“Peace looks a lot like boredom to those accustomed to chaos.”
I heard this quote from one of my amazing friends and it really resonated with me. Peace is not a popular choice. It seems counterintuitive, right?! How could anyone not want peace?! And yet, our mainstream media, social media and entertainment industry ride or die on the foundation of chaos. When we’ve lived most of our lives in a landscape of chaos, it can be a very comfortable form of discomfort.
Sometimes comfortable chaos is easier to choose than finding the courage to be different. So when we stay “plugged in” it can feel like a constant battle to try to maintain a feeling of peace. When we disconnect though, the peaceful realm can be very quiet. Some of us love the quiet; I savor it. Others though, including my former self, can find the quiet disconcerting, uncomfortable, and boy can it be hard to sit still. Discomfort is data though, and if we get curious, we can learn something about ourselves in the process. When we grow our awareness, we grow our capacity for acceptance, action and better reactions.
I’ve struggled over the years with the kids, being far too reactive, but as I gain more awareness and acceptance of myself, I grow more patient and tolerant with them.
“If there is to be peace in the world, there must be peace in the nations. If there is to be peace in the nations, there must be peace in the cities. If there is to be peace in the cities, there must be peace between neighbors. If there is to be peace between neighbors, there must be peace in the home. If there is to be peace in the home, there must be peace in the heart.” -Lao Tzu
Peace is not boredom. Peace is beauty personified.
