Peace during the holidays

In my faith tradition, Holiday season begins on the last sunday of November.  Each week has a theme that we focus on.  This week’s focus is peace. 

From a well-being perspective, peace is about wholeheartedness and a life of integration. 

Peace can be a state of relational harmony and tranquility. What comes to mind is someone who is taking ownership of their life and seeking understanding and wholeness. Not someone who is perfect and never gets upset.  That’s unrealistic.  It’s about how we turn towards the virtue of peace in times of trouble.  

I have moments of peace throughout my day. It’s not 100% peaceful each moment. But I’m working towards peace as best I can.  There are interactions that can be peace draining and others that are peace filling.

Just sharing about how I’m feeling or what I’m struggling with is a choice to move towards wholeness and peace.  

But even in tough circumstances, I find that I can cultivate peace with the help of my spirituality (faith in God) and by naming what is upsetting or painful.  Pain and frustration is not the absence of peace.  

Here are a few things that help to lean into peace during difficult conversations and circumstances:

• Taking ten minutes to slow down and breathe

• Asking myself what is giving me peace and what is disrupting peace

• Being patient with myself and others 

• Remembering that this too shall pass

• Remembering that I have a choice on how I’m going to react or respond

I hope and pray that you get to experience peace during the holiday season.  

Peace,

Chaplain Roy