The Peace Formula

We all have seasons in life when things are going great. Sometimes we’re just killing it - reaching our goals, cultivating relationships, and thriving! 

But did you know that if you’re not thriving, that’s okay too? It doesn’t mean anything has gone wrong with you. We don’t have to assign a meaning to these times that will keep you stuck or feeling negative about yourself.

We all have seasons when things are up, seasons when things are down, and seasons that are just status quo. It’s called human life.

But like in nature, seasons come and go and are forever changing. I want to remind you that however you’re feeling, this too shall pass. It will pass if things are not going as you’d like, and it will pass if things are going well. 

But, my mission is to help you have peace, no matter where you are in life and what circumstances you have going on. In that spirit, I’d like to offer you what I call The Peace Formula.

Like a strong foundation for a house, I see this formula as the foundation layer needed so sustain peace in your life. If you try to focus on these elements as habits and skills you build over time, you begin to see more opportunities to use them and bring yourself back to a peaceful state of mind.

Element 1: Putting prayer into practice

My definition of prayer is a focused thought toward heaven. I love giving my brain simple tasks because I’m more likely to follow through. So just think of it as a simple, focused thought toward heaven.

Do you pray? Whether it be focused during the morning, right before bed, or just sprinkled throughout the day, you must be building some kind of prayer practice to sustain peace.

Praying to God, Jesus, the Saints, the angels, to loved ones gone before you. Prayers of thanks. Prayers that offer questions you want to be answered. Prayers for help in this human life. All of these create a practice that helps you find peace.

Like any friendship you strike up here on Earth, trust is built with every conversation where you express what’s in your heart. And, it’s a time to listen for advice.

Just like a true friend who is there for you, even if you haven’t spoken in a long while, the same can be said for God. You can pick up wherever you are in your prayer life right now and begin again.

I invite you to consider this an easy step, not a daunting task. Just ask yourself where you could put prayer into your life right now. Would it be five minutes right when you wake up? Is it deciding to read a few passages from the bible before bed? Is it journaling when the kids are sleeping during the day? If you make it a point to say an Our Father, a Hail Mary, or a Glory Be each day, you will have put prayer into practice. 

However it looks for you, a prayer practice will help you move towards sustaining peace in your life.

Element 2: Patient Perserverance

I used to believe patience was my downfall because I believed I didn’t have it. I thought I wasn’t a patient person. If this is what you believe about yourself, let me offer you a twist on this that can make it something you move toward instead of keeping a distance from. 

Here’s the thing: you are patient! You’ve waited for many things that didn’t come quickly, and you were forced to be patient until they arrived. If I asked you what things you had to be patient for in your life, what would you say? I know there is a list.

For me, an example was when I wanted children. It was about two years from when I decided I wanted to have a child to when they arrived. I remember believing now was the perfect time. I thought I was ready and wanted to be a mom now. Well, for two years, I was forced to be patient. And then, once I was pregnant, I was forced to be patient for another nine months.

But here’s where I want you to look at patience differently to generate peace for yourself. Patience is necessary for peace, but it’s not the ability to learn to wait that matters. Waiting is inevitable in this life. Patience is learning how to keep a good attitude while waiting. That should be the focus.

In my example, while waiting to become a mom, I dived deeper into my faith by relying on God to help me with my belief that it would happen and to help me with all the unbelief I was experiencing. My faith helped me keep a good attitude that everything would work out according to God’s plan. 

And wouldn’t you know it, but His plan was so wonderful and worth the wait because when I received the news I was going to be a mom, I found out I was going to have two babies! 

We need to learn to enjoy where we are on our way to where we are going because, in this life, we won’t get everything immediately. If you focus on your attitude along the way, patience will naturally be there. 

There will be road bumps and roadblocks along the way in your life. You will have struggles, challenges, and times of trouble. Doubt, confusion, guilt, or overwhelm sneak into your life and cause you to stop in your tracks, keeps you stuck, and prevents you from taking action and moving forward to go after the life you want. Instead of quitting, you have to build up your muscles of continuing on, trying again, taking a different route, and figuring it out.

This takes commitment. If you are committed to showing up fully to go after the life you want to have, you must not blame anything else for getting in your way. 

Patient perseverance brings you the resilience necessary to return to a state of peace again and again within the ups and downs of your life journey.

Element 3: Progress, Not Perfection

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a recovering perfectionist. Now instead, I focus on making progress toward what I want out of life instead of things always being perfect before I do anything. 

There is no such thing as perfect until we get to heaven. Therefore, trying to look, feel, or believe you are perfect is a false objective before doing something. The reality is nothing will ever be perfect.

My whole coaching practice is a beautiful example of me putting progress before perfection in order to have more peace in my life. I believe my work is important, life-changing, and generationally impactful work. But I would never make progress in helping someone if I got caught up in everything having to be perfect. 

I record podcast episodes and distribute them even when I don’t like the final product or when I receive negative comments. I believe I just have to get it out there in order for someone to hear it and get help. There are people who need me, and if I don’t get over needing to have my picture flawless or my grammar correct, I’m missing my opportunity to be helpful.

The same goes for the business side of things that require me to go live on video, show up every day in my Facebook group, make social media posts, send emails, create courses, and offer my coaching services. 

Believe me; I’ve made some mistakes. I’ve done things wrong. It hasn’t all been perfect. But I put myself out there anyway. And because I’m not waiting for everything to be perfect, I’m transforming lives. And even if it were just one life, it would be worth it. 

I’m Here To Help

Having these four elements in your life and making strides to implement them forms a foundation for more peace.

Are you ready for more peace in your life? Join me for a free one-on-one Back to Balance Strategy Call. 

I’m ready to help you with any of these areas that you might be struggling with and set you on a path to a more peaceful life. 

And if the idea of having a Catholic or faith-based life coach appeals to you, I’d love for you to join me on a free 30-minute consult. I can get to know you, offer coaching tools, and tell you about working with me to reach your life goals and help you make improvements.

>>Schedule your call here.

by Danielle Thienel @daniellethienelcoaching

Danielle is a wife, mom, member of the Catholic faith, certified life coach, host of The Peaceful Mind Podcast, and author of The Cyclone Mom Method. She is dedicated to helping moms live with more peace, balance, and joy and stepping into their God-given potential.