28 June 2009

Ask 2 Essential Questions To Recover Inner Peace

It's been an unusual few weeks. Celebrities who shaped or contributed to generations of global pop culture have died. Revolution is trying to take hold not only in Iran, but also in how health care is paid for in the US, how green technologies are supported. Threats big and small make the world's news, and and on a smaller scale, ripple through lesser known communities and personal lives.

In times like this when a sense of uncertainty and the limitations of mortality are impacting governments and individuals around the globe, it's normal to feel unsettled in our own lives. It's as if the atmosphere we exist in and the ground we stand on is suddenly shifting. Reality is unreal, and unreliable.

The least helpful thing to do in such times is to dwell in questions such as: what's going on? what if that could happen to me? how can I be protected? when will everything be good again?

What we all seek, I think, is an unassailable sense of inner peace. We universally want to feel safe and secure, able to meet the challenges life throws at us, and know in advance that whatever happens, we'll be okay in the end. This is a basic human need.

So how do we get there? I think there are two essential questions that lead to creating or recovering inner peace are:
  • What do I have that can never be taken from me without my consent (my skills, beliefs, attitudes, etc)?
  • What are the positives I know I can count on, without any doubt? (my knowledge, my abilities, my supports)
These two questions invite taking an inventory of the factors that create and maintain resilience. When we have resilience, we have options. And when we have options, we can make opportunities for positive change.

Your coaching question for today is: What factors build and maintain my resilience, and how can I strengthen them?



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