How to Stop Letting Inner Peace Elude You

Is Your Mind Always At War With Your Heart?

Does it seem like every day is a battle? Why is there so much discord, unrest, and uncertainty in us and in our world?  We are dealing with so much depression, unhappiness, and discontent.  What are we doing that allows inner peace to elude us?

When we are unhappy or angry then we project that to others.  We tend to also blame everyone around us, it’s their fault that I am unhappy.  The real reason is that without inner peace there can be no outer peace.  Without peace in our home, there will never be true peace in the world.

Whatever the conflict is in our life, the first step on the path of inner peace is to shift our attitude.  Being able to change our attitude in an unchangeable situation will give us a positive edge.  The question is, do we have that edge and if not how can we develop it?

The way we live is a reflection of the way we think.  If we want to change our life, it starts with a change in the way we think. What matters is not the situation but the way we perceive it.

We will always blame and condemn those we feel are responsible for wars and social injustice, without recognizing the degree of violence in ourselves. We must work on ourselves as well as with those we condemn if we wish to move towards peace. — Thich Nhat Hanh, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr.

Is Having Inner Peace Only An Illusion?

Inner peace can be described as a feeling of freedom and tranquility within oneself. It is the ability to feel confident and satisfied with the life we live, free from stress and anxiety. How many people do you think have mastered inner peace and can live a full, rewarding life because of it?

Inner peace is not something many of us know in today’s modern world. After all, the world is fast-moving, and if we don’t keep up, we are fearful of being left behind. It can keep us up at night and bring about crippling anxiety. We take antidepressants and eat addictive foods that destroy our minds and body—often leaving us with chronic lifestyle-related illnesses like depression and obesity.

Diane Dreher, in The Tao of Inner Peace says, “Most people are still at war with themselves and one another.  We run through days of competition, confrontation, and mounting frustration, driven by the fear that we are “not good enough.” At home and on the job, our lives are filled with stress.” Caught in a struggle between our ideals and grim necessity.  We wrestle with the contradiction between what we are and we are chronically insecure and defensive.  Every day assaults us with new crises and conflicts on the evening news.”

“Top 15 Things Money Can’t Buy: Time. Happiness. Inner Peace. Integrity. Love. Character. Manners. Health. Respect. Morals. Trust. Patience. Class. Common sense. Dignity.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

Is Your Chronic Stress Out of Control?

Inner peace often eludes us when we are living a life not meant for us. That can mean many different things to different people. We could live in a town that sucks the life out of our adventurous spirit. Or our career path is a slow poisoning of a tedious routine with mountains of paperwork.

“Few things are more disconcerting than living a life you weren’t meant to live.” Stacy Brookman

Here are a few examples of  signs we are struggling with inner peace:

1. We compare ourselves to others
2. We can’t say no
3. Our mind is always racing
4. Little things become big things
5. Our to-do-list is monumental, and it makes us overwhelmed
6. Our home and work environment is a mess
7. We procrastinate often
8. We focus on things you can’t control

Struggling to Find Inner Peace?

Here are 9 things we can do right now to bring more inner peace:

1. Use social media as a source of enjoyment to see what others are doing and try a funny cat video. Laughter is the best medicine.
2. Meditate every day. Nothing is more effective for calming the mind and creating a peaceful environment than meditation. Start with five minutes at a time and work your way up to twenty minutes per day. Check out a few of the popular apps available like Calm or Headspace.
3. Learn to say no. Being the go-to person is admirable.  But, it’s also challenging to maintain that level of involvement without being stressed out. Over-commitment is one sure way to put a damper on finding inner peace and calm.  Start being selective about who and where we spend our time.
4. Practice relaxing with deep breathing or schedule time for a massage. Find a quiet place to sit for ten minutes. Gently put one hand on your abdomen above your navel.  Feel your abdomen rising about an inch. Pause for the count of two, and then gradually breathe out to a count of four and back to the starting position.
5. Ask ourselves, will this matter in 5 years? If not, let it go.
6. Schedule our to-do-list in blocks. When we don’t get a project done in the allotted amount of time, schedule a second session.
7. Clean our house/workspace, or hire a professional organizer. It’s hard to be at peace when our surroundings are chaotic.
8. Do something we enjoy every day.
9. Focus only on what we can control. That is ourselves. We are the only thing, person, and event that we can control. Stop worrying about what others think.

Is Inner Peace Eluding Us?

Are we feeling lost on the next course of action? It is never too late to start over, change course, or do something new. We can achieve inner peace. It’s our life, and we are the only ones responsible for making it our idea of perfection, peace, and happiness.

What practices from this article do you think you’ll implement to gain more inner peace? Then take action. Not a year from now. Not tomorrow. But today!

I am Shirley Noah, author and an internationally known stress expert and entrepreneur. I would love to connect further with you to help you improve your health and well-being.  If you are interested in learning more about inner peace, please look at my popular E-course, Don’t Panic: How to Find Inner Peace and Calm.

Disclosure: This email may contain affiliate links. All opinions are always 100% mine and I don’t partner with any product or company that I don’t use and love!