By Sami Shields of ContemporaryVA
Life has probably thrown you a curveball or two along the way. You’ve likely had times when you felt unsettled by past events or things to come. That amount of discomfort can lead to inner turmoil.
It’s completely natural to be affected by what’s going on around you.
However, it’s possible to separate how you feel about something from your inner calmness and peace. The minute you start letting emotions take constant hold of your soul, life suddenly becomes chaotic.
The key is to learn what it means to find true inner peace.
You can experience the joy of inner peace by following these simple guidelines:
1. Accept your limitations. As much as you sometimes feel the urge to give everything you have to pacify a situation, there may very well be some things that are beyond your ability to resolve.
- Learn to accept what you can and cannot change. It’s okay to not know all the answers!
- Instead of allowing guilt to eat away at you, feel at peace with the fact that you did all you could.
- While there’s always room to push yourself a little harder, avoid doing so to the point of burn out.
- Keep your conscience clear. Nobody promised that life would be a bed of roses. But as long as you act according to what your conscience dictates, you can hold your head high and be proud of your actions!
- The heaviness that you sometimes carry around with you is really unnecessary, especially when you know you haven’t purposely wronged anyone.
- If you’ve accepted the part you played in the outcome of a situation, acknowledge it in the open and move on!
- The more honest you are with others, the easier it is to be to be honest with yourself.
- Exhibit kindness. Try this and take note of the outcome. Before every interaction with another person, remind yourself to be kind. At the end of the day, you’ll be surprised at how much more peaceful you’ll feel!
- The basic courtesies like “Please” and “Thank you” really do go a long way! Spend more time using those terms and see how at ease it makes you feel.
- Use every opportunity to help someone in need. It doesn’t matter what it is that they need. By giving your time or resources, you automatically feel you’ve completed part of life’s mission.
- Appreciate your blessings. Unfortunately in life, some desired achievements may elude you. At times like these, take a moment to look at what you’ve actually attained and received. The extent of those blessings might surprise you!
- The saying, “The grass is greener on the other side” is usually true, but everything isn’t always as it seems. Instead of bemoaning what you haven’t achieved, consider what you already have. Doing this helps you feel more content with your life.
In a nutshell, true inner peace comes from being sincerely happy with who you are and what you have. Remember that there are always people who yearn for what you have. That should be enough to tell you that you have a lot! Contentment is the key to true inner peace.
What are you currently struggling with? Let us know in the comments below or send a message here.
