I’m grateful to my friends and family in the School of Peace for all they teach me about the absolute necessity of creating inner peace.

I say this with complete sincerity – though I can see you rolling your eyes, as School of Peace folks struggle to keep chaos at bay, moving from panic to paralysis while gripped by it. It’s positively transformative when these dear souls find their groove of their inner peace. The image that comes to me is of a candle’s flame. In a room filled with electric light and a breeze, the flame shudders, hardly visible. But calm the wind, turn off those distracting electric lights, and that flame is an irresistible beacon, shining clear and true.

You know how hard it is to take your eyes off of a fire – a campfire, for example, or a fireplace – you want to sit and stare at it for hours. This is the power of inner peace. It draws people like hummingbirds to red flowers. It’s magnetic, and incredibly powerful.

Claiming your power, and your wisdom, comes through inner peace. How and when do you find your inner peace? It can be as simple and direct as stopping to consciously breathe; it can be as formal as a vacation.

There is a lifeline marking in some hands called “The Island Sabbatical.” The Life Line curves down from its origin between thumb and forefinger to its terminus somewhere near or at the base of the palm. If there is a “bubble” in this line, that’s “The Island Sabbatical.” It points to periods of isolation or solitude interrupting your normal routine – hence the term “sabbatical.”

A sabbatical provides time and space to regroup, to heal, to gain a new perspective, and – here’s my favorite: to gain insight. Intuitive jewels are much easier to grab ahold of when they rise from inner peace than when grabbing at them while careening by, both hands full. These intuitive jewels are the keys to your wise choices, your insightful action, and your authentic expression. Being in touch with them, by the way, is not only a measure of your inner peace, but also of your connection with the Divine.

Having an “Island Sabbatical” in your lifeline is a vivid reminder of the necessity of taking those timeouts. Not occasionally, but frequently. Each day should hold at least one timeout. And vacations should be taken regularly as well. Don’t put them off for when it’s convenient, or when you can afford it. There’s always a way to create time and space for your own rejuvenation.

You don’t need this lifeline marking to benefit from the same practice. Having the marking just makes taking a breather a more pressing requirement for your wellbeing.

I had the luxury of a vacation this past week. It was filled with beauty, long walks, time to create, to dream, to enjoy stories, and to connect with my beloved. It’s a remedy I prescribe universally. It makes facing chaos, and letting that chaos slide right on by without engaging with it, much more possible.

Coach’s Challenge: Do you have a ritual to find your own inner peace? A walking routine, time for meditation, a journaling practice? If not, pick one of these, and do it at least 3 times this week. Use the routine to literally slow down, and take a breath. Allow your body to relax, and your cells to fill with oxygen. Instant – if temporary – inner peace. Go for it – and leave a comment on my blog letting me know what you discover about the power of inner peace.