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My Journey Toward Empowered Peace by Bea Shaw

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My Journey Toward Empowered Peace by Bea Shaw

Guest Post: My Journey Toward Empowered Peace by Bea Shaw
Artwork by Gena Livings

Please welcome my friend and guest writer, Bea Shaw. I am honored to share her empowering article with you this month entitled; "My Journey Toward Empowered Peace." What I love most about Bea's article is that it's relatable, heart-felt and a tremendous conduit for inner reflection and self discovery.   ~Gena
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Oh, the distractions! Life is full of them. Too many, in that it’s difficult to quiet the noise down around you enough so you can hear yourself think. Let’s also throw in some expectations and demands that come across you on a day to day basis. You may be equipped with plenty of no’s, but it’s still not enough to bring about the calm that we all so desperately need.  

I believe more and more that God speaks to the heart. And when life does get too chaotic, that’s Him giving you notice to slow it down. Because if you're running around you’ll never have the time to listen. It was difficult for me to admit that I was caught up in a never ending cycle of being so driven to meet the next challenge that I never took the time to reflect or even fully enjoy the successes that I was having in life and business. Thankfully HE never stopped speaking to me. HE kept giving me hints and new revelations that that kept coming one right after another. It got to the point that I had no choice but to listen because I ran out of excuses and options that would fix my discomfort.

One of my biggest assets is that I truly love sowing and empowering others. It’s something that has always come to me naturally and I find myself doing it before I even realize it. Over time, I found doing so to be draining and kept me in a continuous cycle of doing for others but not balancing it with expectations of my own. One of the greatest joys in my life was slowly but surely beating me down. I had to make a change.

Change came slowly. I was in a deep state of denial. What helped me was when I stepped back and came to the realization that while I was helping others there was no reciprocity. No wonder I was feeling drained and disillusioned. I was pouring myself out but only here and there those that I was helping were pouring back in. It became crystal clear that I was surrounded by takers and those with hidden agendas. Uncovering this discovery was a bitter pill to swallow and I was in denial for far too long. Here I’d given my heart, time, intellect, and energy but was still somehow not enjoying what I did any more. I was completely burned out but still felt had plenty left to do.

Throughout all of this, God came again and again still gently speaking to me, ever so lovingly directing me to make the necessary changes in my life that would allow me to shed the weight (both literally and philosophically) of what anchored me down. HE showed me I had quantity but not enough quality and that the time had come to finally remove the source of what had been actually failing me for so long. I knew from HIS love and directions the only way I could shed the “weight” was to drastically reduce my circle and begin the journey of finding a real true friends. Those who are gems and are really there for me. Those I could care for and feel renewed from as well.

Once I was clear on what I needed to do I also realized that my goals were already set and provided for me through God’s infinite wisdom. I just was too blind or maybe too full of myself to see. HE had already laid a path out for me but I refused to see it behind all the chaos that I had allowed. I believe that a big part of what was also pushing me so hard was the fear that grew in me after losing my Mom so soon. In response to her passing, I pushed even harder to succeed so my daughter would still be taken care of should something happen to me. I was taking care of business, yes but those evenings and weekends I spent elsewhere, could have been better spent by giving her me. She was growing up so fast and the price was too high for me to continue chasing and never really experiencing.

I'm so thankful God kept speaking to me. It is because of Him that I can truly say that I’ve found peace in my life. I now live in the present moment and now understand that it is perfectly fine to just be. After being in such a go go go mode, I’ve had to learn to work through the discomfort. I also understand now that I was putting way too much pressure on myself. What’s crazy too is that the world hasn’t imploded or fallen to pieces now that I’ve pulled back from all the “obligations” that I had before. I can honestly say that now that I’ve worked through the discomfort that I’m not only a free but I am also at peace.

It’s a great feeling to be on the other side of what brought me so much pain. I understand more than ever that it was something that I had to go through it in order to fully appreciate and experience what is truly important in life. I learned to stop pressuring myself and to stop believing that I wasn’t doing enough when I was actually doing too much. By ignoring the urge to always be in go mode, I’ve returned to my roots and it’s easier than ever to keep life simple. I can now just be in the moment which allows me to experience life to the fullest.

Through the experience, I have developed a clear sense of purpose and have set boundaries that respect that purpose. Boundaries are amazing elements that help prevent self-sabotage.  They keep me and others from pushing through my tolerance levels. I have learned to say “no” to things and individuals that are not destined to be part of my life. There is a sense of freedom that has developed in my soul because I know who I am, where I am going, how I plan to get there and who I am willing to take along on this incredible journey.      

What I didn't realize before on my journey toward empowered peace was that the answer was already inside. I will always be grateful for those who believed in me, lifted me higher and helped me to rise. Much love!  
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About Bea Shaw: A firm believer that "WE RISE BY LIFTING OTHERS!" Bea spent well over three decades as a professional in the telecommunications technology industry. She now supports others in their professional pursuits while also pursuing her own entrepreneurial endeavors. A natural people connector, Bea enjoys life with her husband and daughter in Roswell, GA and inspires others online by sharing a her fired up daily dose of Empowered Peace. Visit BeaShaw.com and follow her on Instagram and Facebook