Ways to Find Inner Peace in Life and Yourself: Opinion Essay

Introduction

What is inner peace? How can I find my inner peace and ultimate happiness within? These are questions that many people ask themselves over and over. Truthfully, inner peace is one of the most valuable things that people are in search of today. It simply is the sense of harmony and emotional fulfillment in life despite all the challenges we face. The good news in that, you can achieve inner peace. “But how?” You ask. Well, inner peace is all about practicing acceptance of yourself as well as the world around you. You have to engage in meditation and mindfulness. These things contribute to a strong sense of calm, relaxation and joy.

Finding your inner self is more than just doing, it is a matter of being! You lean forward rather than choosing to struggle against it. Attaining inner peace is making sure that you are wholly present and focused entirely on the task at hand. Through inner peace, you can achieve mental, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing. It gives you a sense of self-confidence hence, helping you see life from a different perspective. The truth is, we all want these things, but how many of us are willing to shift our perception of ourselves and move out of our comfort zones to create a surrounding that fosters inner peace? It is only when we make these shifts that we can attain and sustain peace of mind.

Why do we need to find strength: the importance of finding your inner peace

You may be asking, but what does inner peace have to do with strength? The truth, attaining inner peace is all about strength. Without strength, you will not be able to accept the things that you cannot change. In other words, you will lack in self-confidence, and hence, you will not be able to change the things that you can and accept the things that you cannot change.

Strength is the only powerful weapon to warding off bad things from our lives. True, the journey may sometimes be rough, bumpy and may even wear you off. However, having a strong sense of inner peace allows you to triumph. It is the voice that tells you that there is hope for tomorrow and that pushing forth no matter what is all worth it!

Here are some of the tips that will help you have peace of mind;

Know yourself

The first step to attaining inner peace is to make a list of all the good things that you intend to nurture in your life. The best thing to do this is to look at the areas of your life that you feel you have not been doing well. Have you been dishonest, selfish, intolerant and rude? Start here. Purpose to turn things around by being honest, kind, tolerant and polite. Change the way you respond to difficult situations. List all the principles that you would wish to uphold and go for it!

Let go of perfectionism

The truth with life is that there is no perfection! Allow yourself to celebrate all the small steps that you make despite the all the struggles. Don’t beat yourself up for not living right. Everything is a journey. Be imperfect, but yet make progress. That is worth something.

Make immediate changes

While you try to make changes in your life, it is crucial for you to understand that you cannot move from A to Z instantly. Meaning that, as you try to make these changes, you may make some mistakes along the way. When you do, make amends for it immediately. Don’t procrastinate. Correct your mistakes as you go through the journey of finding your inner peace.

Be patient

As you purpose to make changes and celebrate every milestone you make towards attaining inner peace, not everyone around you will celebrate with you. Do not worry yourself trying to please them for doing the right thing. They will have their conscience to live with, and you will have yours. Despite the ridicule from friends and family, do not give up. Take a deep breath and keep moving, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Allow your head and heart to support you

If you allow negativity, this will hold you captive from having a peace of mind. It is vital that you choose forgiveness so that you have the freedom to illuminate your compassion and goodness. It is in so doing that you will feel lighter from the inside and how about adding on to your self-esteem- awesome.

Think long-term

Life is full of frustrations, and many things may drive us crazy, and it becomes very easy to want to get angry and lose your rag. However, when you get here, hold back and think about how you will feel after taking that action. As yourself whether it is worth it? If not, then do not do it.

Steps to being at peace with yourself

Step 1: Do not fight reality

There are so many things that we would like to change but we cannot. Not because we don’t want to but because it is the reality. Instead of battling with such a thing beyond our control, it is important for us to accept they will always be what they are so that we can move on. Take an example of someone who would wish to be short for some reason, but they are six feet tall, is there anything they can do in reality? Probably not. Rather than complaining about what you cannot change, accept what you are and concentrate on appreciating and bringing out the best of you as you are.

Step 2: Get outside

Did you know that nature is by far peaceful? Getting out and enjoying nature can transfer its tranquility into us. Find an outdoor space that is calm and beautiful where you can spend some time meditating and focusing on your inner self away from all the noises. If there is a park nearby or campgrounds, take some time to spend time there to find your little piece of serenity.

Step 3: Smile, smile and smile some more

As short and straightforward as this word may sound, it is powerful in helping one find their inner self and sense of peace. Choosing to smile even at strangers makes our surrounding feel better. So, next time you are at the mole or grocery store, try to smile at people, chances are they will smile back at you- and nothing beats that. It is such simple steps that add on to our inner peace.

Step 4: Live in the moment

It is natural to want to worry about the future and what it holds for us. However, some of us get carried away about the future that we fail to live right now! Worrying too much about the future steals our present peace. As you plan for the future, take time to enjoy the present. Employ a here-and-now mindset, and you will be amazed at how many fountains of inner peace and happiness you will get.

