(by Taylor Ainsworth)
At the end of the day the only thing guaranteed is that you have your own back.
You are in charge of your overall well being, not others. You. So, protect your peace at all costs.
Let whoever, think whatever.
You get to decide who sits at your table! And your table is one of those really pretty and long farmhouse tables. So, it’s important!
I think often we forget that; that we are important and that we are pretty incredible and so capable of many things.
You have an immense amount of power within you.
The tricky part? Not giving it away. Giving away your power is screaming to everyone that you don't believe that your feelings, thoughts or ideas are valid, important and matter. That your own peace comes second to others.
So how do you protect your peace?
To start, pay attention to creating awareness around your everyday thoughts and behaviors. You are likely going to become a reflection of what you'd like to receive.
If you want love, give love.
If you want respect, give respect.
If you want compassion, be compassionate.
If you want to be understood, lend a listening ear.
If you want the truth, be truthful.
Be the kind of energy you want to receive back. The better you feel about who you are in your core, the more likely you’ll believe your peace is worth protecting.
Now listen, protecting your peace is tough work. Really hard and vulnerable work.
It requires that you are willing to take off your mask, to stop hiding, to show up being the most raw, intimate and connected version of you.
To become mindful and in tune with who you are and what you need in life.
To take up space!
To be wise enough to know what is in your control and what is not, to be grateful for this life you live and walk each day with love in your heart.
Another important step is accepting that protecting your peace is a lifelong journey.
There is no destination, so buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Seriously. Enjoy the ride. Make your life something that you enjoy.
When you notice your peace starting to go from bright and free to dull and gray, start incorporating play.
No, it does not matter how old you are!
Play is made for everyone, play is what keeps us feeling alive and attuned with our truest selves.
Being able to take the time to engage in play as an adult has the ability to alleviate stress and relieve exhaustion or fatigue that most of us adults feel.
Now I get it, playing as an adult sometimes feels uncomfortable. Take baby steps! Start by creating a list of things that make your soul feel awake. Then pick one of those items and go with it!
Take out your crayons and color outside the lines while still finding your picture to be beautiful,
bake your favorite dessert as a kid and then take it to the living room and eat it while watching your favorite movie,
dance in the rain,
buy a stuffed animal and give it a name,
dance to your favorite song like you're performing a concert for your favorite people,
draw a sun in the corner of your picture with stick people added,
and most importantly, laugh. Laughing benefits every ounce of who you are and so does play!
Next, remember that protecting your peace means making yourself a priority.
This is probably the hardest part. Because making yourself a priority is much more complicated when your days are centered around you always coming last.
Start finding a few different moments a day where you can put yourself first, no matter what. Maybe after work everyday you stand in the grass barefoot with your face to the sun. Doing this allows you to ground yourself and feel more connected which leads to self-awareness. Being self-aware will allow you to be in tune with who you are and what you want your peace to look, sound and feel like. No one can take better care of you, than you.
At the end of the day be patient with yourself.
Give yourself grace and love. It takes time to make changes in your life and that’s okay. All you need is one day at a time. Small changes can make the biggest impact and allow you to gain clarity on who you are and what you believe in.
Make protecting your peace a part of your everyday routine. You deserve to treat yourself as a priority. Because you are one.
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