4 Tips for Choosing Peace in Chaotic Times


At 6 a.m. on Friday, July 8, I reached to turn on my cell phone only to have it ringing already. It was my daughter.

“Mom, I’m okay,” she said.

I had no idea why she was saying this. I then learned at a very personal level about the chaos that enfolded after a gunman killed five officers and sent crowds screaming and running for safety in Dallas.

My daughter had gone outside to look for a valet after a business meeting at the Omni Dallas Hotel. Instead the only people she found were running toward her, accompanied by police. She was abruptly swept up in the crowd, then escorted into the hotel’s lobby and then into the hotel’s restaurant kitchen.

Even after I knew my daughter was no longer near the front lines of this horrific event, I felt emotionally held hostage—overwhelmed by text messages and social media that kept the fear alive.

In the aftermath of this, I’ve become more aware of how much separation is taking place in the world. Fueled by fear and anger over these sorts of unconscionable events, the “us-versus-them” mentality is in full swing. But in this separation we are actually separating from our true self, from our compassionate loving self.

These acts of terror have our full attention. The unrest feels never ending. But I believe this chaos is foange. This chaos is leading to awareness that our old ways are no longer working. Out of this chaos we will learn to work together, to be together and to honor our differences.

This month, my main tip is to choose peace. In the midst of the chaos in the world, we must find peace within.

Here are some tips:

Practice self-care—whatever that means for you. Bike. Hike. Meditate. Take a walk. Sit in nature. Rock a baby. Pet a dog. Do what you need to center and ground yourself and to feel supported.

women_observing_webBe the compassionate observer. Separate yourself from the drama of the situation and don’t engage in negative emotions. Instead of dwelling on the tragedy, which keeps the chaos and negativity alive in you and contributes to unrest in the word, simply observe without judgment. Hold the situation and those impacted in your heart—not your head. Doing so creates the space for peace—in this event, in the world, in your heart.
Turn to Reiki. You can schedule a session, or learn to do Reiki on yourself. I teach self-Reiki techniques in my Holy Fire Reiki 1 & 2 classes, which I’ll offer this fall. (see class schedule below)
hike_woodsStep away from social media or at the very least set time limits. When you’re on it, don’t react negatively. Instead of throwing up an angry or defensive Facebook post or Tweet, allow what triggers you to dissipate. When you choose peace in that moment, you are not just contributing to your peace. You are contributing to the peace we all wish to see in the world.
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