Quote About Havig a Peaceful State of Mind
Ever had one of those days? I hate to brag (*sarcastic smile*) but my much loved family and I have had one of those YEARS.
I’m not complaining, mind you. We’re still standing and, I’ll let you in on a little secret, we’re still as happy as ever. In fact, we laugh off a lot of the crazy things that have happened. The things we can’t laugh off, we look square in the eye and say, “Even you didn’t destroy us.”
Emergency rooms, wisdom tooth removals, x-rays, blood work, emergency vet visits, shot out radiators, cat operations, a car wreck, broken washers, cat blood work, hospital stays… Wow, 2015. ZERO chill.
Get this – mice crawled up into my vehicle earlier in the year and did hundreds of dollars worth of damage.
I know, right?!
At the risk of bragging again, “Mom Research” has made me an expert on kidney stones, wisdom teeth, Barrett’s Esophagus, low iron, low vitamin D, and inappropriate sinus tachycardia – not to be confused with appropriate sinus tachycardia which is much worse.
A worried mom can out-research any college senior.
Around August, we thought that maybe… just maybe… the worst was behind us and the rest of the year would end on a nice peaceful note. HA! 2015 heard us and laughed at our Mary Poppins complex.
Again… I’m not complaining. Not everyone gets this many adventures back to back to back to back.
… to back.
We’ve all discovered one thing – if you don’t have a “go to” way to relax and de-stress, you’d better find one because one day (or one year) you’re going to need it.
Whether your favorite way of handling stress is reading, watching tv, playing games, surfing the internet, watching YouTube videos, or attempting to do them all at once (you do you), I want to tell you about three simple little stress-busting “hacks” that you may one day find useful.
A Peaceful Setting Can Bring Peace to Where You’re Sitting!
The first one is as simple as finding a picture that takes you to a place of serenity, peacefulness, and calmness.
You can look online for “relaxing pictures” or even look through your own camera or iPhone. You’ll know THE picture when you see it. It’ll cause you to feel happy, safe, peaceful, and as though you haven’t a care in the world.
You may do like I did and even set it as your phone’s background. That way it’s always just a glance away – and 2015 pretty much demanded easy access. This probably won’t surprise you, but my image is a picture of my cat. After all, nothing soothes a crazy cat lady’s nerves quite like a cat picture.
“My peace of mind is not disturbed by things beyond my control.”
Hack #2 For Restoring Peace & Calm While Eliminating Stress
The second trick is to find a quote or Bible verse that helps to center your thoughts so they don’t run amok. When thoughts run amok, they become worries and then they’ll drag you all over creation with them as they run.
Exhausting.
Below are some of my personal favorite quotes and verses. Memorize the ones that resonate with you and you’ll always have them handy. Trust me, anything you can do to keep your thoughts and worries from lacing up their running shoes is time well spent… and energy (and sanity) preserved.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you…. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27
“Breathe in. Breathe out.”
“Peace is always beautiful.” – Walt Whitman
“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” – Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)
“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” – Chinese Proverb
“There is no ‘way to peace,’ there is only ‘peace.'” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
When you find a quote or verse that resonates with you, memorize it and whip it out any time the thoughts begin trampling around your mind. Focusing on the quote will stop them in their tracks.
Hack #3 For Restoring Peace & Calm While Eliminating Stress
Music soothes the savage beast…. the beast being stress. I’m not necessarily talking about today’s pop or country music – although if they float your boat, sail on.
I’m talking about Classical Music, Japanese Garden Music, Piano Music – beautiful music acts as a salve to burns life leaves across your psyche. A quick search on YouTube for any of these types of music will give you lots of choices. One of my favorite types of music to put on while cooking cleaning is Japanese Garden Music. When you search for the phrase on YouTube, you’ll find videos that play for 3 hours straight.
By the end of the three hours, it’s like, “Stress? What stress? Where’s my pillow?”
Finally….
When we have a problem (whether it’s stress, anger, fear…), being proactive makes us feel better instantly. Why? It puts us back in the driver’s seat. If you’re under a great deal of stress or things just don’t seem to be going your way, try the three hacks above – it may take one… it may take two.. it may take all three.
Just pour yourself a nice hot cup of tea and hack away.
Quotes About Remaining Calm and Finding Peace:
“To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don’t grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.” – Alan Watts
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – William James
“A man of calm is like a shady tree. People who need shelter come to it.” – Toba Beta
“Nothing gives a person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances.” – Thomas Jefferson
“The truth is that stress doesn’t come from your boss, your kids, your spouse, traffic jams, health challenges, or other circumstances. It comes from your thoughts about your circumstances.” – Andrew Bernstein
“The pursuit, even of the best things, ought to be calm and tranquil.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
I just love this! Truer words . . . We truly do have to be the peace we’re seeking.
And what nice quotes. I especially love: “Peace begins with a smile.” – Mother Teresa The very act of smiling releases endorphins, helping us to see things differently.
And kudos to you and your family for surviving that “year”!
The best peace of mind I found is to learn how my mind works. Read The Modern Science of Mental Health: Dianetics.
I really enjoyed reading your article. Stress can have devastating effects as I found out to my cost having suffered a minor stroke last year. I have recovered well and approach things much differently now. Music as you mentioned is great for de-stressing. I often have piano jazz, or salsa playing in the background while working.
Great article. I have found that surrounding myself with positive photos and quotes does a great job at boosting mood.
Thank you for a great article! 🙂
Keep up the good work.