This world is too loud. Not nature. We humans. Many of us fill our days with so much noise and very little intentional silence. When I walk through my local forest preserve and my neighborhood pathway that is enclosed with trees – it is quiet. It is peaceful. Sure, there are birds singing a new song, squirrels scurrying across fallen leaves as they carry out their nut burying business, and mallards quacking and paddling at the pond – but nevertheless, it feels calm. It is refreshing.  There is no yelling on TV about “those democrats” and “those republicans” – shout out to election season. There is no music blaring through speakers. There are no human voices declaring their opinions and life long learnings about XYZ topic . There are no screens streaming a never ending flow of content. 

In nature there is just being.

In the stillness there is much play, much growth, and much rest taking place. As a human I need more of this in my day to day life. I am blessed to have a life filled with little people vying for my attention and a career where my leadership is valued (so much so that I get lots of emails and meetings to work through ever changing business processes). It is a lot. Nevertheless – I am thankful for my lot.

When I think about living a peaceful life – I don’t think about all the demands of “real life” being taken away (although it seems nice). I think about:

Carving Out Space To Intentionally Be

Right now, I have carved out space to be Lonisa. Right now I am not Wifey, I am not Mommy, I am not Daughter, I am not Sister, I am not Technical Consultant. I am the title-less me. & I LOVE IT! There is no weight. I am just doing me before the whole world comes chasing after me. It’s me, God, and this clicky mechanical keyboard that makes me feel like I’m really “doing something”. Oh the tricks we play! Anyways…..

The other day I found a little notecard book of mine that has what I believe to be the keys to living a peaceful life.

A God Dependent Life

Not to be mistaken with a trouble free life. I have these 4 bullets written down based on what is written in 1 Thessalonians 4: 9-12.

• Love One Another (More & More)
• Live Quietly
• Mind Your Own Affairs
• Work with Your hands

Now I’ve asked myself – What do these mean to me? For me:

• Loving More & More – means more seeking to understand people that are different than me.
• Living Quietly – means less gossiping, taking in less media, and less airing of my “ you need to be doing this” one liners.
• Minding My Own Affairs – means not trying “to fix” the many issues folks face. Not seeking out drama. More working on my own growth. My own goals. My own dreams. My own home life.
• Working with My Hands – means more creating. More putting pen to paper. More flower arranging. More finishing the many personal projects I start. Getting things to “DONE”.

When I dwell on that scripture I feel peace. I feel less burdens. I feel lighter. Maybe it will induce the same feelings and truths in you. 

I hope you experience an outpouring of peace.

Blessings, Lonisa