Do you sometimes, on certain occasions, experience a state of inner peace, when the thinking process stops, and you feel happy, satisfied and free?
You certainly had such experiences. They usually happen when a problem is solved, when a goal is achieved, or while looking at a beautiful landscape or reading something inspirational.
This kind of experience does not last long, because the mind is not trained to stay peaceful, and therefore, it soon returns to its usual activity.
These experiences are usually triggered by external events. For a brief moment, the hectic activity of your mind slows down, and you feel elated, free and peaceful.
These are pleasant peaceful moments, when mind is quiet and, even if there are problems and difficulties, for a while, they don’t bother you.
Suppose you could experience more such moments, and suppose you could stay in this situation all the time, even while working, eating, walking or talking. This is quite possible, but this requires inner work.
What is inner peace?
Being peaceful doesn’t mean being passive and inactive. It means having a peaceful mind in the various situations of your life. You certainly can enjoy a state of inner peace, while at the same time being active, following goals, working, and while interacting
with people.
Inner peace is a state of mental and emotional calmness, with no thinking, no worries and no fears. It is a state of inner freedom, and though there is no thinking, there is full consciousness.
In this article, I would like to suggest a few simple tips to reduce the restless activity of the mind. Of course, for permanent, and more advanced results, more work and other techniques are required.
I am suggesting what could be termed as first aid methods.
Simple tips for inner peace
* Don’t spend too much time on reading the newspapers or watching the news on TV, since quite often, there is too much negativity there.
*Avoid, as much as you can, dwelling on failure, problems and difficulties. Dwelling on these matters won’t improve the situation, but they take a lot of your time, cause unhappiness, and prevent you from experiencing inner peace.
* When possible, avoid the company of negatively thinking people. You don’t want their thoughts and their words to sink into your subconscious mind and affect your moods and state of mind.
* Don’t hold grudges. Learn to forget, forgive and let go.
* Get enough sleep at night.
* Exercising your body is important. Physical activity releases tensions, brings in extra oxygen to the body and brain, and makes you feel better.
* Accept what cannot be changed. There is no use getting upset or angry about things you cannot change.
* Dwelling on painful memories prevents you from experiencing a state of inner peace. The past is gone, so why think about it? Forget the past and focus on the present moment.
* When you feel you are getting upset, leave everything and go out for a walk for a few minutes.
* Try to behave in a more tolerant and patient manner with everyone.
* Don’t take things too personally. A certain degree of emotional and mental detachment is very helpful.
If you are intent on making greater progress, it would be most useful to learn to focus your mind and to meditate. A person trained with focusing his mind, and trained in meditation, can more easily calm down the constant chatter of the mind, reject worries and anxieties, and refuse to think negative thoughts.
It would also be helpful, if you think, and find out, what in your case, makes you feel peaceful, and then try to introduce it more into your life.
Remez Sasson is the author of Strengthen Your Willpower and Self Discipline
A mullah nasruddin story
One day, Mullah Nasruddin, who was visiting a friend living in a distant land for a few days, was chewing gum and chatting with his host when his wife invited him to join the family for dinner. So Nasruddin sat down at the table, took the wad of gum out of his mouth and stuck it on his nose, before he tucked in. His friend’s wife asked, “Mullah, can you please explain to me why you have placed your gum on your nose?” Nasruddin replied, “Poor people always have to keep their property right before their eyes!”