{"id":372,"date":"2014-04-13T03:58:07","date_gmt":"2014-04-13T03:58:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/heartofthesoul\/?p=372"},"modified":"2014-04-13T03:58:07","modified_gmt":"2014-04-13T03:58:07","slug":"making-space-for-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/heartofthesoul\/2014\/04\/making-space-for-peace.html","title":{"rendered":"Making Space for Peace"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jodi<\/a>I\u2019ve been looking for ways to invite more peace into my life. More balance. More yin energy. More restful energy. More \u201cahhhhhhh\u201d energy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Like many of us, I\u2019ve been going, going, going for years. And all of this doing has become a habit. It\u2019s become the known in my life. It\u2019s become my comfort zone.<\/p>\n

I love what I do. I really do. I get to write, inspire, connect, and collaborate. I get to witness shifts in others. I get to be a part of seeing someone embrace their life and realize how they, too, can communicate regularly with their soul. I get to see how their lives deepen and become fun again. I also get to sleep in, choose how to spend my days, and go where my muse takes me. And I\u2019m definitely filled with so much gratitude for all of this. Truly I am.<\/p>\n

I just want to shift my energy a little bit. I want to slow down and nurture my spiritual foundation. I want to listen to my body and give it what it needs: to rest, to recharge, to be still.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I want to create routine where downtime is built in and peacefulness is the norm. I want to create space where I connect with my inner voice and the divine.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time. And I think that if I\u2019m feeling this yearning, chances are someone else is, too.<\/p>\n

So I\u2019m going to share what I\u2019m doing to\u00a0create this peaceful, easy feeling in my life. And I hope that you\u2019ll get in touch with your soul and make space for peace in your life as well.<\/p>\n

\"Buddha<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what I\u2019m doing to create this space:<\/b><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Setting boundaries.<\/b> This is a big one for me. I tend to want to please everyone, which means I say yes to things that I don\u2019t have time for, don\u2019t always want to do, or do want to do but don\u2019t need to do right this moment. So I\u2019m learning to set boundaries. I create buffers in my day. I take the first week of each month off from calls\/Skype sessions in order to center myself and have space to go within. I also have at least 3-4 days each week without calls for the same reason. And I\u2019m learning to be extra mindful of not saying yes to something right away. I\u2019m sitting with it first and seeing how it would feel if I said yes. Does it fit into my life right now? Does it create stress and constriction or openness and excitement? I am learning to listen to my heart and go where it leads \u2013 even if it means disappointing someone else (which isn\u2019t ever a good feeling, but it\u2019s all part of honoring my own needs).<\/li>\n
  2. Creating a sanctuary.<\/b> I am creating a peaceful home, which feels amazing. I have LED candles that all go on at the same time each night and fill my home with a warm, soothing glow. I have artwork that invokes a calming energy. I have soft, comfortable couches with blankets to snuggle up with. I turn the lighting down. I turn the phone off and the music off and the TV off, which helps me go within and simply BE.<\/li>\n
  3. Making time.<\/b> I am finding that if I wanted to, I could always come up with a reason (excuse) for why I simply don\u2019t have time to slow down. There will always be so many things to do. There will always be a million reasons why I should keep going. There will always be the same number of hours in the day that I will want to fill with creative projects. But there comes a point (now) where it\u2019s enough. There comes a point where I have to remember that a peaceful life is the foundation of everything \u2013 a peaceful life leads me to my core, my essence. And everything flows from that space of knowing. So when I try to come up with a reason why I don\u2019t have time to slow down, I\u2019ll remember this and do it anyway.<\/li>\n
  4. Giving myself permission.<\/b> I\u2019ve found that there have been times when I want to make time to slow down, but I felt a little strange doing it \u2013 almost like I was slacking on the job (even though I\u2019m my own boss). I am so used to doing and going that simply being has become uncomfortable. So giving myself permission to relax has been huge. It allows me to lie on the floor and space out or take an afternoon nap and not feel guilty or sit outside while soaking up the sun and watching the birds without thinking about what I \u201cshould\u201d be doing. Permission is huge for me, and I\u2019ll keep reminding myself that I deserve this rest. We all do.<\/li>\n
  5. Taking peaceful action.<\/b> It\u2019s one thing to say that I\u2019m going to invite more peace into my life. It\u2019s another to actually make changes and do it. Because this is so important to me, I\u2019m making sure that each day I do something to create a more peaceful life. Whether I sit outside for a little while and soak up the sun or I sit in my living room and stare at the candles, I have made the commitment to embrace the downtime and make it a habit in my life.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n


    \nI would love to hear some of the ways you are already making space for peace in your life (or how you plan to begin making space).\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    We all deserve this. We really do.<\/p>\n

    And I can\u2019t wait for all of us to make room for it. We\u2019ll have so much more to give others if we\u2019re settled in and at peace in our life.<\/p>\n

    Hugs,<\/span><\/p>\n

    Jodi<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"about
    \n<\/a>Jodi Chapman is a bestselling author, an award-winning blogger, and a soulful community builder.\u00a0She lives her life with love and faith in the driver\u2019s seat, and she hopes to leave a trail of inspiration wherever she goes. She believes that we each have the ability to hear our soul\u2019s whisper and create our best lives. She would love to connect with you!<\/p>\n

    Website<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2665 \u00a0\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u2665 \u00a0\u00a0Free Ebook\u00a0& Meditation<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2665 \u00a0\u00a0Soulful Life Sanctuary<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I\u2019ve been looking for ways to invite more peace into my life. More balance. More yin energy. More restful energy. More \u201cahhhhhhh\u201d energy. Like many of us, I\u2019ve been going, going, going for years. And all of this doing has become a habit. It\u2019s become the known in my life. It\u2019s become my comfort zone.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":559,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2,3,13,49],"class_list":["post-372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-heart-of-the-soul","tag-jodi-chapman","tag-peace","tag-slow-down"],"yoast_head":"\nMaking Space for Peace - Heart of the Soul<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Making Space for Peace - Heart of the Soul\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I\u2019ve been looking for ways to invite more peace into my life. More balance. More yin energy. More restful energy. More \u201cahhhhhhh\u201d energy. 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