A Path to Inner Peace
The path to inner peace is a lifelong journey. For most of us it's a destination we will never arrive to. Don't be discouraged by the fact you may never arrive; be encouraged by the fact that the journey will leave you better off than if you never decided to begin.
You don't have to wait until all the stars are perfectly aligned to begin your journey to inner peace. Start your journey with what you have, who you are, and where you are RIGHT NOW.
Preparation
Achieving inner peace starts with preparation. In preparing for your first step you have to be ready and willing to:
- Confront the truth about yourself in all shapes and forms.
- Allow and accept pain.
- Fully accept your position and circumstances.
- Allow time for meditation and reflection.
- Smile regardless of your current situation.
- Be consistently hopeful and optimistic.
Honesty. The worst lies we tell are the ones we tell ourselves. You know, "I'm fine" when you're actually drowning inside. This is not being strong, this completely denying the truth about our emotions. It is time to start being honest with ourselves. Allow yourself the opportunity to remove all the falsehoods, misrepresentations, and deceit you may have allowed yourself to believe about yourself. It is time for you to remove the mask and become who you truly are. If you don't believe you're dishonest with yourself see if the statements below apply:
- You say yes to things you don't want to see, be, or do.
- You continually over commit yourself.
- You suppress your feelings about situations, people, and things.
Pain. Too often we allow the fear of emotional or physical pain obstruct our decision making abilities. Often decisions that would remove us from the original source of the pain. A mother will allow her adult child or drug addictive teen to repetitively abuse her emotionally because she doesn't want to experience the pain of having to watch her child struggle, and or fail. Yet, she is willing to endure the endless pain that her child's self destructive behavior creates. By allowing the pain she is at least giving herself and her child the opportunity to end the repetitive cycle of negative experiences and behavior. Yes, making difficult and painful decisions are hard, but they provide an alternative path to hope.
Acceptance. A lack of acceptance is a major obstacle to finding peace. We don't accept ourselves or our current circumstances. We will do any and everything to avoid where we currently are, what we're currently experiencing, or how we are currently feeling. Do yourself a favor and learn to allow yourself the opportunity to experience this, accept it, and learn the lesson being taught. If you constantly are trying to circumvent it you are destined to repeat it.
Meditate. Meditation affords you the luxury of instant Peace. It does take time to master meditation, but, every minute spent in a calm state is one less minute NOT in a state of worry, anxiety, stress, pain, or other destructive mindsets.
Smile. Smiling and laughter are the cure for almost any ailment. I know that in the midst of a difficult situation the last thing you want to do is smile; but if you allow yourself to experience a positive mindset through those difficulties you can see the brighter side of things.
Hope. When we lose hope we open ourselves up to negativity and depression. If you can't be hopeful about a situation perhaps it's time to remove yourself from it. I am not encouraging delusional hope, but an honest approach to being hopeful.
Each person's path to inner piece is different but by being honest with yourself; allowing yourself to experience pain but not be consumed by it; accepting your circumstances while improving; smiling and remaining hopeful; will help you begin to find inner peace.
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