Weekly Insights: Maintaining Inner Peace In Times of War & Turmoil...

No matter what is going on in the world around us, how we feel inside defines our realities. As within, so is without. This is easy to understand when things are working out in our favor, but when life feels out of control, we have to confront the thoughts and feelings inside of us in order to restore the peace. There are things we have control over in our lives, and there are some things that are completely out of our control. When we focus more on what we can control and much less on the things out of our control, we might feel less frustrated and upset. The words we choose to speak become the fabric of our realities. Words framed in the way that empower us to be our best create an atmosphere of excellence. A home that nurtures our energy and feels safe and comfortable offers stability emotionally, mentally, and physically. A career that aligns to our passions and gifts feeds our creative centers. Participating in community events, serving those who have less, befriending neighbors, and going out locally helps to build a stable platform of belonging to something greater than the self. These are the areas of life that we have "control" over, and they are the spaces we are able to impact in the most positive ways.

There is a difference between ignoring the corruption and suffering on the planet and caring so much that we get sick or burn out from extreme empathy. Drowning in sorrow, carrying the weight of other people's pain, and absorbing the suffering of others can lead to burnout. No one person can hold the weight and pressure of the darkness of the world. We can, instead, work on bettering our own lives and healing our own pains inside to affect the world around us.

The practices of mindfulness and meditation are the processes of slowing down the mind enough to be able to choose the thoughts we wish to occupy the very valuable rental spaces in our heads. These rental spaces have the most value of anything in our lives because they lead to the manifestation of our physical realities. Writing letters, protesting inequality, demanding accountability from our leaders, participating in town halls, and making our voices heard are simple actions that make a difference and help us feel like we can do something positive. Getting angry, raging on those who disagree with us, and feeding doom and gloom only brings the vibrations down and prevent us from taking leaps forward. By choosing clarity of the truth when it may or may night align to our beliefs, centering the mind and heart on neutrality, refusing to feed despair, and staying hopeful in faith and Love will all feed the destiny we were meant to manifest on this physical plane. It's not wrong to care, and it is not a sin to choose to ignore the suffering on the planet - it is just a different way to process. Just remember that mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health is the most important gift that we must fight for. Choose the best path for you, and keep on keepin' on!