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POCKETS OF PEACE

Every Woman
Within each of us there resides a calm, clear, wise woman whose very essence is peace.

I’ve been lugging her around for years, in and out of the trunk of my car as I travel to facilitate women’s programs. Once home, I return her to the top shelf of the bookcase in my office where she sits and waits. She rests comfortably there, a lovely bronze rendition of a woman at peace within herself.

Her eyes are slightly downcast, resting on a round bowl that she holds in her lap. I imagine this bowl contains all of her worries, her concerns about friends and loved ones, as well as the woes of the world. Her attention is focused inward with a Buddha-like smile upon her face. No matter what happens, no matter the climate of the day, stormy or fair, she remains peaceful and calm.

I have nicknamed her “EveryWoman.” I know she lives inside of me, lives inside every woman. Within each of us there resides a calm, clear, wise woman whose very essence is peace. I know this to be true because I have experienced her myself now and again. I know, because when I set EveryWoman in the center of a circle, place a lighted candle in her bowl, and tell her story—naming her as “EveryWoman”—the eyes of the women gathered around her fill with tears. We recognize ourselves in her. We also recognize how very far removed from her we are.

I also know this to be true, because after every program, at least a handful of women ask me where I purchased her. They want “EveryWoman” for themselves. In that moment, I know a chord has been struck; they want to take her inner peace home with them; to tuck it into the recesses of their hearts, and never let it go. In “EveryWoman” they have witnessed a glimmer of their own true nature—peace—and they want more. Not to disappoint, I ever-so-gently tell them how I learned from the shopkeeper who sold the statue to me that her creator had authorized the mold to be broken. “EveryWoman” is no more. This woman who exudes peace and calm to any who look upon her can live on only through us, her peace embodied in our unique form.

I’ve come to learn from spending time with “EveryWoman” that inner peace is a matter of choice—my choice. Like her, we have been created with a blueprint for peace. EveryWoman, her potential and reality, lives within our soul. It is up to each one of us to serve as her midwife, bringing her into the light of day; to make manifest her healing presence in the world.I admit, that most of my life I have not been a peaceful woman. I seem to have inherited worry genes from my birth family, am emotionally sensitive, and can easily teeter on the edge of stress and overwhelm. As a result, I have often fallen into the abyss of poor health. One of the major themes of my life has been how to access more peace within myself so as not to worry or stress myself sick.

The level of inner peace I experience today has been hard won. Possessing it has become my ultimate passion. I desire inner calm for myself more than anything else, for without a sense of personal calm, I have no clarity, no wisdom. These three virtues—calm, clarity, and wisdom—build, one upon the other. They are interdependent and form the foundation of who we can be as human beings in the highest sense. Inner peace, I have come to understand, can be achieved only through making new and empowering choices for myself, minute-by-minute, day in and day out.

I’ve also learned that inner peace also comes when we are able to stop. Stop searching outside of ourselves for peace. Stop waiting for life and its circumstances to change so that we can feel more calm. Stop being so busy-minded and moving so quickly that we cannot experience the peace that is at our very core.

If inner peace is something you desire, this column is for you. Together, we can journey beyond angst-filled living to live in a bold, new way. We do this by accessing what I have come to call ”Pockets of Peace”— profound moments of clear seeing and calm. As we become more and more adept at accessing them, with time and practice, we’ll naturally begin to emanate this peace out into the world. If we truly desire peaceful families and neighborhoods, workplaces and communities, we must, first and foremost, “be the peace,” as Mahatma Gandhi so aptly advised. “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” he said. As women who desire peace for ourselves and the world, we must do exactly that.

I am pleased and honored that Michigan Women’s Forum, through its founder, Joni Hubred-Golden, is willing to provide space for me to share “Pockets of Peace” with you. Each issue, I will offer a “remembering”—a way, a technique, to access the peace that lies within you. Even in the busyness of your day, even when life threatens to overwhelm or exhaust, you can stop, take a pause, and enjoy a “Pockets of Peace.” Doing so on a regular basis will introduce you to a whole new world of calm, clarity, and feminine wisdom.I hope you will join me on this journey to living as your peaceful self. It’s time, time for us to live more peaceably with ourselves and with others. For when we do, we’ll finally begin to create the world we’ve longed for: a world characterized by peace, love, and equity for all. So, if you’re ready and willing, let’s get started. Click here to practice your first “Pocket of Peace.”

Until next time …

May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful and at ease.

Love and Blessings,
Jan Lundy

Janice Lynne Lundy is an inspirational speaker, interfaith spiritual director, and the author of Your Truest Self: Embracing the Woman You Are Meant to Be, available in bookstores nationwide, Oct. 1, and at amazon.com. To learn more about Jan visit: www.awakenedliving.com. She welcomes your comments and questions: jan@awakenedliving.com

©Janice Lynne Lundy, 2008