For many of us, inner peace is more a concept than a reality. Far from being at peace, we seem to go through much of our lives in a state of conflict, agitation, upset, stress or overwhelm.
Consider a few statistics about modern life:
- A quarter of Americans feel "angry all the time" while they're at work.
- More than a third of women have negative thoughts about their body up to five times a day
- Four out of 10 of us find our jobs very or extremely stressful.
- Half of us are concerned about the level of stress in our everyday lives.
- Nearly 19 million American adults suffer from depression during any one-year period.
- Around four out of 10 Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck
- A quarter of Americans say they have no one with whom to discuss personal troubles
What Is Inner Peace?
What those numbers are saying is that many of us are so separated from inner peace that the simple idea of it sounds distant, unattainable, even impossible ¬- something others can perhaps experience, but 'not me'.
But the fact is that inner peace is available to everyone. It already exists inside us, but many of us never choose to take the time to access our core and experience the calm of inner peace.
When you have achieved inner peace, you feel relaxed, at ease, focused, clear and quiet, even in the midst of high-pressure and stressful situations - the inconsiderate or rude customer service representative; the driver who cuts you up or who tailgates you; the spouse who annoys you with his/her idiosyncrasies; the outburst your boss hurls at you; the hard-drive crash, etc.
Inner peace is not about not being reactive, not getting angry, not acting out. Inner peace is about freeing yourself from the clutches of stress and from the draw of external stimuli. It's about living life from a place of freedom, self-control, personal power, relaxation, emotional maturity and joy – all while accessing your intuitive powers and higher consciousness so you can live life from a richer, more meaningful place – a place in which everyday stresses have no power and control over you.
So here are four resolutions you might consider if you choose to experience a greater degree of inner peace in 2014:
Be open to the idea that your natural state of being is "at peace"
We were born in a place of inner peace. It's just that life got in the way. Our natural state of inner peace is always within us. It has always been here, always accessible. If you allow yourself to be open to this possibility, and then take the time to consciously let go and relax into your center, you will find and experience this state of who you really are.
Recognize that you can feel inner peace in every moment.
The state of inner peace does not depend on location, people, events, or circumstances. Inner peace is not a function of how stressful an event may be. It just 'is'. Inner peace is always available, even under the most stressful or upsetting situations, regardless of where we are, what we're doing, what time it is, or who we're with.
Let go of the self-limiting beliefs, negative self-images and self-sabotaging assumptions that get in the way of your experiencing a quiet mind, a peaceful heart and a relaxed body.
If you think you can or if you think you can't, you're right on both counts. If you feel you are lacking, you cannot improve, cannot be happy, cannot be financially successful, cannot be in a satisfying and healthy relationship, cannot have meaningful work, then this is what your experience will be.
Release your self-limiting thoughts and you'll move into a place of inner peace that is unencumbered by the negativity that keeps you agitated, paralyzed, or unhappy.
Release your stress and anxiety.
Do necessary work to release your stress and anxiety. Each time you let go of your stress and anxiety you will experience more of the mental, emotional and physical peace that is natural for you.
Letting go is a natural ability that we all have. But as we grow older we either forget how to use it or - if we do know - we seldom take the time and make the effort to let go. We allow ourselves to be distracted, to operate on automatic pilot and live life at 90 mph, taking us away from experiencing quietude and inner peace.
Resolving to experience inner peace on a consistent basis in 2014 will support you to master your life, achieve your goals, connect to your higher self and live peacefully in the present, in the moment, each and every day as you journey through the New Year. Will you choose to make this resolution?
I wish you a prosperous, healthy, meaningful and purposeful 2014.
