The Silent Voice of Peace

Regardless of any challenges and setbacks life brings me, I try to think positively.  This week did not start out smoothly for me.  I tried to maintain a positive mindset when impolite, unreasonable people kept popping into my day via e-mail or direct messages.   I didn’t like the flow of my week and made an effort to pivot my thought patterns whenever I caught myself getting annoyed or upset.

I like to take these eight points, inspired by a post on Happy Publishing and apply them to any bumpy situations I experience – like the ones that occurred this week — and to my walk of life in general.

Check out these simple rules that, with practice, carry potential to produce peace and happiness.  Again, thank you to HappyPublishing.com for inspiring these timeless tips:

Keep your mind well stocked with constructive thoughts.

Not just this week, but also any week — even when you’re on vacation.  Stuff can, and often does, happen.  By rehashing any uncomfortable events in your own mind or even sharing the experience with your closest friends, you can begin the process of polluting your own peace and that of those you love.

I’m still working on this one. I do state beforehand, “Please give me three minutes to kvetch,” but after contaminating my thought process and my friends’ space, what does it really serve?  It doesn’t truly enhance either party.

They’re just tired old issues played out by new people in different scenarios.  Does your energy get depleted after your rant? Mine does.  Practice careful self-awareness the next time you put yourself through this process.  I’ve found that, for me, it’s not so enjoyable.

When I do remember to draw upon my stores of constructive thoughts, I meditate or go for a walk and, while many times it doesn’t resolve the situation, it calms me down and gives me time to reflect.  This cooling off period has helped me to avoid escalating the situation and simply move on.

When you take quiet time for yourself, many times, the silence will bestow you with a gift – a remedy to the situation.  If it doesn’t, just don’t go down that road again.  Learn from your mistakes.

Look for the beautiful and pleasant things in life.

We complain about the smallest things, at times.  Instead of seeing every tiny negative, let’s focus all the blessings of each day.  If you keep looking for the bad things, they will accumulate and pepper your life with negativity. If you search for the good things in every situation – no matter how small – the Universe will reward you by adding to those blessings with more of the same.

Adjust yourself to whatever happens in life and truly make the best of it.

I find letting go and stepping away helps mitigate any collateral damage that could arise from uncomfortable situations.  I am not saying to become the proverbial doormat.  I’m advising that we take the choice that works best for our individual situations and move on!

I like this quote and it’s so true.

“You don’t need a reason to be happy, just a choice.” ~ JL Huie

Have no regrets — live in the present instead of the past.

Yes, do the best and learn from your lessons.  I sometimes say, “Gosh, I could just kick myself! Why did I do that?” Well, that means the experience represents a lesson; one that tells me I need to listen to my intuitive voice the next time a similar situation presents itself.

You’ll begin to feel it with practice. It’s actually a palpable and physical feeling for me.  Something just doesn’t feel right.  I can’t always put my finger on exactly what doesn’t sit well with me, but I just know things don’t add up.

Hone in on your intuition and resolve to get better at it.  Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Give every man a square deal, whether he be prince or pauper.

Yes, I try to practice this every day.  Don’t forget to also include yourself in this point.  I tend to have a soft heart and sometimes people can take advantage of that.  That said, have a soft heart, but a wise mind.

Do your job, no matter how humble it may be, with the best efforts you can give.

Yes, and when you work with others, your level of professionalism and your expectations do not always coincide with the individual with whom you partnered. Do the best you can with the situation at hand; then move on and go forward.  Team yourself up with people that understand you and will help you grow.

There’s a reason why things didn’t go smoothly. You may never know the real reason.  Instead of rehashing on it, learn your lesson and tackle the next fun project with zeal!

Do something for someone every day.

Practicing this point will amaze you.  Even the smallest thing you do for someone else – without expecting anything in return – will result in unfathomable abundance of karma.  The intangible return on investment to you is priceless.

Have faith in yourself, your fellows and God.

