you There is no path to peace. Peace is the path. - Gandhi.

We live in such a busy and crazy time. From the moment we awaken, we are busy. The alarm sounds and we are jolted into action. It’s no wonder so many of us look forward to the weekend when there is no alarm calling us into action; a time when we can be still and enjoy the peacefulness and quiet of the morning.
I am definitely a morning person and I would challenge those who are not to reconsider what a new day brings. It is said that if we can reinterpret the feeling associated with our current state that we can change our reality. We know this when we stub our toe getting out of bed and immediately think, “Ugh! Is this how my day is going to start?” You have already made it a bad day. You have subconsciously stated that nothing can go well from this point forward.

It is so hard to slow down, but today, I would like to introduce to you a quick meditation practice that will not throw your schedule into a tizzy and you do not have to get up 30 minutes early to practice.  This is an exercise in peace.

Peace is within each of us and it is stillness where we are able to find peace. When our mind is so full with what we need to accomplish, from the moment we wake up, we bypass our peace. The good news is that even if you have already had a hectic day or are in the middle of chaos while reading this, your peace still awaits.

When I say that peace can be found in stillness, that does not mean that you must become paralyzed in a cocoon, isolated from society to tap into it. Peace is in you, we just need to draw it out, from wherever you are.

A great practice in the morning, following the alarm is to lay still. Feel the comfort around you as you think of how that makes you feel. When we connect our physical sensations to our inner sensations, feelings, we are primed to tap into peace.

From this state of feeling, we need to shift to a positive and appreciative train of thought. What are you appreciative for? Some may say, “Nothing. My life is horrible right now. That is why I am searching for some light of hope. I need things to get better.” Okay, let me address that thought. You are alive. You and I have an opportunity to change everything! However, we must tap into peace to unlock the power of change.

I don’t care if you are dying of cancer or your spouse just said they were leaving you. Today, you have the ultimate power to change how you feel and have a better day and more fulfilling life. This is your story; do you want a happy, never-ending story? One that lives on far beyond your last breath? I’m assuming you say yes to that. Then you need peace.

Each day is a day of renewal. Regardless of what you face in the day, the moment when you can connect with the positive energy around you – the universe is comprised of positive and negative ions – tap into the positive – it will take you places!

Awaken to an appreciative state. We all live to leave a legacy. Each day, if even our last on this earth, is another opportunity to influence those around us in a positive way. Believe me, I understand how difficult it can be sometimes when in a storm to see the light; but we must realize that the sun is behind every storm cloud.

From your bed in the morning, or where you are right now, stop. Close your eyes for a moment. Tap into a positive feeling in your body. It could even be an awareness of the comfort of your chair- just become aware.

Next, hold that comfort feeling, that positive energy, what do you appreciate about today? Did you hit one red light instead of five on way to the office? Become aware of that appreciation, “I am so happy that I hit 1 red light instead of 5 today.” Hold that feeling. Mean it. There is no bluffing in appreciation. Be true to yourself.

If you do this when you lay in bed, the moment you awake, it is most effective as it sets forth an energy that will transform your day. Make this your homework. Tomorrow when you awake, stop. Feel the softness of your bed or the coolness in the air. Stay there for a moment. What do you appreciate about in that moment? The beauty of the sun beaming through your window? The fact that you are alive and breathing? Another opportunity for today to be better than yesterday? Hold whatever it is you are appreciative for. Aloud, state, I deserve that.

By proclaiming what it is you deserve, you have set forth to the universe not only what it is that you are happy for, but you are claiming that positive energy as a part of you- what you deserve. Peace comes in that positive energy. When we hold fast to that appreciative state, we are then able to walk the path of peace for the rest of the day.

Why not make it every day? Walk in peace my friends. You deserve it. Have a beautiful day. Better yet, make today more beautiful for someone else. This is your destiny.
 
Jolene Church is currently working on doctoral research on critical thinking in organizational leadership. She is an accomplished motivational speaker, success coach, and the co-author of Thinking 101: Fundamentals of a Successful Mindset- available now on Amazon in paperback and Kindle or at www.successfulthinkingmindset.com . Watch for her new books to be released in 2016, The Boomerang Effect: Manifesting Your Dreams and How to Write a Book in 30 Days.

Your boss sends you an email before you arrive at work- “Can you come by my office when you get in?” Oh geez, you think- “I’m in trouble.”

Your spouse wants “to talk about something important.”  Oh no! What did I do?!
Why is it that our mind is naturally programmed for the worst-case scenario? Helen Keller stated, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope.”

The natural tendency to default our thinking into a state of fear and guilt is like junk food for the soul. It perpetuates a malnourished state of mind. What we put in, we get out. The thoughts we nourish, are the ones that grow.

Success is built upon a state of hope and confidence. We cannot break boundaries, push past limitations without an unyielding belief and confidence in what we are doing. So how do we break our junk food habit? Practice.

Turn your face towards the sun, and the shadows fall behind you. You will never find a rainbow if you are always looking down.

The art of nourishing the mind with optimism begins with appreciation. When we can look at the glass and realize that we are happy whether it appears to be half-full, empty, or filled to the brim. Technically, the glass is always full. If it appears half-full of water, it is half filled with air. If it appears empty, it is actually full. Our perception and assumptions inhibit our nutritional intake. If you want a healthy dose of nutrition for the soul, change your perspective.

Can we be overly optimistic? If in every situation we find something to appreciate, then no, as optimism is continually looking through an appreciative lens. A loss is an opportunity to improve and try again. A win, is not the end, it is the first step toward another achievement. Pessimism is seeing only the cloud; Optimism is knowing that the sun is behind it.

We can’t live on junk food. We must practice providing a nutritionally balanced diet to our soul. What we think is what becomes our reality.

It can seem like a daunting task to practice looking for the bright side and re-training your brain to think of a positive alternative to the unknown. It’s okay to think, “I wonder what they want to discuss with me.” However, if you have in mind something positive that you would like to share with them, instead, your attitude going in will definitely help you appreciate whatever news you receive.

There truly is no bad news. Some news may seem disappointing if you had an expectation or desire of a different result, but when you can find strength building food within the thought, the junk food is not a temptation.

Optimism has had a bad rap. It is not always being happy. It is appreciating everything that is thrown at you as an opportunity to say- “I’m not going to let this get me down. I appreciate a chance to be challenged, to improve, and to build confidence.

Optimism is the last hope for the defeated. Get out of the junk food habit. This week, think of something that did not go according to plan at some point in your life, that in the end was a blessing. Start by appreciating that disappointment. From there, focus on one thing you appreciate about this very moment. Hold that thought. Don’t let go.

Have an amazing week, appreciating that the glass is always full.

Jolene Church is currently working on doctoral research on critical thinking in organizational leadership. She is an accomplished motivational speaker, success coach, and the co-author of the newly released, Thinking 101: Fundamentals of a Successful Mindset- available now on Amazon in paperback and Kindle or at www.successfulthinkingmindset.com . Her new book, The Boomerang Effect: Manifesting Your Dreams will be released this holiday season.