In Pursuit of Peace

By: Kristin Dunker

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

While I have always desired a peaceful home (I mean, who doesn't?), it's only been in recent years that I have taken the time to methodically uncover some of the roadblocks behind my inability to create that atmosphere of peace I craved.

The answers came through honing an awareness of my own visceral reaction to what surrounds me. In particular, I've always possessed an acutely heightened sense of sight/visual stimuli, and I've noticed that this sense greatly, perhaps primarily, affects my emotional state of being. As I've slowed down to noticed how my body fluctuates as my eyes take in certain things (colors, textures, shapes, etc.), I have begun to wrap our main living areas in swaths of neutral hues and rich tonal texture. I do love color, but my sense of sight takes it best in small doses with lots of white space surrounding it. Think: a colorful bouquet of flowers 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 relief. Reducing visual clutter through attractive storage and natural materials brings me (and my delicate eyes) so much joy. It could be as simple as choosing handcrafted wooden spoons to sit out on your kitchen counter, instead of a set made of neon silicone. You may chuckle at this, 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 a glittering hot pink fabric, they disappear into my carpet, floor, and furniture and don't arrest the glance of a sweeping eye.

These epiphanies have been the result of mindfulness. Of noticing, feeling, and being curious - all tenants of living intentionally. A journey that, for me, has meant the reduction of so much angst and visual over-stimulation at home and has created the foundation for a much deeper sense of soul-calm.

The definition of peace is truly 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 start learning exactly which components of your surroundings can be edited to create that nurturing atmosphere that allows the stresses of the world to melt away.

As the quote reminds us, the ripples of a peace-filled home are far reaching…and thus, so very, very worth the pursuit.