Personal Meditation No. 22

“Only you can bring yourself peace.”

Embrace the Within.

Last evening social media provided the platform for some angry fellow to call me names and bring down their judgment. I can’t say this at all surprises me because once I was scurrying around social media judging people name-calling. I have since moved beyond that stage of my life, however, I understand that others have not.

I think we spend a lot of time worrying about what other people think. We spend way too much time concerned with the opinions of others. Sometimes we know these people well and other times they appear out of nowhere. But, why should we concern ourselves with their opinions? Aurelius reminds us that, “The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil.” So how are these people going to help me? How are these people going to benefit my life? How are these people relevant?

They truly aren’t. You have to find your own peace. And you’re not going to find that peace in other people, other things, other worlds, other times . . . You have to find that inside of you.

As I said yesterday when I talked about lies, one of the greatest compliments I received last week was a coworker commenting that I looked at peace. I didn’t find that peace anywhere outside of me. I didn’t find that peace in a book. I didn’t find that peace in a friend. I didn’t find that peace in a building. I didn’t find that peace in a doughnut . . . I found that peace inside of me. I found that peace in knowing who I am and what I want.

There will be people trying to steal your peace. They are meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly about you having peace. But, they can’t take your peace. Only you can control your peace. You can allow them to take your peace by giving it away for them.

But, you can also keep your peace. You have to realize that the only person you control is you. You have your body, your mind, your soul, your life in your own control. You get to choose how you live that life every second, every minute, every hour . . . One day at a time.

You get to decide if you want peace. You get to choose to change. You get to be in control of your life.

So, when the people come to call you names. When the people come to pass their judgment. When the people come to take your peace. You will know they can’t have your peace. They have to find their own.

I hope you find whatever you’re looking for. Have the day you want.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyBodyMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain