Maintaining Inner Peace In A Chaotic World
“Another great reminder that the results of our work are rarely seen in the immediate aftermath, but rather later on down the line and when it really counts..” - Lilli Badcock
Introduction:
One of the issues that comes up for those of us following a spiritual path, is the struggle to keep the vibes high as we navigate day to day life. I’m sure you know what I mean…you do your regular sound healing or yoga practice that helps you to feel totally connected and you leave feeling on top of the world, only to run into someone with road rage on the way home! You walk in the door from your weekend retreat to hear your child screaming from the bathroom that they need their ass wiped or your partner informing you that the bins need to go out! Am I right? ;-)
So how can you stay high vibe in a world of chaos?
The simple answer is…you can’t! And you’re not meant to! I'm sorry if that's made your heart drop a little, but don't worry! I've got you...
Raising our vibration is something that is spoken about a LOT in the spiritual and self-development spaces and personally I think so much of what is shared and portrayed is unrealistic. A quick search for spiritual stuff on Instagram will very quickly show you the spiritual goddess types, floating around in their flappy dresses and preaching about gratitude from their extremely privileged existence...and yes I know we don't really know what they have been through or are going through but that's kind of my point. We don't know. And yet we see the images and we build up a warped idea of what it looks like to live a life of alignment and high vibration. Then we look at our own existence, that is often so very far from what we see elsewhere, and our hearts sink as we solidify the belief that we'll always be just a little bit fucked.
Quick side note...am I jealous of these twenty-something goddesses who can bend their bodies into an infinity symbol whilst lighting a sage stick and drinking macha? Abso-fucking-lutely! ;-). I would LOVE to skip through life with a washboard stomach, being the perfect parent, eating the perfect food, making ALL the millions and smiling smugly at all of those who haven't quite figured it all out...but it's not real life. At least, it's not MY experience of real life. And when I see these spiritual gurus (self-proclaimed most of the time) preaching all the ways we SHOULD be living, I just can't relate to it at all and so it has the opposite effect! My own experience was that whilst I would feel inspired on the surface, underneath I would be recognising all the ways I was SO far away from that image...and then ultimately I would feel unworthy and incapable of finding the freedom and peace I was craving.
Am I being judgemental? Yes. Yes I am. ;-). In fact, I love a flappy dress and would absolutely be rocking the goddess look if you were to ever meet me at an event. So not only am I judgemental, I'm a hypocrite too! Ha ha! And that is actually ok! I am a human after all! ;-)
The thing is, if seeing these images gives you a sense of hope and peace, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. And maybe that is what true peace and contentment looks like for these other people. But it's not how it looks for me, and so if it doesn't look like that for you either, I want you to know that it doesn't mean you can't find your own inner peace and serenity.
Anyway...back to the point of this blog! How then, can we achieve and then maintain this sense of peace and inner calm when for so many of us the world is not a balmy Bali beach?
Next. Level. Acceptance.
Acknowledgement of what is, acceptance of what that means in the present moment and then absolute surrender.
So no, it’s not about staying high vibe all of the time. But it IS about working to create a higher vibrational set-point. In other words, being able to quickly return to truth when faced with something challenging.
When I was navigating the grief of losing one of my best friends, I went to an extremely dark place and for a short time, all faith and hope seemed lost. But in the midst of the pain and turmoil, I heard a small voice asking “What would feel better than this?”. It felt like a pointless question to answer in the face of such hopelessness, but as the days went by I realised that I had succumbed to some truly negative thoughts that were threatening to keep me stuck in the pain. By the way...this is a super condensed version of a truly beautiful story that you can read here, if you're intrigued.
I believe my ability to ask myself that question at such a difficult time was as a result of all the work I had done previously on my own spiritual and self-development. Another great reminder that the results of our work are rarely seen in the immediate aftermath, but rather later on down the line and when it really counts.
This requires surrendering to the fact that this is an ongoing journey and then DAILY commitment to the practices that can help us to take on life and all of it’s twists and turns.
For me personally, the practices I enjoy include journaling, walking and singing as well as ongoing self-reflection. I have truly learned the art of being objective with my own thoughts and feelings so I can recognise when I am in danger of slipping into negative cycles.
But above all else, what has helped me the most was truly recognising and accepting who I am at my core. I have learned to connect to this truth in such a way that when my human gets caught up in fear and overwhelm, I am able to quickly recognise this as being separate from me so I can move past it. This has come as a result of ongoing self-reflection and just deciding not to be beaten!
So…who are you? What is your truth?
I can already tell you that you are LOVE and that your life has a purpose that transcends any pain or struggle you may be facing right now. I can also tell you that you have the strength to walk through whatever you are being asked to navigate.
The most important thing, when it comes to accessing that inner peace we hear about all the time, is mastering the ability to just breathe.
When the shit hits the fan...breathe. When you think you don't know how...breathe. When you just can't see a way through...breathe. Did you know that taking slow, intentional breaths in through your nose and then out of your mouth, sends a signal to your brain that all is well? Did you know that even when everything else around you is falling apart, you are still in control of your breath? And did you know that the breathing you do when singing, mirrors this perfectly?
I can't tell you how to live a life of perfection because I haven't mastered the art of that myself. But what I can tell you, is that when you recognise that the higher power you've been trying to connect with is actually part of who you are, everything starts to feel a little less restricted. You can breathe again. You can take a moment to seek new perspectives and you can decide to be at peace regardless.
Your inner peace and sense of wellness comes from your choice to focus on that in spite of what might be happening around you.
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