On Inner Peace

When we pause for a few moments to reflect upon our lives, we may percieve internal conflict, sadness, happiness, or some other variety of emotional state of mind. Sometimes our contemplations realize our mental state is inner peace. There are other times when we feel inner peace without effort.

Achieving some semblance of peace of mind and inner peace is a profound accomplishment. One does not need to be a guru, hermit, nor believe in arcane wisdom traditions in order to find inner peace. Anyone at all is free to choose to work towards living a life of harmony and discover a calm mental state. As in most areas of life, inner peace is an ongoing process. This mindset requires regular maintenance and thoughtfulness.

Inner peace is not found by desperately searching for it out of wanting to possess it. Inner peace is not a fancy car nor fancy jewelry, although it does not preclude luxury in moderation. As the name implies, inner peace is discovered within ourselves. It is easier to find it if we are not burdened with poverty nor desirous of excessive wealth. The exact amounts are debateable, but are ultimately subject to one’s conscience. When the conscience is at rest, peace of mind is within easy reach.

It is good to remember that love is an essential ingredient along with peace of mind. Love helps cushion us from the anguish and problems that life hands everyone. This love encompasses compassion and empathy for ourselves and other living beings. Cultivating love and peace of mind teaches us how to live fully. We learn courage and how to survive. It is mental armor that is not aggressive. One can be assertive without being offensive. Inner peace is fuel for elegance in speech and action with a confident manner.

“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”–His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Allowing oneself to be offended by the existance or actions of others is unwise. When these feelings arise, we allow others to control our mental state. The world is full of people and things that are difficult to understand. Peace of mind comes about through learning to analyze life as it is, instead of how we believe it should be. There is much wisdom in the phrase, “Live and let live”. (In the case of witnessing harmful actions by others, we can rescue a victim or prevent assault and battery if we have recieved training to do so.)

Ancient sages recommend that we perform life’s tasks quietly, without hurrying, and keeping a calm deameanor. As we go about our daily lives, there are many opportunities to lose our composure. Being mindful of our attitudes helps us maintain inner strength whenever the whole world seems crazy and out of control. After all, if we cannot discover personal inner peace, we will not find it anywhere else.

The personal business of becoming the best versions of ourselves includes personal transformation. It is a matter of personal empowerment, and finding stability. We strengthen peace of mind not through denial of reality, but through curiosity and investigation. Exercising courage to stretch beyond one’s comfort zone expands how we react to external stimuli.

In the end, while the world around us often seems chaotic, it is helpful not to enable more chaos within ourselves. Maintaining a prudent level of acceptance, courage, curiosity, forgiveness, and an upbeat attitude, we engage peace of mind. We strengthen peace of mind by owning our past mistakes and moving forward with a responsible attitude. When we add love to the mixture, we are better able to attain inner peace.

Namaste

The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes psychiatrist and writer, Gerald Jampolsky. “Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions.”