Is Peace Worth It?
For years I was under the impression that peace was a key element to success. My theory was if I could manage to develop peace-of-mind, to the optimum extent, all good things would be mine. The perfect job, the ideal relationships, a beautiful home, basically all my dreams would all come true.
I may have reached this premature cognitive decision based on poetry or top-hit rock music of my youth, i.e. Kansas, Carry Onwarward Son on the Leftoverture album, or perhaps via my Catholic upbringing which put a strong emphasis on peace as a major virtue. I tied all these messages into a deep and long-abiding system of focusing myself to attain my heart’s desires.
How Did That Work for you, Camber?
What I’ve learned about peace. Peace is in constant flux. If something is in constant flux it’s not something you can always count on. Therefore, in one minute you may be in total bliss and the next moment someone cuts you off in traffic or behaves in an outrageous way which you dislike and peace flies right out the window! When these moments present themselves you have to recalibrate your mind, attitude and heart rate only to start all over again to regain your peace of mind.
Flux or no flux
What I did garner from this peculiar concept were skills in managing or creating peace. Peace will enhance the quality of your love affairs, friendship, work-life and every aspect of daily life which smart people require to function. Being a human being is complicated and loaded with contrasting conditions.
GameChanger
One day while contemplating the values of peace It suddenly occurred to me peace was no longer my principal aim. Of course, my old-self fought back demanding the center stage, but I pushed on. If whatever I’m seeking must be stackable in order to be rewarding what would stack nicely and lead me to a more desirable lifestyle without discounting everything I’ve built thus far?
Answer: Freedom
In this season of my life, one of the sexiest parts of being human is freedom. Freedom to love who I naturally have chemistry with, which took me 30 years to process and accept. Freedom to go to bed and wake up at whatever time suits my desire. To take pride in the multidimensional self which makes up Camber Hill without the innate desire to segregate which comes naturally to me. Freedom to travel or simply stay home surrounded by the treasure I’ve collected over my lifetime. Freedom to work with the clients I love working with instead of working with those who are better suited to be sitting in someone else's space. Freedom to go on a shopping spree or to buy a piece of art only because I love it and not worry about what I’ll have to do without in order to temporarily own it.
What’s the bottom line?
At this point, my new conclusion is Freedom actually creates peace - and I must admit this was a huge paradigm shift in Camberland.
I’ve come to the point in life where, not only do I know that I don’t know everything, but I’m willing to look at long-held beliefs that were fed to me early on, and question their validity and usefulness in my present life.
So, the bottom line is giving ourselves the FREEDOM to change, flow, re-evaluate, and shift anything we choose to improve. That level of freedom is what creates our strongest sense of peace within, for we have become the stewards of our own mind.
Peace~
