Dove...

So a few days ago, a co-worker of mine was making my day and gave me a Dove Chocolate. They are just heaven wrapped up in a little foil wrapper. For those of you that don't know...there are little sayings on the inside of each wrapper. Some of them are weird or don't really make sense but every once in a while you get an insightful one. On this day, I had had a particularly crappy week. Down about myself, my job, my abilities as a mother and wife...so yeah, a crappy week. So as I opened my heaven to enjoy in the chocolately and caramely goodness, these words of insight caught my eye...

"Create peace for yourself"

'Scuse me? CREATE peace for MYSELF? Why would I do that? Better yet HOW could I do that. Everyone wants peace and tranquility, but who in the world knows how to actually achieve those things? While I grumbled a little to myself that my foil wrapper didn't hold the lucky lottery numbers something hit me. I CAN create peace for myself! I am 100% in control of my attitude and how I react to life around me. I can be a peaceful and tranquil influence on my family and those around me. This may or may not have an effect on their attitudes, but it might help a little!

Now the $64,000 question was exactly HOW do I do this. What can *I* do in my life to create peace for myself. The first thing that came to mind was my household. Anyone who knows me, know that I am not an A + housekeeper. I love to procrastinate any and all household duties that I can. Putting off household chores does not flow with creating peace for yourself. In fact it makes you feel like you are living in a neverending battle of laundry, dishes, dirty toilets and toothpaste filled sinks. Now I know that there will always be laundry, dishes and toilets to clean and that as long as I keep making my children brush their teeth, there will be toothpaste in my sink. But if I remember that these things mean that we have clothes to wear, food to eat and healthy chompers...well than maybe it will make those chores just a smidge less frustrating. And if I take the time at the convienient moments to do these chores, I can have peace knowing that they are done and I will have more time to spend with my family. It takes far less time in a evening to load the dishwasher with just the dinner dishes than it does to let them pile up over a couple of days and have to run the dishwasher more than once in addition to some handwashing too! Ahhhhhh! PEACE!

I also thought of my attitude towards strangers. I feel as though I might be a teensy bit jaded when it comes to my fellow human beings. We are all wondeful people and even though my road rage may tell me that you are a nobrain, craptastic driver...I need to remember that it's not true. That my peace will not stay with me if I am "move it MORON" to the car in front of me. I need to remember to be far more Christlike and far less "jump down your throat because you aren't driving the way *I* want you to". I know that a kind smile goes a long way, even if the receiver of that smile looks at you like you are a lunatic.

The last big thought that came into my mind about creating peace for myself was my family. I need to remember to be eternally grateful for the amazing family that I was born into, married into, born from me and also chosen by me in the form of friends. I truly feel as though I don't give enough credit to my Heavenly Father for the amazing gift that was given to me in this aspect. My family is the absolute most important thing to me. They are my light and my love and I need to make sure that I never take that for granted.

So there it is...my plan to create peace for myself. I'm sure it will be a never-ending journey, but I also know that every step I take in that direction will only affect myself and those around me in a positive way.

And just for the record, I ate two chocolates that day, the second one told me "True love lasts forever"...I love you Josh...thanks for keeping me around so long already. I love you more than I can tell you and I hope you never doubt that.