We have moved into our new home, and I look out the window and see trees and more trees. I feel so blessed.
And then I look around inside, and I see chaos. Hundreds of boxes, in various stages of throwing up on the floor, combined with clothes that have no home, dirty laundry, lego and playmobil. Yesterday I was feeling a bit anxious, even though I made great progress on unpacking the kitchen.
The "when this then I'll be...." thoughts began to creep into my head. Like "when all these boxes are put away then I'll feel much better and will be able to relax" similar to the "when I find a new job then I'll be happier" soundtrack.
I took a break from the unpacking and went for a walk in the magical canyon (city park) that is our backyard. I watched the hawks flying, saw kids picking blackberries, and felt a bit more peace.
I was listening to the Christine Carter's Happiness Matters podcast and she mentioned a study where participants were instructed to only do "high productivity tasks" all the time - nothing fun, nothing for rest. They had trouble sleeping, and reached such a high anxiety level after just 48 hours the researchers had to stop the study.
There will always be chaos in my life. There will always
be more things to do, scattered toys, jobs and tasks undone. And it's up
to me to find peace in the midst of it.
I think that's what God wants for us "the peace that surpasses all understanding". The fray won't go away - there will always be something else to do, or something else to worry about. But I can take a few minutes every day to reconnect and find that peace and try to enjoy the ride.
How do you find everyday peace? Meditation? Exercise? Prayer? Post your comments!
I love your posts. Thanks for being so candid and real. Praying, having time away from kids (or unpacking), going to the gym or going for a jog is a great way to calm down. Sometimes I just come and read your blog and it always encourages me. Thanks from a fellow bald mama :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad to know there's another bald mama out there. Sometimes it feels lonely! Thanks for reminding me to exercise. If it's been too long I get way grumpy... :)
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ReplyDeletei really like this post ... it show me that regardless of what's going on, that you can always find something positive in everything . I believe that if we contine to look for the positive in everything, we then begin to experience a level of peace that we just can't truly understand ... great post
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment! I just read an article by Martha Beck, life coach - and she talks about finding peace first, and then purpose. I think the peace is the hard part! Definitely requires a higher power... :)
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