Beyond Calm
Embracing Serenity and Finding Your Center
When you hear the word "calm," what comes to mind? Maybe a smooth, unmoving lake, or a quiet, empty room. It sounds nice, doesn't it? Something to strive for, especially in our busy, chaotic lives.
Yet, here at AWARE Coaching + Wellness, we don't encourage our clients to chase "calm." Why? Because calm often implies a lack of something—a lack of stress, a lack of movement, a lack of emotion. It can feel fleeting and requires an outside state (a quiet environment, a lack of urgent tasks) to maintain. It's something you get to.
Instead, we prefer to guide you toward serenity and help you find your center. These are active, internal states. They don't depend on the world around you being perfect. They are skills you cultivate, not states you achieve.
Serenity: The Acceptance of Movement
Serenity isn't about the absence of wind; it's about being the sturdy, deep-rooted tree that sways with it.
If you strive for calm, the moment a deadline hits, a child cries, or a difficult conversation begins, your calm shatters. You've failed to maintain the ideal state.
Serenity, on the other hand, is a deep, abiding peace that coexists with movement and challenge. It's the understanding that life is turbulent, and that's okay. It’s the ability to feel the stressor—the rising heart rate, the anxious thought—and choose to meet it with kindness and spaciousness, rather than tension and resistance. Serenity is a quiet confidence in your ability to handle what is.
Center: The Internal Anchor
While serenity is about accepting the waves, center is about finding the anchor.
Your center is your internal point of gravity, your core stability. It's the place of self-awareness where your values, your authentic self, and your capacity for clear decision-making reside.
When you're centered, you're not easily knocked off balance by external events or strong emotions. Think of a spinning top: when it's moving perfectly, it spins on a single, unwavering point—its center. If you nudge it, it might wobble, but it quickly self-corrects and returns to that steady axis.
Striving for calm can make you rigid. Cultivating center makes you resilient. It means you can have an argument, feel angry or frustrated, and still speak from your core values, instead of reacting impulsively.
Making the Shift: From Striving to Cultivating
How do you shift from striving for the elusive state of calm to cultivating the sustainable states of serenity and center?
Stop Resisting Reality: The moment you feel irritation, anxiety, or stress, practice naming the feeling without judging it. Resistance is what kills calm; acceptance is the foundation of serenity. Say to yourself, "I feel anxiety right now, and that's an understandable reaction to this situation."
Come Home to Your Breath: The simplest, most direct route to your center is your breath. Not a deep, forced breath, but a simple, mindful awareness of the air moving in and out. This physically and mentally brings you back to the present moment, which is the only place your center exists.
Check Your Values Compass: When a stressful decision arises, ask yourself: What is the most loving, honest, or true thing I can do in this moment? Aligning your actions with your values is the ultimate act of centering yourself.
Serenity and center are not destinations; they are a practice. They are an ongoing relationship with yourself that allows you to show up fully in your life—not despite the chaos, but right alongside it.
Your Journey to Serenity and Center Starts Now
Stop the exhausting chase for fleeting "calm." You deserve something deeper, more resilient—a way of being that anchors you no matter the storm. You deserve serenity and center.
Is the hustle whispering that you need a break, a profound reset?
Find Your Serenity: Imagine a space where the demands of the world fade, and you finally have room to breathe and simply be. Looking for Serenity? Join us at our annual women’s wellness retreat this October! Give yourself the sacred gift of dedicated time to disconnect, reflect, and cultivate the deep, resilient peace that is true serenity.
Tired of feeling knocked off balance by life’s demands?
Find Your Center: The path to an unshakeable core is one best traveled with connection and support. Ready to Find Your Center? Join our AWARE Coaching + Wellness Community for ongoing practice, expert guidance, and genuine connection with like-minded individuals who are also building their resilience.
Ready to transform how you live and lead?
Connect with Us: Whether you're feeling lost, overwhelmed, or ready to leap into your potential, we meet you exactly where you are. Curious about how AWARE Coaching + Wellness can illuminate your path? Schedule a free, 15-minute Discovery Call today. This is a compassionate, no-pressure space to explore your deepest goals, learn about our holistic Becoming AWARE framework (blending somatic awareness, HeartMath, and strengths-based coaching), and see how we can help you live and lead with unshakeable presence and profound purpose.
Not sure where to start? Contact us. We are here + ready to support your transformation!
