Inner peace is when you experience a sense of tranquility within your being. Even if there are stress-inducing external forces or distractions around you, you don’t let them get the better of you. It is having the ability to remain in control of your emotions and being able to cope well with your fears and anxieties.
There is no doubt that achieving inner peace is something many people would like to achieve. Unfortunately, there are so many aspects of our lives that can make us lose our inner peace. There are always bills to pay, jobs to go to, and personal relationships to maintain and nurture.
All these things are a natural part of life, and they can all add up to stress, worry and fear if they don’t work out the way we would like them to. We can become occupied with fulfilling our ‘duties’ and responsibilities, so much so that we spend less time being at peace with ourselves and the world around us. This can lead to unhappiness and not feeling we have any peace at all.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why it’s easy to lack inner peace:
A Life Filled with Distractions
Our world is full of distractions. There are careers to build, families to care for, and a life that gets faster by the minute. There are so many distractions and all of them keep our schedules and to-do lists full. We are so busy ‘doing’ that we forget to take time for ourselves. This is a big part of why we lack inner peace. There’s no time to fit it in! Or so it seems.
Being at peace means having contentment in our lives. It does not mean that we don’t have goals or tasks that need to be done. We all have responsibilities and there are some things we cannot change. However, we can change ourselves from the inside and work to keep our mind free of distractions.
Unresolved Anger
Unresolved anger over things that have happened in the past can hold you back from achieving inner peace. Having underlying anger issues that have never been resolved can build resentment. However, if you can achieve a sense of inner peace, you can become more adept at coping with these negative emotions. You can also learn to be more patient and tolerant of others.
Things that have happened in the past should not be allowed to hold you back. Know that you have learned from these experiences and have allowed yourself to move on. Unresolved anger has no place in your heart if you want to achieve inner peace.
Too Much Resistance
You may show signs of resistance in many different ways. For example, it may be a thought you have, or a judgment of what should or should not happen, which can lead to different negative emotions and actions. You may resist change, procrastinate or do a hundred different things, all of which can stop you gaining inner peace.
Worrying About the Future
Worrying about the future is largely a waste of time and mental energy. Thinking about what can happen in the future is like being stuck in a car with no fuel. Your mind is preoccupied with worry, while you sit not going anywhere. There is a big difference between planning ahead for worst-case scenarios and worrying about the future. If you plan ahead you anticipate how things will go and adjust your plan accordingly.
If you become unreasonably worried about the future, you may begin to think about what might happen negatively, without taking any preventative action. Instead of feeling at peace and secure about the future, you feel crippled by fear and uncertainty about things that may not ever happen!
Our world today is full of uncertainties but a lot of them are out of our control. These uncertainties, fears, and worries deny us the chance to achieve inner peace and enjoy life. Letting go of these negative emotions by changing your mindset can help you be more at peace with yourself and your surroundings.
