I will trust myself and follow peace.
If only it were that easy, right?
I mean, for a crazy creative brain like mine, this is a tall order. Coming out of a season of distraction and redirection, I wonder if I will ever trust myself again, if I will find the simplicity and luxury of following my heart, my gut and God’s peace again.
How in the world did things get so complicated?
Is it just the world? Or is it more than that?
Actually, I think the issue is found inside not out. My own insecurity, trauma, doubt. Right? The real distraction comes from our own thoughts and emotions, not the circumstances and situations around us.
Peace isn’t external. Yes, we can put ourselves in a peaceful surrounding (and we should do that, as often as possible!); you know, relaxing at the spa, walking on the beach, rocking on a porch, sitting around a campfire. Yes, those all invoke peace, but peace itself comes from the inside.
We have to be the ones to insist on internal peace. As the word says, to “pursue peace” at all costs. Not only in relationships with others, but with ourselves.
I am just coming out of a three-week coma; a burn-out coma that had me wondering if I would ever be myself again. If I would ever get out of the chair and take a shower again, actually! I wasn’t sure there for a minute.
Then, something shifted and I started to come to. And I felt peace. For the first time in a long time, if I’m being totally honest.
I’ve been busy.
Productive.
Making it happen.
Writing.
Connecting.
Being in the flow and on the go.
But what I didn’t have, was peace.
And it took a full stop for me to realize that. For the first time in several years I feel like I know what I want, what I’m supposed to do, what I feel peace about.
Maybe some of you can relate. We are so inundated by social media and all the well-meaning coaches and influencers we follow, we forget that once upon a time, we actually thought for ourselves. We heard from God and followed our own wisdom, intuition and common sense. Now we are overly-reliant on social feeds and the latest download or 5 easy steps, that we have forgotten how to think (and feel) for ourselves.
We can’t blame them. (Unless their intentions are bad and their motives impure, but that’s not for us to judge.) We have to take a hard look in the mirror, and just stop scrolling for a second. We need to do some internal checks and see if we are actually on the path God has for us, or if we have gotten lost in the flow of other people’s agendas and ideas and ideals.
Because, this. This leads to misery.
You may be miserable, discontent and disconnected simply because you are too connected. I know, this is starting to sound like one of those anti-social articles of years past.
Here’s the deal, we are as susceptible to peer pressure, comparison and pretense as our teen-age counterparts. We think we are too mature, or experienced or smart to fall into that. But friends, we aren’t.
I know.
I’ve seen it.
I’ve experienced it.
All the sage wisdom and coaching advice can seem helpful and even inspiring, but when we lose the ability to trust ourselves, feel our own feelings, and love ourselves the way we are, we need to pay attention. Or we risk losing the very thing that will propel us into our purpose and allow us to keep our peace.
I encourage you friend, starting today, make space to hear your own thoughts. Stop taking what others say as gospel, and limit the number of voices you allow to speak into your life.
Trust me, YOU are the best option when it comes to discerning direction, knowing what’s actually in your heart, and what brings peace to you. Don’t give that away to anyone else, no matter how many followers or likes or posts they have.
YOU are a daughter of God, with the ability and desire to hear and to follow his plan and purpose and peace. It’s time to take that back and start living the life HE planned for you! Amen.