Peace in My Mental War Zone
“It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt
The image of a war zone has been used to describe the state of hospitals overwhelmed by coronavirus patients and victims. I certainly respect and appreciate that imagery and don’t want to minimize that, but I have used that same imagery to describe the state of my mind, not only in the time of coronavirus but on a daily basis–without the shadow of a pandemic looming..
As I reflect on this pilgrimage to joy, I know that I seek a peace treaty in my own mind. I yearn for the mental war of words, of self-doubt, of negativity, of equivocation, of not being able to let go, of even self-loathing, to cease…finally. And for a wave of tranquility, self-acceptance, peace and self-love to flow through.
I almost expect that there remain flare ups in my mental war zone. Sometimes I cannot even control them. But I am forever surprised and am eternally grateful when new peace zones emerge. They seem to be ever increasing recently. They don’t happen on their own. I have to negotiate and navigate these peace treaties, consistently.
There is a formula I must follow: part urgent, part courage, part reflection, part diligent work and a generous dose of forgiveness.
They haven’t quite supplanted all the hotspots of conflict prone areas. But, they are spreading pervasive and contagious elements of peace and tranquility. I feel less afraid, love myself more and find I’m not that hard on myself. And that my friend, gives me great hope and joy.
What does your peace feel like?
Day 34 #pilgrimagetojoy
