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by Amy Biddle
Whether we know it consciously or not, one of our deepest
longings as human beings is to have inner
peace. What do I mean by
that? Inner peace is a state of feeling well and at ease, no matter
what our circumstances. Actually, inner peace is our default state
of mind: it requires no special circumstance. We may think we want
certain events to happen in our lives, but what we really want is
the feelings we think those things would bring us – feelings of
fulfillment and inner peace.
The truth is that we can have peace within, even if our lives
appear to be in a state of turbulence. We may not always feel joyful
in the midst of something difficult, but we can cultivate a habit of
inner peace. Yes, inner peace is a habit, not just something that
happens to you if you’re "lucky." It is actually the
result of a series of choices that form habits that we cultivate on
purpose.
Some of the habits that allow inner peace to grow in you are
simply the basic tenets of self-care when you live in a human body.
We learn through trial and error that we need a certain amount of
sleep each night. We get enough to eat, but we don’t intoxicate
ourselves with food or drink. We spend a little
time alone each day,
and a little time reaching out to others. We find a form of exercise
that feels like play, so we don’t mind doing it every day. All of
these habits cooperate with our physical body to lay the groundwork
for the peaceful state of mind that is, deep within, our natural
state of being.
There are also mental habits that allow us to enjoy inner peace.
The most important of these is to pay attention to how you talk to
yourself. Do you go around "awfulizing" over everything
that happens? Or do you make the opposite mistake of
"minimizing" challenges? When something is hard, don't
tell yourself it's terrible, unless you want it to be terrible. And
don't tell yourself it's nothing, because you don't get inner peace
by avoiding your truth. Just tell yourself, "This is hard, but
I have the power within me to deal with it, and besides, it will
pass."
Another good mental habit is to teach yourself calming slogans.
Relax. One thing at a time. One day at a time. I don't have to prove
I'm innocent or right. Maybe I can't, but God can. These and other
slogans may sound corny to you, at first. But when you get in a
tight spot, it helps to have something short and sweet that's easy
to remember.
Habits like these serve two functions. They keep you from
creating waves at the surface of your life, and they help you
navigate the waves that others create, so you can still get where
you want to go. With daily practice of these physical and mental
habits, you cultivate the inner peace that is your birthright as a
spiritual being in a human body.
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