My daughter was spontaneously asked to describe her family in one word; she chose the word “chill” which I will redefine as peaceful.  What she doesn’t know is that I work at maintaining a life that allows us as a family to “chill.”  That allows us in this busy world to take the time to recharge the body and mind.

Rest is, of course, a component of our relaxing environment, but none of us require an excess of sleep.  My children rarely took naps when they were young.  For our family, our home is a place to recharge.  Not only a place to sleep but a time of relaxation as we engage in our at-home activities. 

I grew up in a peaceful home.  It was a retreat from all the outside noise.  Our home was not fancy or large.  It was and still is a place to “chill.”  Work was completed, sports were practiced, and people were in and out of our house.  Through all the activity, the home remained a peaceful place.   Still to this day, I walk into my parent’s home and immediately feel at peace.

How one feels in their surroundings is so important to one’s overall level of productivity, satisfaction, and stress.  I function at a higher level when my surroundings are peaceful.  That does not necessarily mean a quiet or slow-moving environment.  It means that things are under control and “chill.”  We are human and have moments of chaos, but our family does not function well in that state.

When my stress levels are high the stress transfers to my children too.  When I maintain a “chill” attitude our household runs like a well-oiled machine and rebounds from any momentary hiccups.  Our family runs smoothly through storms when I maintain a peaceful approach to the problem at hand.

After failing through a few family storms, it became clear how important having a peaceful home is to our family. Many families function beautifully in constant chaos, while others are in constant chaos with less-than-desirable results.  It is key to understand the environment your family needs to function well with low levels of stress and high levels of satisfaction and productivity.

What one word best describes you or your family?  Is that description something you feel is positive?  If the description is not to your liking, what can you do personally to create a positive change?

I enlist the power of prayer to get through all our storms.  As family stress levels rise I pray for peace, hope, and solutions, and that I use the right words.  “Chill” is an accurate descriptive word for our family.  I continue to pray for opportunities to create a peaceful environment for all.

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