Are you looking for inner peace in your life? Tired of chaos? What if I told you that finding inner peace is easier than you think? In fact, you can get it in under a week- yes really! Read my complete guide on how to find inner peace to find out how(plus get my FREE downloadable journal prompts for mental health that you can download down below.)
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- Meditation Guide For Beginners.
Let us begin with a brief history lesson. Buddhists are famous for their meditation and mindfulness practices. The religion originated in India over 2,500 years ago.
Buddhists believe that the source of most of our problems is internal, although external factors play a role. The fourth noble truth of Buddhism is ‘Magga’ which translates to ‘The truth of the path that frees us from suffering.’ This is where inner peace comes in.
Simply put, examining our mind and its dynamics enables us to understand the inner cause of the issues that we face and to explore what state of mind we should attain for peace.
What is inner peace?
Inner peace is defined as the deliberate state of mental or spiritual calm despite the potential presence of stressors. It is the state of calm within yourself even in the presence of chaos. It is the key to happiness, bliss, and contentment. When you are at peace, you are healthy, happy, and free of stress and anxiety.
Unfortunately, cultivating inner peace remains an abstract concept to many. This post tries to give you a better grasp of the subject and a few tips to help you find inner peace.
How to find inner peace
The world around us is noisy and it can be frustrating. Inner peace is meant to help calm the mind and soul.
So, what is the path to inner peace? Is it meditating on top of a mountain, joining a peace campaign, or trying to block everything out? Not really!
There is no one way of finding inner peace. One method doesn’t work for all. There is no standard approach to take or mandatory steps to follow. The only certain thing is that internal peace cannot be achieved overnight. Like all the good things, it takes time to cultivate and requires patience and consistency.
You can start with the tips listed below:
1. Accept what you cannot change
This is easier said than done. It, however, doesn’t mean that it is completely out of reach; just that it can be challenging.
Not everything is within our control. Some things we can change; others we cannot. So, what do we do when we meet such a situation? Do you allow it to ruin your calm or do you accept it?
Control what you can control and avoid focusing on those you cannot control. Don’t be distracted by them. Accepting what you cannot change means that you may have to make a few compromises in some situations. To find inner peace and calm the storm, take charge of what you can control and focus on it. Don’t allow the chaos of unrealistic expectations and tendencies into your mind.
2. Practice gratitude
We often go about things without appreciating ourselves. What we often do is complain. If you want to find inner peace, you need to start practicing gratitude.
Acknowledge any progress you make. Look for the good things and appreciate them. Relish every little thing and moment. Practicing gratitude also means that you appreciate your friends, family, and those around you.
You could start a gratitude journal, go out for a walk in the park or try that restaurant that you have been wanting to go to. Once you master gratitude, then you will be able to see the good and not just the bad.
3. Leave the past behind you
Know how we always say ‘forgive and forget?’ Well, it actually means something. Forgiveness is the first step in leaving the past behind you. Don’t allow yourself to wallow in regret. It will do you no good. Cry if you have to but move on.
Also, avoid pointing fingers or finding someone or something to blame. Make peace with whatever happened and a conscious decision to move forward. Let the past go and allow yourself to heal so that you can enjoy the joys of the present.
4. Journaling
Journaling involves keeping a daily account of your feelings and thoughts. Writing a few minutes a day can help reduce stress and anxiety, boost your self-esteem and help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself.
5. Focus on good memories
Research shows that we are more likely to recall negative experiences than positive experiences. We also tend to notice the negative more than the positive.
Focusing on good memories helps create a happy brain. The negative thoughts and memories fade away if you don’t concentrate on them. Revisiting happy memories helps reduce stress, and anxiety, and to increase positive emotions including happiness and peace.
6. Meditate
Meditation is a powerful tool. And not just for inner peace but also for your general psychological and physical well-being. However, it is under-explored.
And don’t get me wrong, meditation is not magic. There is no waving of wands, just the practice of mindfulness and deep focus to train attention and self-awareness.
You can start with 15 minutes of daily meditation. Do some research on the meditation techniques – mindfulness, mantra meditation, progressive relaxation and then find one that works for you. You may also find that spending time in nature helps improve your meditation practice.
7. Focus on a solution, not the problem
Do you keep revisiting how you made a mistake or how you can’t get something right? Do you keep going around in circles about the myriad of challenges you face?
Try focusing on the solution instead. Once you identify a problem, don’t fixate on it. Focus on the essential aspect, finding the answer to, ‘How do I fix this?
8. Don’t compare yourself to other people
You could call this century the ‘social media age’. Everyone is posting too much – flawless bodies, lavish cars and houses, expensive beach holidays, perfect partners, beautiful makeovers, successful weight loss journeys, and the list goes on. This makes it easy to compare yourself against your peers but don’t allow yourself to fall into such temptation.
It is human nature to want good things. However, you need to understand that it takes hard work, resilience, and patience to achieve the things you dream of. Don’t be fooled by social media or your peers. Avoid measuring your success by outside standards.
You are beautiful, brilliant, and powerful!
9. Be authentic
Authenticity is not easy to come by these days. People have masks on. And with social media and the current social standards, it is easy to be influenced.
Start by being honest with yourself and expressing your opinions honestly. Stick to your values and make sure your decisions align with them. Don’t try to fit in. Let go of people’s opinions of you and their ideas. Also, set boundaries and always walk away from any toxic situations.
10. Keep your conscience clear
Gaining a clear conscience has nothing to do with religion as most people would like to believe. It is being free of guilt and shame. A great place to start is to find out what is identifying what is burdening you then wash your hands off it. For instance, if you wronged a friend, apologize.
Be mindful of your actions and how they affect you and others around you. Always take responsibility for your actions, ask for forgiveness when possible, and examine your inner self.
Conclusion
Finding inner peace is an ongoing process. You need patience and honesty. You need to learn how to calm your mind amid the storm that is life.
Clear all the unnecessary stuff from your mind and focus on only what is important and meaningful. Get rid of the noise, and then you will start to see things clearly. That is inner peace.
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