In Pursuit of Peace

By: Kristin Dunker

I've been thinking a bit lately about a quote by Peter Walsh that says, “If your home is peaceful, then the other areas of your life, such as your finances, emotions, relationships, and a sense of well-being will reflect that.”

I've always desired a peaceful home, but it's only been in the last decade or so that I have taken the time to tease out some of the specific reasons why my home wasn't dishing up the spades of peace I'd dreamed of.

The answer actually came in getting to better know myself. I spent most of my adult life making decor decisions on a whim without much thought beyond “Do I like this?” or “Does it go with the theme?”

Now though, I have identified those things required for my unique personality to feel tension melt away when I walk through my own front door - and conversely, what makes me tense up when I get home. I have a hyper-acute sense of sight/visual stimuli, and I've noticed that this sense greatly, perhaps primarily, affects my state of calm. As I've slowed down to noticed how I viscerally respond to certain things (colors, textures, shapes, etc.), I have started to surround myself with neutral, gentle, tonal hues. I do love color, but my sight takes it best in small doses with lots of white space surrounding it. Think: a colorful bouquet on a solid cream island. I also love making functional things beautiful so that they blend in with the bigger picture instead of standing out in sharp utilitarian contrast. It brings me (and my eyes) so much joy and reduces visual clutter too making every space feel cleaner and more spacious!

You might chuckle, but I even buy my dogs neutral-colored toys, so that when I walk into a room, I barely notice if there are stuffed animals scattered everywhere - because they're not hot pink, or orange, or blue - they're just the same tones as my carpet and floor and furniture.

All of these things are relatively new discoveries I've learned about myself because I took the time to notice, feel, and experiment - tenants of an intentional life. A journey that, for me, has meant the reduction of so much angst and visual over-stimulation and has resulted in a much deeper calm within.

“Peace” looks so different for everyone, but if it's something you don't immediately feel when you walk through your door, I'd encourage you to become a student of yourself and learn exactly what combination of surroundings creates an atmosphere that fosters that foundation of peace for you.

As the quote reminds us, the ripples are far reaching…and thus, worth the pursuit.