Peace Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Lamisha Serf-Walls

Lessons Learned in Attitude, Faith, and Signs

September 3, 2013 by Lamisha

I don’t know about you, but this week has offered me many opportunities for growth which also means it has had it’s fair share of challenges…and by fair share I mean A LOT. However, I would like to think I have taken each one in stride and learned a little along the way.

Lesson: Attitude is everything.

In the last week my family and I have been in a car accident (everyone is ok thank goodness), I found out the company I work for full-time is eliminating my position in the next 3 months, and our washer died-all of which happened before we were heading out-of-town for a nice relaxing weekend away. While any one of these occurrences could have sent me into an anxiety-ridden-tizzy, I took each one as it came and tried to focus on the good. I couldn’t change the fact that we had tons of paperwork to deal with due to the accident, but I could be grateful we were all safe. I couldn’t beg to stay with my current company, but I am able to be grateful that they gave me 3 months notice. I can’t fix the washer on my own, but we can figure out a way to make it work. Did it seem like the Universe was delivering a huge storm of gloom this past week, yes, but in changing my attitude even just a little, I was able to see the bright side. Did I get there immediately? No. After a little bit of shock and some tears I decided the only thing I could change was my attitude and that is just what I did.

Lesson: If you have faith that everything will work out for the best, nothing can stop you.

Moments after I received the news about my full-time job, I broke down into tears. There was a distinct feeling of “what am I going to do?” coupled with a feeling of overwhelming calm. It sounds weird I know, but it was almost as if, part of me knew without a shadow of a doubt that this moment was the beginning of something far greater than the job I had. I gave myself a few minutes to feel the worry for the future and afterwards, I felt the faith and trust in my heart that all would be just fine. And while I have had moments of “I wonder how, or when, or what…”, my faith is there keeping me moving in the right direction.

Lessons: If you are open, the Universe will deliver signs that let you know you are on the right track.

I have talked about inspirational nuggets that serve as gentle nudges leading us to the next step in our journey and while I didn’t receive any specific signs of where to turn next, I did receive (what I believe to be) signs that everything is going to be just fine.

Right after hearing the news about my full-time position being eliminated, I had an appointment to go to. On the way I was talking to a friend about my faith in the process and how I just knew this was opening my world to something far greater than I could imagine. As I was going on about what may be in my future, I saw a field of probably 100 white birds that I had never seen before. There were so many, I had to take notice and as I did, I saw one was perched on the fence close to the street. He seemed to be watching my car drive by. I told my friend about what I had just seen and she said this was my confirmation that all was going to be ok and I had a feeling she was right. A bit later when I drove by again the bird was still perched on the fence and he caught my eye again. At this point I was convinced there was some sort of message or sign.

Now I am all about symbolic meaning, synchronicities, no coincidences etc. and this felt like one of those moments so I was eager to know what type of bird it was and any symbolic meaning behind it.

I found that the bird was either an Egret or a Heron and they symbolize peace, going with the flow, patience, prosperity, good luck, self-reliance etc. I was amazed and comforted, but most of all excited for what the future holds for me. As it unfolds, I will continue to be open to the signs, symbols, and inspirational nuggets that will guide the way.

So, that is what I have learned this week. What have you learned?

Vacation Reflections

July 8, 2013 by Lamisha

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July holiday and could enjoy family, friends, and a lot of fun. I haven’t posted in several days because we went on a little vacation to visit family last week and while I had every intention to prepare a few posts for last week, it didn’t happen. I am however, back in action this week!

Before I post the Dreamer Highlight for this week (tomorrow), I thought I would share a few things I realized during the course of my vacation. I tend to be so immersed in how many days I have left in my time off that I miss some precious moments, insights, and experiences, however this time was different. With over 21 hours in the car and many more relaxing, I had some interesting thoughts and inspirations to share with you.