When you have one of those days…breathe and say, “All is well,” and even send love and wish blessings upon the person causing you angst.  Untold blessings will rain down on you as a result.

Believe me, this isn’t always easy.  Keep practicing and listen to that voice, yours!

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33 Replies to “The Silent Voice of Peace

  1. Another amazing article. Thank you for sharing. Constructive thoughts? H-m-m hard for me too. Human emotions play a large part in the points you made. They are very strong and can basically remove rationality. Confrontation often creates a defensive reaction followed by stubbornness and anger. Many make an irrational decision based on temporary emotions and later regret it.

    The key? In my experience it is when to know to graciously back down and reconnect your perspective. There will always be lagers and drama pros. The thing to remember is do not let them bring you down to their level. Misery loves company. 🙂

    1. Hi Garron,

      Yes, not always easy. ツ Sometimes it’s not worth the energy, pivoting your thought in the positive I find to be more useful.

      Ann

  2. We all get bogged down in negativity sometimes and need positive action to get out of it. Most of us know it, but some actual action points are always helpful. Doing something to pick ourselves and our days up is always the best answer to negative feelings that come our way. Nice post.

  3. I think I’m a therapist for some friends- all I hear is negative.. I try to fill my mind with constructive thoughts all the time, whether it is in my work or daily life.. Good article, knowing that others write and address what I do..

  4. Such great advice. So many days we successfully do this and sometimes we have to choose a “Good day” to tackle the most difficult tasks and people to get the best results, i.e., working through the voice mail or customer service jungle of some companies.

  5. Another great post Ann! For the most part, my attitude toward life and people can be summed up in 2 quotes: “Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable and remove yourself from the unacceptable”. ~Denis Waitley and “Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can’t change” ~Unknown. I try, as much as possible to do, in “real life”, what I do on Twitter: Follow the positive, unfollow the negative and block the rude.

    1. Hi Judy,

      Love your quote choices in response to this post. Life is short so focus your energy on things that make you smile and laugh : )

      Love ya,
      Ann

  6. All very great ideas Ann! Especially the one about rehashing negative events. When we go back to unpleasant things in our minds we relive those events and are simply prolonging our discomfort when doing so.

  7. It is a challenge for us to attract positive people and I’m happy to be one you can count on for positivity @clutchplay16! You are blessed with wonderful writing skills and I appreciate you sharing with us!

  8. Awesome post Ann!! I think we’ve all been there from time to time and we forget we actually have the power to change our experience by changing our perspective and attitude. =))

  9. Beautiful thoughts and tips, Ann. I’m always inspired by the light-giving material you publish on your site.

    Your example represents a critical one for true happiness and success. Without a positive, wise outlook, our achievements will never match our potential.

  10. Ann, this is a beautiful post and full of so much wisdom. It is easy to accept these precepts of peace intellectually, but much harder to put them into action in our daily lives. We just returned from a trip to the poorest villages of Ethiopia, where we encountered so many people who managed to be joyful and grateful and most of all present – in spite of what we would deem dismal lack of material possessions or even basic human needs. Your post is a great reminder to me – to always be grateful, look for those silver linings, and to remember the joy of service to others. Thank you, and I hope the rest of your week is amazing. Joni

    1. Hi Joni,

      Yes, it’s a daily practice. The rest of the week is fantastic and the weekend will be Amazing! °\(ツ)/°

      Thank YOU for sharing,
      Ann

  11. Hi Ann,
    What a perfect timing! Just today I was telling a tweep how one should stay positive and send positive vibes even if situation is not so good. I actually gave your example too that how your motto is the spread happiness via sm:) People normally tend to get fixed in negatives instead of looking up for some positive light.
    Amazing post!
    Happy tweeting!

  12. Hello Ann,

    A very nice and inspirational article. Do I miss gratitude here? Being thankful for things is not only fun, it changes ones mindset too.

    Thank you.

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