“Everybody wants peace, peace of mind.
Peace of mind, peace of mind, peace of mind, peace of mind.”
(Loggins and Messina)
How do we find it amidst travails, busyness and troubled public and private conversations? If Facebook is a signpost, we have not yet recovered from the venomous exchanges of the Presidential election. Rants continue to test our tolerance. Sometimes we find ourselves identifying with other people’s fear. Help!
Give me peace of mind, a calm center, regardless of the noise around me.
The classic rock n’ roll group, Boston, laments:
“I understand about indecision
But I don’t care if I get behind
People livin’ in competition
All I want is to have my peace of mind, yeah, whoa
Now you’re climbin’ to the top of the company ladder
Hope it doesn’t take too long
Can’tcha you see there’ll come a day when it won’t matter?
Come a day when you’ll be gone, whoa.”
(Lyrics from “Peace of Mind by songwriter, T. Scholz)
Take Away?
Don’t worry about other’s people’s “trips” aka the competition. Stay present in your life right now and trust that your internal voice will inform next steps towards work success.
Singer Kehlani in “Piece of Mind” advises that we rid ourselves of the incessant negative “piece” of mind that we carry around inside our heads and sadly bring to interactions:
Said I’m tryna break off a piece of mind
A piece of mind that I can’t get right
(I can’t get right)
Said I’m tryna break off a piece of mind
A piece of mind, my heart’s on my side
(My heart is on my side)
Lyric translation?
Watching and observing the story we tell ourselves versus acting on unsolicited thoughts help manage stress and reduce reactive behavior.
When triggered, the Search Inside Yourself Leadership[1] program suggests “SNBRR”: that we “stop, notice, breathe, reflect, and respond”. Even managing the first step of pausing will improve chances of hearing more fully the actual truth behind the noise. Often what’s needed is acknowledgement of what’s being said than actually providing a solution.
Although not written in lyrics, here are some tips for creating peace and quiet
- Rest. Yes, the obvious. We need to give ourselves a break and not repeatedly push through to a breaking point. Listen to our bodies and spirits. Rest. Refresh. Pause. However that looks for you. A fresh burrata and a glass of wine to wind down the day?
- Pursue simple activities that bring happiness. For me it’s sitting with my dogs snuggling next to me.
- Take a stroll in nature.
- Set boundaries. Don’t take it the negative. We can still whole-heartedly empathize and reflect back another’s pain or troubles. Yet, thoughtful listening doesn’t require forever attaching ourselves to difficulties.
- Gather around the table. Serve whatever you have in the fridge in a buffet on the table. Relish those moments in communion with others, savoring time together.
“Peace of Mind” is “more than a feeling”. It’s a way of living and giving to the world. It comes from within. Peace of Mind…it’s attainable.
“I’m free, free to do as I please
Free to choose, free to be
Just plain me, just plain fine
I’m here then I’m there
Not a care in the world
What a cure for the soul, peace of mind.” (- George Strait)
Year of Confab 2017
#20 Share “go to” activities for finding your “center”, a sense of calm, even if circumstances are crazy around you.
“Peace of Mind” YouTube videos
- Loggins and Messina, “Peace of Mind”
- Boston, “Peace of Mind”
- Kehlani “Piece of Mind”
- George Strait, “Peace of Mind”