Step 5: Focus on others

One of the most powerful ways of gaining a strong sense of inner peace is living our lives for others. Am not talking about compromising your happiness just so that you can get someone happy. I am talking about purposing to make it your joy to see other happy. The best ways in which you can do this is engaging in charity activities or volunteer work on a regular basis. Knowing that you are working for the right cause comes with a great feeling of happiness. When you go home in the evening, there is so much inner peace you get from knowing that the world is a better place because of your service.

Step 6: Meditate

This is one of the simplest and most impactful steps in finding our inner peace. It is through meditation and practice of mindfulness that we get the chance to look at what lies deep inside of us. It is a chance to focus on what makes us happy. With all the noises and busyness of life, it is easy to lose track of what makes us happy and fulfilled. Having quiets times to meditate on what lies within, helps us to access our thoughts, hence leading us to a greater sense of inner peace-just priceless!

4 Golden rules to quiet the mind

Rule 1: Say what you mean and mean what you say

Say what you mean

It is one thing to say what you mean, and it is quite another to mean what you say. Most people often make lots of excuses just to avoid an uncomfortable situation. For instance, if a friend invites you for a date, you start making excuses that ‘I can’t make it’ or ‘I will be at work,’ just so that you don’t tell them that you do not want to go out with them or just to simply avoid someone or something.

The truth of the matter is that it is not that you cannot do something, rather, you have made a choice not to do it. That act of creating an excuse often stirs up your inner space and takes so much energy for you to maintain it. This lie often lingers on and stills out peace little by little. Therefore, instead of saying something that truly isn’t what they are, make a conscious decision to always be truthful in what you say. The truth may hurt, but if it is done with compassion and authenticity, it gives you peace of mind. Make the right choice!

Mean what you say

It is quite common for people to say things out of obligation or habit when they do not mean it. For instance, when making a phone call, in the end, many of us are in the habit of saying things like, ‘talk to you soon,’ ‘I love you’ among others when we do not mean those things. The truth is, these casual comments can be harmful to our inner self because we know deep down that we did not mean it. They are what many people term as ‘little white lies.’ Over time, they become guilt that unconsciously distracts us from finding happiness within. The best thing is for you to make a conscious decision to mean everything that you say and avoid making empty promises that you know deep down that you have no intention of fulfilling.

Rule 2: Don’t say to anyone if you cannot say it to all

Whether we admit it or not, we all love some sort form of gossip. In most cases, we are so fast to find fault in others and talk about them with an inner circle. We all have heard of someone else’s misfortune, what was your first reaction? Truthfully, 99% of the time, we call our close friends or spouse to talk to them about it. When we consciously engage in such unhealthy and unhelpful conversations, is there something that we are feeding our souls on? All we did is spread drama and stirred negative energy and conflict that polluted our inner person and space. Instead of doing this, commit yourself, that you will not tell a soul unless you can tell the entire world. In other words, stop spreading lousy energy, it poisons your inner man.

Rule 3: Don’t say inside the thing you cannot say it outside

Are there things that you tell yourself in the privacy of your mind that you can never tell the entire world? The truth is that we all have inner chattering. But what makes the difference is whether we believe them. Some of the things that we think deep within our minds can have a negative effect on our self-esteem and end up making us anxious. It is these false beliefs that strip us of our inner peace. Instead of dwelling on such negative self-talk, purpose to focus your inner energy on things that build you up. Meditate on the thoughts that bring cleansing and keeps your inner space clean.

Rule 4: Do not say unless it is true and helpful

Have you ever said something that you wished you could take back or makes you so ashamed of yourself? I bet we all have at some point in life. Sometimes, we get caught up in the wake of a moment that we let our thoughts spill out in the form of useless speech. If you board a bus, train or are seated somewhere many people are engaging in talks; you will realize that the number of times they say something true of even helpful is close to zero.

The truth is, such conversations are not only distracting to the people within the surrounding but also strips the person talking of so much energy. Can you recall the last time you engaged in a random conversation and how drained you felt after? Well, it is because of the useless things we say and allow others to feed our souls with. Always make sure that before you utter a word, you can account for it. Clean your thoughts so that you can sieve your words.

Conclusion

Having a true control of your mind is being able to concentrate on one thought while shutting out all else. In other words, you cleanse your mind and silence it. It is this silencing that gives power, inner peace and happiness within. If there is one person that can determine whether you have a peace of mind or not, it is you! Therefore, if there is something out there that is constantly stealing your peace or if there is something that you think can bring you inner peace, it is you that can decide to either go for it or not. Take charge of your inner man and your inner space, and you will be beaming with so much happiness illuminating from inside out!