Vacation Reflections:

No matter how much you love your work, everyone needs and deserves a break so don’t skimp on your vacation time. This past week off was wonderful for so many reasons, but one was the fact that even though we had planned something to do with family each day, it amounted to much-needed down time.
Time away from anything provides time and space for growth. My phone is full of notes, ideas, phrases, and other inspirational material that simply came to me while I was in the moment. Instead of “trying” so hard to come up with a blog post idea or what I might offer in my coaching business, I found they floated into my consciousness effortlessly when I allowed myself some down time. It was wonderful.
Seeing the bigger picture in many cases is far more beneficial than agonizing over the minor details. With traffic delays, detours, and a multitude of other things that could send you (read me) into a tailspin during a road trip, they are all quite minor when you look at the whole trip. Looking back I can see how the slight delays and hiccups we experienced during our trip were fleeting when compared to the big picture of our overall experience. Overall, we had a lovely time despite the seemingly annoying details.
Time off allows for you to see things with fresh eyes. Similar to my second point, there is something about taking time away from everyday life that provides a new way of seeing things. While the Monday after a vacation isn’t my most favorite day, I realized that I had a renewed sense of purpose and drive for the things that needed to get done. And since I am so much a “doer” I didn’t feel nearly as overwhelmed or frustrated with my “to-do’s” as I might have before our vacation.
Sometimes doing nothing is just as important as doing something. Looking back at the last week, I realize that much of the time I was doing nothing in particular. My plan was to read a lot (to get caught up on some reviews), brainstorm, research, and enjoy family. As it turned out, we only did what we wanted to do i.e. spent time with family at the zoo, the movies, Chuck E. Cheese, and we went skating. All-in-all, it was a wonderful trip full of quality time with family and time spent doing nothing in particular.

I hope you returned to this week with fresh eyes and a renewed energy for the month ahead. If you took time off last week I would love to hear about your own vacation reflections.

Making Peace With Your Starting Point

June 27, 2013 by Lamisha

Have you ever had the experience of being in a situation, job, relationship, or circumstance that you simply wanted to get out of? Maybe you wanted it to move in another direction or you wanted to have a different outcome. Simply put, you were in one place, but you desperately wanted to be in another without knowing how to get there.

I think we all have had that experience. I know I have had that many times especially when it came to my job. At one point (not too long ago) I was working for a company that was ok, but I couldn’t get over how demeaning, mean, and completely unfair my boss was. My daily focus was how much I wanted to leave that place and yet no matter how many resumes I sent out I couldn’t seem to land another job. At one point my focus for what I wanted next was so diminished I would have taken anything just to leave the toxic environment I was working in. Unfortunately I couldn’t just quit with nothing else lined up so I stayed.

I was on the job hunt for over a year all the while I woke up each morning with anxiety and dread as I made my way into work. I couldn’t get over how uncomfortable the place was. Then one day something happened. I stopped looking for another job. I don’t know if it was out of pure frustration or because I had accepted my fate, but I stopped. I decided to find something to do in addition to my work there that would make me happy.

That thing was writing.

I began writing greeting cards and dabbled with some freelance work that I have continued 3 years later and I am so happy I did. Not only was I more inspired to write, but I had somehow made peace with where I was. Not too long after that point my horrific boss (though she was nice as a person) left the company.

Poof! One day she was gone. I thought that was the absolute best thing that could happen, but it gets better.

A few months later I received a call from a former co-worker with a potential job offer. A job I hadn’t even been looking for! A job that turned out to be more money than I was making and would allow me to work from home. I had always toyed with the idea of working from home, but I had no idea how that would be possible. Not only that, but it turned out to be the perfect scenario since my partner and I knew we would be moving in the next few months out-of-state. I knew if I didn’t have a job lined up I would have to stay behind to keep my job and now I didn’t have to do that at all. My job moved with me!

It turned out to be the perfect situation and in it I learned a very valuable lesson.

When you make peace with your starting point, the Universe can work on your behalf to bring things to you that will move you toward your heart’s desire no matter how big it seems.

