Why we shouldn’t trade in our peace for anything else
Welcome to another edition of Wisdom Weekly, here we work to bring things that inspire you, to hopefully nudge you in the right path, if you are not already going that way, or maybe you haven’t just thought about things in the way we may present them to you. Today’s article has to do with peace of mind. Peace is one of the most important quality of life that we will get to experience here on earth. I also believe that peace is a gift, given to us to be able to navigate this crazy world when things get chaotic.
Peace is a state of tranquility; it also means freedom of disturbance. I remember growing up, when we would disturb my mother, by bombarding her with all our requests and questions, and she will often say “please, let me have peace of mind!” As kids, we didn’t really understand why our parents (especially our mom), would need some moments of silence to themselves, but as an adult, I understand it fully.
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There are moments when I am driving and I turn off the radio because I just want to be in a state of quietness, to be able to gather my thoughts together and make sense of what is going on in life. In countries where there is constant warring, world leaders under the United Nations have been looking for ways to bring about world peace. Where there is an absence of peace, chaos is present. And where there is chaos, destruction is usually around the corner, waiting to happen.
When it comes to our personal lives, nothing is ever worth our peace. People have left well-paying jobs, just because they did not have peace being there, they felt incomplete working those jobs, so they quit to go follow their dreams. Because they took that bold step, they have become so much happier and fulfilled, even if they are not making half of what they used to make in their corporate jobs. But that peace of mind which they have now is way more rewarding than the anxiety they had to deal with while working a job they no longer loved.
People have left relationships, because of the lack of peace as well. If you are with someone, and something doesn’t quite feel right on the inside, you find yourself having more anxiety than peace whenever you are with your partner, then it’s time to evaluate your relationship because the lack of peace you are feeling is an indicator that something is wrong somewhere. Peace is the best leader in any circumstance. Even when it comes to partnering with people on business deals, if you don’t have peace about your partner, then take a step back. This will save you from a lot of turmoil in the future.
“You will keep in perfect peace, those whose thoughts are stayed on You”
Sometimes the things that may bring us anxiety, may not be external things, they may be the things we think about. It is very easy for us to think about the worse possible scenario when we are dealing with a difficult circumstance. We may think to ourselves that we are not good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, rich enough or influential enough.
We may be comparing ourselves to others and feel like our lives are out of whack because we haven’t gotten to where we want to be in life. All these kinds of negative thoughts produce fear, depression, anxiety, and studies have shown that it can even lead to a physical ailment.
The above quote which is taken out of the bible is referring to how God will keep the people, who think about Him in perfect peace. Another scripture found in Philippians 4, talks about, how we should meditate on things that are true, lovely, pure and are worthy of praise because these thoughts produce joy and peace in our lives. When we begin to think positively, or like people always say, when we begin to see the glass as half full rather than half empty, then a shift would occur in our minds, and we will begin to have more peace.
It is better to have peace than to have riches or influence without peace of mind. There are a lot of influential people who have committed suicide over the years, and sometimes it may be because they didn’t really have that sense of fulfillment or joy in the kind of life they were living.
From the outside looking in, it may seem that their life was perfect because they had everything, but on the inside, there was a war going on, that they did not know how to win, and since they didn’t seek the appropriate help, it eventually led to their demise. It is better to be single and have peace than to be in a relationship with no peace of mind. I have been there and done that, and I can confidently say, I prefer my tranquility on the inside.
All this is just to say, that trading your peace of mind for something else isn’t worth anything. Instead of chasing after things that we feel may bring us joy or fulfillment, we should learn to be content in whatever state we find ourselves in, and rather pursue peace in every situation, and let peace lead us to a life that will be fulfilling for us. And if you find yourself battling a war on the inside, that is trying to steal your peace and joy, please do not be afraid to speak to someone who is trustworthy and can help you. Take advantage of the community of people you have around you.
Hope I was able to inspire you with the short post this morning. Have you ever found yourself in a place of chaos? How did you overcome the lack of peace that you felt? Leave your thoughts and comments below, and always remember to like, share and subscribe to never miss an update, on Let’s Talk Nation.