A few years ago, I came across a greeting card that read,
“Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”
I instantly loved that quote. It so resonated with me and how I wanted to approach the world. I bought the card and posted it on my desk. I’ve talked before about having a theme, word, or mantra for your life. I’ve had different ones at different times. But PEACE right now is my word for my personal life (passion is the one for my professional life) and the mantra above– which I once used as a guide in my professional life is the one to guide my personal life right now. My life at home is noisy and full right now. My professional life is always in flux– the very nature of freelancing. And, yet, I am at peace. Calm and clear. Tired and concerned, yet poised to respond to the inequities of the world and calm in my heart so I can do what must be done.
Just a couple weeks ago, I came across this Eckhart Tolle quote. I haven’t read any of his books, but this one liner really spoke to me,
“If peace is really what you want, then you will choose peace.”
I’ve long had a calm heart, mercurial is not a place I visit unless I am heated by injustice or bullying of any kind. Perhaps I chose to have peace in my heart years ago, as I came of age, when the world around me wasn’t so peaceful in its own right. I love now that I can choose to have a peaceful heart, home, and life over and over again and, by that very choice, it mostly happens, and I love that peace is an offering we can give our boy each day.
At the beginning of this year, I suggested that you each find your word or theme and embrace it. Recently, I was reading a blog I often ready, Fighting Windmills, and I discovered that another blogger did the same thing. If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to find your word for this moment in your life. It’s an excellent tool in the journey to self-awareness.
Got your word? Share it here!
** Jillian, thanks for these great pictures! Baby gave a framed one to BF for his birthday, and it was a hit!
Beautifully written!…This has been a year of defining who I am by my own standards and then applying it to each aspect of my life. Very slowly, very painfully at times…My next mission will have to be finding a phrase/word/theme to keep me on the path…
Faith.. in the coming months im gonna need to have faith .. not just in God but in other ppl 🙂
Rosie…I can’t tell you just how long I have bee on this blog right now…and how I have tears in my eyes.
Shamefully I hadn’t been around here in so long and after you made my heart smile by leaving me the TED comment – I decided to come back around these parts and see whats up with you (especially because Gregg and I haven’t given up on thinking about NC).
When we first met one of the things we both had in common was the ‘no children’ thing and all of our mixed feelings with that…anyways I have now been through pages and pages of your post – especially looking for the how and when baby A was born into his new life. I am so so so happy, impressed, proud and quite honestly a bit forlorn…Gregg and I looked into this two years ago…but just look at how your power of intention works. Congrats my lady and may your new life be filled with countless more blessings and daily peace.
-marisol
Rosie ~ You are always so eloquent. This one really touched home with me. My word is “appreciative.”