“There’s No Dollar Sign On A Peace Of Mind, This I’ve Come To Know”

Just as Zac Brown Band has come to know this, I have too. Peace of mind. It appears as an illusory, unattainable, fleeting state of being these days. Is it even possible to train our minds for peace? Peace instead of hurry, stress, and conflict? Well, as we all know, the latter are all things that life will throw at us. But, what if we could work with ourselves to create a response of peace as often and as much as we can? I am not asking that we avoid conflict and problems that need solving. Rather, I am saying that we have a choice to respond to life in a grounded way, much of the time.

The song and inspiration for this blog post, Chicken Fried is a summer favorite. The lyrics and country twang cause a driving-with-the-windows-down kind of feeling. But it is not until one stops and listens to the lyrics fully that they can capture the essence of this song. To me it is a message that the simple things in life are most often the most important. And the ability to have peace of mind is priceless. My definition of ‘peace of mind’ is the state of knowing that what is within you can carry you through anything that goes on around you. It is knowing that above all, you can rely on your own self: your intuition, your knowledge, and your inner peace. Even when it feels that it is not there within you, you just need to dig a little bit deeper because I promise you that it is there.

What are some things that you can do to create your own peace of mind in your own life? Is it having a “go to” routine when you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Maybe it is reading an empowering passage from a book, taking a walk, listening to a certain song, or making a gratitude list. And more importantly, strive to do these things every day even during the moments when everything is going smoothly. This will create lifelong habits and a lifestyle that will set you up for calm. There is no way around the stressors that life throws, but there is certainly a way through them. And you have the choice as to which path you take. 

Peace of mind is priceless. Set yourself up for it as best you can. And I will leave you with a quote from the same Zac Brown Band song, “it’s funny how it’s the little things in life that mean the most”.