How I lose my peace

Posted by admin in Blog (Weekly), Blogs

Jan
5

For the past several years, it has been my daily intention to be peaceful, to love and to serve. For the most part my life is peaceful, especially when I use these 2 affirmations: “Everything is flowing with peace, ease and grace. Everything I need is streaming towards me, I open my hands and receive.” I have seen the results of these affirmation and am often amazed at how easily my life flows when I practice these affirmations.

I am very aware when I lose my peace and I go within to see what’s going on. It can be when a family member or close friend is struggling and suffering and there is nothing I can do to alleviate their pain. Sometimes all I can do is pray and send love, which is really the best thing I can do for someone. I have learned that worrying is an illusion and doesn’t help anyone involved. I often have to make a CHOICE and say to myself “I will not let anyone or anything rob me of my peace.” Peace is that important to me.

The ego is waiting at every turn and wants to rob us of our peace, especially when things are going well in our lives and we are growing in consciousness. It wants us to believe that we are separate from God and one another which produces feelings of guilt.

Sometimes I recognize ego thought patterns immediately. One of the ways ego shows up is through comparing myself to others. It usually has something to do with the false belief that I don’t have enough or I’m not doing enough. I had an experience this week with ego that was kind of subtle. My friends recommended an energy healer that they raved about because he was the “real deal” so Larry and I decided to try a session.

Although the session was relaxing, I didn’t feel a shift or feel any differently in my body. I started to think there must be something wrong with me or I wasn’t open enough and quickly lost my peace. I realized this was another ploy of the ego encouraging me to compare my experience with my friend, beat up on myself and think I was wrong. It could have also gone the other way. I could have thought that the reason I didn’t have a wow experience with the healer was because I was more advanced and spiritual and didn’t need it. My ego wants me to believe I am better than or less than another.

The good news is that I am becoming more aware of when my ego shows up. The key is to recognize when ego is acting out and when we do the ego loses its power over us.

This is some of the ways I lose my peace:

I feel jealous, afraid or angry

I compare myself to others

I blame others for my problems and feel like a victim

I need to be right and have the last word

I need to be perfect, look good and be the best

I want to intimidate others and have to have the last word in a conversation

I am defensive

I am judgmental toward myself and others

I feel less than or better than or I don’t feel good enough

I want to control, manipulate and fix others

I feel unworthy and not deserving

I feel responsible for others’ happiness and well-being

I am unable to forgive and hold resentments and grudges

I feel stupid, guilty or shameful

I am addicted to a substance or a process like work, busyness, shopping, gambling or perfectionism

I take things personally and think everything revolves around me

I am overly sensitive and feelings get hurt easily

I want to be somewhere else rather than where I am

I worry and obsess and can’t shut off my mind

It is up to us to keep ourselves peaceful, to focus on ourselves and give ourselves the love we need. The more we love ourselves, the more we can love others. How do you lose your peace and do you recognize when ego is trying to rob you of your peace?

Larry

This time of year we give and receive many wishes for a “Happy New Year” and of course most everyone would be happy with a year filled with prosperity, health and happiness. As I thought about it I realized that this new year will most probably be like other years, filled with challenges and successes and there will be a mixture of joy and sadness. What’s important is how I respond to the life experiences that come my way.

I am learning that how I choose to respond to an experience will determine whether it will be a happy or a sad one. I can elevate or diminish my experience by my attitude towards it. I don’t like pain or suffering any more than the next person and certainly don’t wish it in my life.

One of the gifts I received last year was becoming conscious that “accepting” what’s happening each moment of each day is a choice I have. When I’m having difficulties or health problems I can either reject them and see them as a bad thing or I can learn to accept them and not fight them. I am learning in such situations to remain optimistic, stay open to the possibilities and see the glass half full rather than half empty.

My most recent opportunity has been my health. Since the day after Thanksgiving my health has been compromised causing my energy and strength levels to become very low. I have tried most natural remedies and eventually went to my doctor. I seem to be on the mend now, but still have a way to go. It has been difficult for the last four or five weeks to accept sleepless nights, breathing difficulty and terrible coughing bouts. For the most part, I have been able to accept what’s happening without going into the poor me, poor me attitude. I have accepted my situation, done what I could to deal with it and let it be.

I am very fortunate to have Pat at my side, she is the epitome of optimism. When I start to lose my optimism, she reminds me of the progress I have made and to continue to accept that I am getting better. When I accept, I keep myself open to the healing energy of love and don’t allow negative energy to develop. Pat is the real thing; she talks the talk and walks the walk. I see and experience her love energy, her dedication to living her truth, her openness to becoming more conscious and the many people who contact her so often for direction and guidance.

My prayer in this new year is that you join me in learning that we can choose to make this a happy, peaceful and prosperous year by learning to accept whatever comes and staying open to the healing energy of love.