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"STRONGER TOGETHER" is a weekly column where Tanya explores key issues. This week Tanya discusses how cultivating inner peace through self-awareness and intentional responses can help us stay grounded and resilient amid life’s inevitable chaos.
By IMPACT Community Services Managing Director Tanya O'Shea
“Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”
— Saint Francis de Sales
The alarm didn’t go off. The kids are arguing over breakfast. Your inbox is overflowing, and the news blares another crisis before you’ve had your coffee. It’s only 8:00 a.m., and the day already feels like a storm.
Life doesn’t wait for us to be ready. It throws curveballs, big and small, without warning. And in the middle of it all, we’re expected to keep moving, keep working, keep showing up. It’s no wonder we feel overwhelmed.
Yet peace isn’t something we find once the chaos ends. And accepting chaos doesn’t mean we approve of it.
When we allow external events to dictate our internal state, we surrender the one thing we truly have control over: our response. And that response, grounded, intentional, and calm, is where our power lies.
It means we acknowledge its presence without letting it define us. It’s the quiet strength of saying, “This is happening, and I will meet it with clarity, not panic.”
This kind of inner peace doesn’t come naturally. It requires powerful, deliberate choices and consistent action. It’s the quiet courage to stay grounded when everything around you is shifting.
In these moments, practicing self-leadership helps us show up with compassion, make wise decisions, and weather life’s storms without losing ourselves, our integrity, or our sense of direction.
It begins with awareness – when your breath shortens, your thoughts spiral, your emotions flare. These changes are signals, not enemies, that invite us to pause, reflect, and respond with care.
What am I feeling? What do I need right now?
This simple check-in can be a powerful anchor, helping us to reconnect to our values and purpose.
So, when life feels chaotic, loud, messy, and uncertain, return to the words of Saint Francis. Let your inner peace be the one thing you choose to protect, no matter what.
