paths less traveled so that I can actually see and know exactly what Im feeling and why, clearly direct my direction. I must do the work to slow the anxiousness down. I must give my extremly over active brain the opportunity to slow down and to rewire itself by taking a closer look at what I'm allowing into my headspace and spirit. Asset or liability.

My brothers and sister, you have heard it said and I'm certain that you have said it youreslf; tomorrow is not promised. It is true, but I want to add this; you won't get there if you are dead. So, take a load off. Be selective of what you entertain and who you will entertain. Don't allow yourself to be sucked into the negative Nancy's and the complaining Craig's.  Shut the television off and quiet your mind and spirit. What goals do you have? Get to work and get to networking.

Remember that self care starts with you and your willingness to create the spaces and live the life that you truly desire to live. Pick up a journal and write to yourself. Tell yourself those things that you wish you heard earlier in your life. Write down your dreams and goals. Write down the hurt that you have experienced and how those hurts have affected you. This is a great way to start on a new path to healing. Get it out of you so that the new can emerge in you and from you.

I've said this mantra for many years; peace of mind is more important than anything. Get That!

Be Encouraged