Encouraging Field Notes #4
Let peace stay. These three words have been heavy on my mind lately and also hard to swallow. I had a lot of ideas of who I was and the kind of life I had to live and very few of those ideas were full of abundance and even less were full of peace. In working to challenge many of the limiting beliefs I have about myself, I had to answer the bigger question of “what do you do once you’ve challenged the lie?”
It’d be simple to say “come up with an answer,” but it’d also be wrong to say that. Having deeply seated limited beliefs means that an answer or solution isn’t enough. It is simply the first step of a long process that’s rooted on getting comfortable with peace, stability, abundance, and or the opposite of chaos and whatever that means in your life. Most of us aren’t naturally good at being that at peace. It’s like we want it, but only in theory because in practice it means we can’t find comfort in our old ways. Bad habits and limiting beliefs are suffocating but they’re also familiar, which is sometimes hard to let go of.
It’s worth it though to let go and let yourself exist in any kind of peace you’re actively craving.
To put this into practice — let’s talk about the comparison game. Whether you’re comparing yourself to the people you follow on IG or you’re being compared by others to someone in your family or business world, no comparison serves as a good foundation for your peace of mind or your growth. We know this to be true and yet there is no immediate peace on the other side of deleting the apps or setting the boundaries with family members. Peace and joy in our lives requires that we replace the negative habits with ones that better serve us. If your MO was to belittle your accomplishments, physical or emotional beauty, or self-worth, then your new acquired habit should be rooted in screaming different mantras from rooftops until you believe them.
Words of encouragement (these included) aren’t solutions or meant to fix everything immediately, but they do offer you the bridge you can begin to cross at your own pace and in your own ways.
Like for instance, starting with “I am smart. I have what I need. I’m not meant to punish myself.” may seem small but it’s a huge way to start shifting your mindset.
Lately, I’ve been finding peace by sitting in the quiet and by working. Both actions bring out parts of myself that I was used to hiding or dulling because it’s what was familiar to me, but not anymore. Now I’m getting to know peace and wherever you are, I hope you know you’re good enough for peace too.