✨ Peace, Practiced

Lately, I’ve been sitting with the question of peace—how we cultivate it, how we protect it, and how we offer it outward in a world that so often feels anything but peaceful.

I’ve been especially touched by the Buddhist monks currently walking across the United States on a Walk for Peace. Their journey began right here in my neighboring city of Fort Worth, Texas. Had I known at the start, I would have loved to be there—to offer my own small presence, my quiet witness, my yes to their mission. Even their companion, a beautiful dog who looks strikingly like my own, felt like a tender reminder that peace walks beside us in familiar forms.

The monks say they walk not to protest, but to awaken what already lives within us.

As Bhikkhu Pannakara shared:“We walk not to protest, but to awaken the peace that already lives within each of us.”

That sentiment echoed even more deeply this week as we observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day here in the U.S.—a day now honored as one of service and volunteerism. Dr. King’s words continue to ring true:

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

Peace within.

Peace on Earth.

And perhaps the most honest truth is this: the only place we can truly begin is within ourselves. It’s the one place we have real influence. How we tend to our inner world shapes how we show up in our relationships, our communities, and the broader world.

So how do we cultivate peace?

It doesn’t have to be grand. It can look like meditation or yoga, prayer or Bible study, time in nature, or mindful movement. It might be a few intentional breaths paired with a quiet mantra. It might be showing up for a community effort rooted in compassion and care.

When we turn inward with gentleness, something shifts. We soften. We listen more deeply. We respond instead of react.

Cultivating peace is not a destination—it’s a practice. Like any muscle we hope to strengthen, it requires attention and repetition.

• Peaceful thoughts—toward ourselves and others.

• Peaceful words—spoken inwardly and outwardly.

• Peaceful actions—small, embodied choices made again and again.

  
  

So I’ll leave you with this gentle inquiry: What are your practices for peace?

And if you don’t have any yet, what might you like to try—slowly, kindly, and with grace?

Peace is not something we wait for. It’s something we practice.

If you feel drawn to deepen your own practice of peace, I offer a few gentle ways to do so through Spacious Living. This includes one-on-one coaching, a Women’s Circle rooted in presence and connection, and an upcoming virtual Wintering Meditation workshop designed to support slowing down and going inward during this season.

You’re always welcome to join in whatever way feels right.

I'll practice with you!