The moral of this story is this…

Stop struggling with where you are now for it is just your starting point. Make peace with it and find some way to appreciate and enjoy where you are now. When you do, you will be amazed at the opportunities that unfold before your very eyes. Opportunities you may never have thought possible.

Gratitude: Beginning and Ending With Peace

April 12, 2013 by Lamisha

This week has been a week of lessons. Lessons about work, personal life, and finding balance with it all. Along with those lessons came a much-needed epiphany of which I am grateful. That epiphany is the importance of beginning and ending with peace.

This week was a little crazy in terms of my schedule and getting everything accomplished, but I began my week with a pause. Knowing all I had to accomplish and ready to take it all on. I took a deep breath and dove in and while the middle of the week got a little hairy, I am back to the place I started. Peaceful.

It seems beginning each day with peace in my meditation practice sets the tone for the rest of the day and if things tend to get a little crazy, I can find my center again at the end of the day with more meditation, yoga, or some quiet time. Beginning and ending with peace is essential for me to be the best me. I am so grateful for that realization.

I believe I can apply the same concept to beginning and ending my week. I can begin each week with an intention for how the week will go in terms of my schedule, work, and appointments. As things come up (and I am sure they will) I can handle them accordingly. In the event things get a bit busy or overwhelming, I can find my center and balance by ending the week with some mindful reflection, similar to what I do with my gratitude posts each week.

There is something about the idea of beginning and ending with peace that I think will ultimately bring more peace to the time in between. As I am mindful of the beginning of each day and at the end of each day, I believe the peace will become a habit and as a result, I will feel much more centered and balanced.

I hope you too begin and end your weekend with peace. Have a great weekend!

Meditation Challenge: Update

March 25, 2013 by Lamisha

I would love to be able to begin this post with a celebration for Day #83 of my consecutive 100 day mediation challenge, however I cannot. I not only missed one day somewhere in the first 50 days of meditation, but this past weekend I missed about 3 more. (Insert disappointed face here.)

While there is a part of me that is slightly disappointed that I missed so many days in a row, a larger part of me is proud for only missing a total of 4 days in the 83 that I have been practicing. I recognize that to be a mighty accomplishment for myself. Especially since I wanted to start a meditation practice for many years and could never stick to it. Now I know I can and despite my disappointment for missing so many days, I have learned a great deal about myself and my practice.

I have learned:

The type of meditation I do depends on my mood. Sometimes I like guided meditations, while other times I do my own to music or in complete silence. None of them is the right way or better than the other. I simply listen to what I need in the moment and proceed with what feels right for me.
The ideal amount of time for me on a daily basis is about 15-20 minutes in one sitting and it feels really great to do a morning and evening meditation.
My patience for the ups and downs of everyday life is much better when I have meditated on that particular day and I feel a more calm sense of peace after I meditate.
I am definitely more optimistic and positive in the moment and spend much less time focusing on what hasn’t yet materialized in my future. It is true that meditation is a mindful practice for the moment, at least for me.
Meditation has become a habit for me, not just a ritual or a challenge. It is a habit I have wanted to create for many years, but never thought I had the time or the focus to do it, and now I have.

With that said I realize missing 4 days of meditating is not the end of the world and while I may not have made it to the 100 consecutive days of meditating like I wanted in the beginning, I have learned a lot in the process not only about meditation in general, but how it applies to my life and my practice.

I have also decided to begin a new 100 day meditation challenge (officially starting April 1st for ease of calculating days), but this time the motivation for the challenge is to simply reap the benefits of meditation on a daily basis while reaching (and surpassing) my goal of 100 days. Much like healthy eating and exercising, meditation is a daily practice meant to be a lifestyle change, not something you do only when you feel frazzled. So with that ultimate purpose in mind I will begin again.

Not meeting a goal doesn’t automatically mean failure, sometimes it is just a reminder to take a moment to reset and begin again.

What are you hitting the “reset” button for today?