Peace Abounds

Thursday, December 24, 2009, by Leigh Anne & Sherra

Moments & Memories

Leigh Anne and Sherra say…

We both know Teri Helms from our homebased business. In addition to being creative and colorful, she is an irreverent storyteller who never misses the details and a woman who has an opinion and isn’t afraid to use it. Welcome Teri…

Teri Helms has been married to her husband for 25 years, and is the mother of 5 boys. They range in age from 21 down to 8. She loves living in Southern California, the land of sun, fun and fashion! It is essential that every day include at least 4 or 5 opportunities to truly bust a gut laughing.

She blogs about Leadership Education and how it is incorporated into daily life at TommyMom.com.

Favorite color:

There are two. Fuschia and black…sometimes together, sometimes apart, but always two.

Favorite food you associate with this holiday season:

So many foods, so little space…seriously! They are all amazing, and each traditional dish brings back its own set of memories.

Pet Peeve?

I have many…the one that is foremost in my mind at this time of year? People that stop in front of you with their shopping cart to greet an equally clueless friend who has done the same, thus jointly blocking any and all passage in an already crowded store.

What is something that no one knows about you? (that you want to tell the whole internet world)

There was a time when I KNEW that I was going to marry David Cassidy.

One word that describes you:

Social

What’s your motto or mantra:

The truth will set you free.

What are the top three things that are most important to you — the things you love to do and you are passionate about?

My faith.
My family.
Nurturing relationships with others

Peaceful Celebrations

Peace. It is rather broad by definition, and I’m certainly not going to address it in the context of bringing it about for the entire world!
Perhaps this is one of many reasons I never went into pageant work.

I am typically one of those individuals that does so much “decking” of the halls; that come December 31st, I’m so worn out, I’m poised and ready to deck somebody!

This year, I’ve spent a lot of time contemplating how to keep that from happening. I believe it is possible to enjoy all of the festivities of the season without doing so at the expense of my own personal peace and relationships. Bringing this about does take a conscious and deliberate effort.

Most of us have watched a child engaged in their activity for an extended period of time. They are unencumbered with the past, the future is too abstract to even think about; the present is where they reside. They are completely engaged in the moment. It is a beautiful thing. Even though they may be moving at 150 miles an hour, they have a spirit of confidence and calm that is the result of peace.

Adults, on the other hand, tend to constantly be consumed with the past; generally laden with regrets and the reliving of moments that are gone; simply unrealistic in the goal to attain. The future can be even more ominous when contemplating the “what ifs?”, “what abouts?”, and “just wait untils.”

An overly packed schedule is often a reflection of this complexity of thought.

Complexity and peace rarely coexist. This statement has been most helpful in setting guidelines for holiday scheduling and the taking on of various commitments.

As Americans, we are constantly bombarded with the fact that complex is more. Better.
Successful.

It just isn’t true. Some of the greatest gifts we will ever give or receive, are not represented by a tangible item.

The wealthiest and most successful people that I know do not consider “things” when measuring their levels of peace and personal success.

Upon thinking this through, I realized that by Thanksgiving of this year, I had already done enough where holiday events are concerned. The commitments that were in place were sufficient. I didn’t need to take on more.

I could relax. Live in the moment. Spend some time thinking. Evaluating. Planning.

I’m experiencing that these activities are achieved with greater success when simplicity and peace are present.

I’m watching more holiday movies than I have in years, playing with my kids, and having unscripted holiday fun.

I’m not feeling any denial; but rather a tremendous trade, that’s been more than worth it.

Am I still celebrating? Absolutely. And enjoying it far more than I recollect in past holiday seasons.

Am I totally finished with all of my preparations? Hardly.

But I have the time to focus on what I’m doing now, without a huge myriad of commitments lining up that threaten a relentless, pressing, complexity.

And guess what? Peace abounds.

May you be filled as well.

Visit Teri at her blog Tommy Mom.

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Moments & Memories is a column is centered around our word of the month. We love to feature women from all walks of lives – it may be in the form of an interview or as a guest writer. We’d love to feature you as a guest writer. Qualifications: No experience necessary…just be willing to share a great moment or memory with other women. Send us an email and we’ll schedule a date. Our guest writers do not necessarily have to have a website or a blog as we want iLashGirls to be a place where every woman has a voice!