That’s the whole message for today!
I realize that the maintenance of my peace and energy is my responsibility and has a direct impact on the quality of my lifestyle.
“The moment I let you violate my boundaries without a consequence, I relinquish that responsibility, and give you the power.”
Years ago I wouldn’t have understood the value of this statement, but today, my peace is paramount. Now more and more, it seems there’s a higher justification and the welcoming of people’s thoughts and opinions. The thing is though, we don’t know how to submit a thing respectfully, and without trying to persuade another that we are right, or our truth is all that matters. That whole thing about agreeing to disagree is a joke now, and the element of sensitivity has been snatched from the equation.
The other day I watched two women share a difference of opinion in the grocery store. It was minor, and not even worth the big squabble, outburst or public scene…..at least so I thought. But, they went at it for a while, managers got involved and so on, and then finally things quieted down as we all continued to be served. One on them walked away quite calmly seeming unbothered, but the other remained worked up for quite some time. She was so worked up, she kept going on and on about what happened, as though she was looking for support and justification. She was really disturbed, and she disturbed everyone else around her too. In my mind, I was like, “sis, this is not even worth your peace.”
Everyone is not going to agree with everything you say, and you’re not going to agree with everything everyone else says.
Personally, I’ve learned that the maintenance of my peace and energy is vital to my very existence. Very recently I’ve had to implement even more stringent measures to ensure it’s not contaminated. You see, when my peace is disturbed, everything gets thrown off, and my mental and emotional state is shaken up.
On the subject of essential, the “Peace of God” is paramount!
My spiritual temperature will always be at the core of my peace. The word, prayer, and presence of the Holy Spirit in my life can alter the gauge, so I must be consistent and intentional with the things that feed my spirit.
But, I’ve come to understand, I can do more, I can set boundaries. They are necessary, and have proven to be favorable in helping me maintain my peace and my energy. Overtime I’ve adopted these and maybe you can try them too.
· Not listening and/or choosing not to engage
· Ignoring completely
· Controlling my response, sometimes just be quiet
· Being responsible with how much media I let in
· Blocking and unfollowing a few folk (people can be extreme)
· Focusing on the things I can control
· Reminding myself of what matters the most
· Exercising gratitude daily
· Social Media fasts
All in all I’m just cautioning you, whatever you decide, and whichever way you decide to do it, “Guard you peace and protect your energy.” Your quality of life depends on it and being diligent about who you give power is critical to maintaining your peace daily.
My two cents on this peace business…..