Finding your inner peace

Hello Amazing Soul,

The majority of us just want a peaceful, happy, and fulfilling life but, too often people, not only, look outwards to find it but fail to look within to release it. As our dysfunctioning, frightened society continues to muddle through life, it’s a great time to commit to working on your inner peace, but what is inner peace?  Inner peace means having a state of calm within,  no matter what is happening in your life.  

It means looking within for peace instead of seeking it out from external sources, and it can only begin to happen when you take responsibility for it.  When peace within is found, life becomes more fulfilling, you feel more alive and you know you can face any challenges that come your way.  I appreciate inner peace may seem like a distant dream, but it is possible if you really want it and are prepared to put the work in. Inner peace has nothing to do with the amount of money you have or your circumstances – it has to do with you.

There are a number of things you have to give up to find your inner peace, but there are numerous tools available to help you on your journey, and of course, me.

Let’s begin with some of the things you need to ditch.  High up on this list is relying on external factors and the continuous ‘need’ for material things – this never works.  You have probably caught yourself saying, ‘If I have (fill in blank,) I’ll be happy,’ well there are a couple of flaws with this, firstly there is a huge chance that you won’t get whatever you think you want/need to be happy and, secondly if you do get it you won’t be truly happy and will seek something else and this cycle will continue until you are connected to yourself.

People often put too much pressure on themselves, for example, by being a perfectionist, having unrealistic goals, comparing themselves to others, unfairly blaming themselves for everything that doesn’t go to plan, and the need for validation from others.  Trust me, this is not the energy you want to be putting out there if you want inner peace.

Being with or around toxic people, looking at yourself as a victim, and holding grudges all keep you away from your inner peace, so you might like to think about this and act accordingly.

Stop chasing happiness because it will only lead to disappointment.  Chasing happiness takes you away from living in the moment – the place you should be, and need to be, to find any level of inner peace.

When starting your journey towards inner peace you need to evaluate what your beliefs truly are and then align your actions with them.  If you believe in one thing and act in conflict with it, your inner peace will be in turmoil.

There are numerous things you can do in your quest for inner peace, but you have to be prepared to put the work in and nurture it daily.  It’s easy to postpone or even completely forget about nurturing your inner peace either, when you falsely believe you have found happiness or when you face a challenge – inner peace is a continuous journey, no matter what your situation is, at the moment.

Here are some of the tools I use for inner peace.  Please remember that you are unique and that you may not feel ready or/and able to practice some of these tools at the moment.  Pick out one that you resonate most with and focus on that.  If you are more confident you can practice more than one, but don’t overwhelm yourself.  You will find that as your inner peace evolves, these tools will become part of your life.  Most of these tools are easy to include in daily life and the more you practice, the easier it becomes. 

One of my favorite tools is meditation and I practice it several times daily.  Now don’t panic, I’m not expecting you to do this, but you could start with 5 or 10 minutes in the morning and/or before bed, and then increase it.  One comment that I regularly hear from people is that they don’t have time to meditate.  The amazing thing is when you bring meditation into your life, you create ‘time’  because you end up achieving more in your daily activities.

Practicing gratitude/appreciation is a wonderful invitation for inner peace and I practice it daily.  To start you off with this tool, think of 10 things you are grateful for/appreciate and why.  Ideally, write them down and do it for at least 30 days. 

Self-care and learning to love yourself are crucial for finding inner peace.  This means caring for and loving each part of you i.e. your mind, your body, and your soul.  This care can take the form of healthy eating, regular exercise, knowing and catering for your own needs in each area of your life.  Until you love yourself and practice self-care, you are unable to find inner peace or live a fulfilled life.

Spending time in nature is a wonderful tool.  Breathing in the air and smelling the natural smells, listening to the sounds, seeing the different types of life and really observing them (trees, flowers, birds, animals, insects) and observing the clouds, mountains, waves, etc, touching nature, and tasting the aromas as they waft around you  (the sea air, the freshness,) or the rain or snow. Don’t be afraid to use all your senses.  If you live in a town or city make use of the public parks – if yours has a stream running through it, sit by it.  Taking your lunch break in the park and being mindful, often leads to a favorable afternoon.

Declutter your home, workspace, or wherever you spend regular periods of time – this means inside the cupboards, etc. too.  If you have a lot of decluttering to do, work on one area/shelf/box at a time and only focus on that.  I feel so energised every time I declutter an area.

Living in the moment goes in line with inner peace.  You have to let go of the past and not be so focused on the future.  The only moment you have is now and the present moment is where you need to be.

Everyone has challenges in life and accepting these challenges and dealing with them is a requirement for inner peace.  Acceptance can be extremely difficult, but the moment you come to terms with it, you will have the inner strength to deal with it.  

The benefits waiting for you when you find your inner peace, are immeasurable, but once you commit to finding it, you appreciate the importance of the moment, your perception of life evolves, you find enjoyment in the simplest things in life, you become more confident, you have clarity, you are more compassionate and less judgemental, you worry less and you enjoy life more. 

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Love and light,

Nicola