In Hot Pursuit of Peace

First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.~Thomas Kempis

What is peace? Peace is defined as freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, having tranquility and serenity. Peace in a relationship is a state of mutual harmony. In life, people seem to be in hot pursuit of a lot of things like success, love, happiness and peace. However, these are not destinations we arrive at, rather inner strengths and perspectives that we take with us on our journeys to the various destinations life has to offer.

When we adopt or accept success in our attitudes, whether we win or lose is irrelevant because we always remain victorious. When we make the conscious decision that we embrace happiness then regardless of what storms come into our lives, we may get tossed to and fro but we will not lose our joy. The same applies to peace. When we are at peace with ourselves, meaning we are who we say we are in words, deeds and actions, then we become entitled to peace. We have set internal and external metrics in which peace can incubate and flourish. Nonetheless, when we are not stable or we allow unstable people in our lives, we create unnecessary stress, drama and trauma to our own peaceful havens.

Avoid environments, internal and/or external situations, circumstances or actions that yield conflict:

1. mental or emotional indecisiveness, instability

2. loss of control or ability to respond or act

3. breech in trust

4. insult, injury and rejection

5. a disparity between intentions and actions

6. people who are reactive and not in control of their lives

Balancing life in all of its faucets from careers to relationships and everything in between, can at times be an arduous task. Nonetheless, the less conflict, stress or tension we allow to overtake us, opens the gateways to maintaining a peaceful existence.