How to find peace after tragedy
It's all about control, commitment, challenge and connection
One woman’s acceptance of enormous tragedy has inspired thousands of people to find calm and contentment in the face of trauma, illness and exhaustion.
Petrea King talks us through the four Cs to finding peace of mind.
Control. We need to regain ‘control’ over our response to life and its challenges. This is the difference between reacting, which is second nature to us, or responding from a wiser and more capable and courageous part of ourselves. We may need to write about what has happened to us or talk to someone, perhaps have a weep or a rant about what has happened in order for us to arrive at a feeling of acceptance, “This did happen, and it happened to me”. Then we’re able to make a response. A response might feel a bit scary because we’re stepping into new territory rather than repeating a pattern from the past which is second nature to us.
Commitment. Make a commitment to having a deep reverence for your life. How we feel about our life shows up in our priorities. What are we focused on in our life? A lot of people postpone their happiness for when times are different to what they are now. We may need to let go of the past through forgiveness in order for us to fully embrace the present moment.
Challenge. We need to feel positively challenged in life otherwise we stay stuck doing the same old thing. The unexpected, the unthinkable or unimaginable generally push us into exploring parts of ourselves or life that we wouldn’t have done without the challenge.
Connection. We talk about second nature but we never reflect on what our first nature is. When we experience our loving, essential nature that is wise, intuitive, humorous and capable, we feel at home in our authentic selves and connected to the moment, to people, nature, our community, the land or whatever gives us that deep sense of being grounded and a part of something larger rather than feeling alone.
Petrea King is a naturopath, herbalist, clinical hypnotherapist, yoga and meditation teacher. She is also the Founder and CEO of the Quest for Life Foundation, which provides a range of programs and services to educate and empower people living with chronic or serious illnesses or who are suffering from grief, stress, depression or trauma and for those who care for them.
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