Peace Be with You

What's on your Peace List?

As I sit here writing this, I am listening to the sounds of my back porch, or as I like to call it, the Goddess Garden Porch. At least eight species of birds spend their time singing their songs on or near my porch. Then there are my neighbor’s chickens, a couple of dogs, and the sounds of the kids being dropped off for school a couple of blocks away. Listening to it all brings me a lot of peace. I do it every day I can. When I’m away from home, which can be pretty frequently, I miss my GGP.

It was about 14 years ago, when we were moving to California and looking for a place, it was then that I first became acutely aware of my Peace List. The list I make each time, when looking for the place where I want to live. This isn’t like proximity to highways, public transportation, or schools. This is about living your life day in and day out. When the world is in chaos, is this place going to help you renew your state of peace?

Photo by Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦 on Unsplash

A Peace List is a list of things that you need in your life and surroundings to help you have a sense of “alrightness”. Here’s an example of some things on my peace list:

• a porch where I can listen to nature, my neighbors, drink my coffee, and journal

• a neighborhood where I can put on my walking shoes and walk without fear for my safety in any way

• a neighborhood within walking distance of a grocery store and a nail salon

• …you get my point.

When I think about how things became part of my list, I realize that these and all of the other things on my list are there because of my life and the experience of living it.

For example, when I first started living with my spouse, I would begin my days on her back porch, drinking coffee and writing in my journal. It was my favorite way to start the day. I felt more together and prepared to start the day. I had allowed my mind time to open up and reveal what had been on my mind and in my heart. Plus, I got to have a peaceful, unhurried cup of coffee. Before anything else happened in the day, I set the tone for how I was choosing to feel. At that moment, I promised myself that is how I want to start every day for the rest of my life. I finally understood the difference it made in my day. So when we knew we were moving, my coffee/journaling porch became a thing. Boom, the conscious beginning of my Peace List!

The reason I need a walkable neighborhood is that I really love to walk. I love walking in a new city because it’s one of the easiest ways to get a feel for a place. I love walking in my neighborhood because I like to look at all the buildings, and it gives me daily opportunities to meet my neighbors. I also love walking because it’s the easiest and cheapest way to get some exercise in, which is the fastest way to clear my head, calm my emotions, and reconnect to my sense of self.

North, South, East, West, a walkable neighborhood is the best.

That last one about the grocery store and nail salon is in direct response to the almost 17 years that I lived in New York City, a great walking city. There are certain needs that need to be met within walking distance of my house. Period.

No matter where I’ve lived in the country, my home has had all or most of the things on my list. This allows me to find my sense of peace, regardless of what is happening in life. My promise to you, as long as you are living, Life will keep happening. Finding your sense of peace is vital to your movements through consciousness.

Part of the way we avoid Victim Consciousness is by creating practices that allow us to shift our energy and focus forward. Creating a Peace List can help you take dominion in your life and find your way to peace daily.

Let’s create your Peace List!

Ask yourself the following questions:

When I think of my favorite place that I have ever lived, what did I love?

What about that place made it “the best”? Focus on your surroundings and how they related to how you felt about yourself.

When I think of my least favortie place I have ever lived, what was so bad?

What about that place made it “the worst”? Focus on your surroundings and how they related to how you felt about yourself.

When I think of my dream place, what would be the most perfect?

What do you wish you had more than anything? Focus on your surroundings and how you believe they will relate to how you feel about yourself?

Take all of your answers and journal about the responses. Allow these questions to sit with you. As days go on, more things will come to mind. What do you need as part of your almost daily experience to feel peace on a cellular level? Your list will reveal itself, and your perspective about yourself, your life, and your needs will shift. Feel gratitude for what has been revealed. And then it’s time to take action to create your peaceful life.

I’d love to hear about your Peace List.

Peace be with you.