Finding Peace Just Where You Are: 3 Steps to Get You There
One of the hardest things to do—especially in a world that prizes rapid movement, progress, and control—is to simply find peace exactly where we are.
I know you can probably relate. That’s why I created a short, soulful podcast episode and now this blog entry, as a gentle reminder that you are not alone. This is your invitation to pause, reflect, and maybe—just maybe—feel more at peace right now, without needing anything to change first.
Why This Matters
When we witness someone else’s journey, we often find reflections of our own. As a therapist and coach to many, I have had the opportunity to be a present observer over time. You can do the same as you observe a character in a film, or read through a memoir—or even just listen carefully to a friend’s perils. Through their lives, we see that healing often begins in the stories we recognize ourselves in.
And still, when someone says “Be grateful… you’re alive”, it’s easy to feel guilty or ungrateful when you don’t know how. My clients ask this all the time:
"But how? How do I find peace right now, when so much still feels uncertain?"
After years of working with thousands of people from all walks of life, I’ve come to trust these three essential steps that help answer that question.
Step 1: Recognize the Existential Nature of the Question
Asking “How can I be at peace where I am?” isn’t just about circumstances—it’s about trust.
It’s an existential, spiritual question deeply tied to your faith. Whether you call it God, the Universe, Spirit, or Life itself, this is about trusting the greater unfolding.
Do you trust that life wants your good? That life is not against you, but holding you—even now?
The clients I’ve worked with—believers and skeptics alike—have all met this moment. And what I’ve seen time and again is this: when you create space for it, life catches you.
Step 2: Name the In-Between
There’s a unique discomfort that comes from being in the "in-between" stage of life.
It might be:
A career that hasn’t quite aligned yet.
A relationship that hasn’t arrived.
A dream that’s close, but not quite real.
And in that space, it’s easy to spiral. That’s why I encourage gentle rituals—pulling an oracle card, journaling, taking a walk without a destination. Tools like these offer anchors when the path ahead is foggy.
Embrace the in-between. It's not a punishment—it’s the cocoon before the wings.
Step 3: Learn from the Growing Pains
This time—this waiting—isn’t wasted.
In psychotherapy, we talk about behavioral loops: dating the same partners, self-sabotaging, reaching for distraction. If you’re in the same pain cycle again, ask:
What am I meant to learn this time?
What pattern is asking to be released?
Because sometimes peace comes not from fixing, but from finally understanding.
A Story: When Life Caught Laura
Let me tell you about Laura (name changed for privacy), a vibrant, fiery Leo who’s been through many storms. Rejected as a teen, she’s carried a deep wound of not belonging. Recently, while living abroad, that old wound got triggered again.
A sneaky landlord clause led to legal action.
An Airbnb host kicked her out when she lost her keys.
Her fear of not having a home returned—loudly.
But Life, in its unexpected grace, showed up:
A kind lawyer fought for her rights.
A last-minute Airbnb opened up.
Her keys were found by strangers at a dog park.
Her friends paid for a weekend beach retreat.
From my perspective, two things were happening:
Her past pain was resurfacing to be seen and healed.
Life was whispering, “I’ve got you.”
What If You Leaned In?
What if, instead of bracing for the worst, you trusted that life is preparing something for you?
So when that voice says “Just be grateful”, and your body says “But how?”—pause.
You might be in the middle of something sacred.
Something being woven.
Something worth waiting for.
Your Reminder:
You are not broken.
You are not behind.
You are in the middle of your becoming.
Just like waiting for an Amazon package—you don’t question if it’s coming (my client and I chuckle at this metaphor). You wait with an embodied certainty.
Trust that peace will meet you right where you are.
And that life—when you give it space—will always, always catch you.
Want more like this?
Join my newsletter for soulful stories, guided tools, and real support in your slow living journey. And explore my mentorships—Learn to Trust and Ready to Soar—at atiegas.com
