The Glow Girl's Guide to... Protecting Your Peace

When I think about living in the moment, I often think about being so focused on the present that I’m not mentally concerned with anything else. Often times, we’re so distracted by trying to capture the current moment that we actually miss out on what’s going on.

With the recent news of the sudden and tragic loss of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the other beautiful souls on board that fateful helicopter flight, it makes you sit back and reflect on your own situation. How are you living? Are you fulfilling your dreams? Are you in a space of gratitude?

Image from Kobe Bryant's Instagram of Kobe and his daughter Gianna (Gigi) from 20 weeks ago) — Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna (Gigi).

Though I’d never met Kobe, his impact on my generation as a sports and community icon was legendary. Lately I’ve been meditating on protecting my peace, which once again was rocked to the core after news of this loss.

In these times that seem so tough, I’ve got several ways in which you can protect your peace both now and in the future.

Watch Who You’re Around
Do the people you hang out with pour life into you or suck the life out of you? That’s a question to ask yourself as you are evaluating your peace.

Sometimes we get so focused on just having someone around that we don’t realize the damage they’re doing to our emotional state. Especially in times of tragedy, take a note of how someone makes you feel and if you need to distance yourself (no matter how close the person—family, friend, co-worker), do so. Your peace should not be compromised for anyone.
Unplug and Unwind
Social media can be draining, and seeing everyone post so much sadness can truly be overwhelming for many. If you find yourself scrolling and feeling uneasy and not at rest, disconnect immediately.

What we think, we become, and following people and seeing things that no longer serve us can cause a downward spiral of losing your peace.
Release Your Emotions
It’s ok to feel mad, sad, upset and scared. You’re human and you’re going to have feelings no matter how hard you try to suppress them.
There’s nothing worse than bottling your feelings and then they open and spill out at the most inopportune time.

Take some time to channel and assess how you feel, process the emotion and then let it go. You can’t dwell in the negative feelings, and it’s up to you to control the way you handle your emotions.

Part of protecting your emotional peace is understanding your triggers.