Inner Peace

Inner peace…I believe that as we, one by one cultivate our own inner peace, world peace will grow.  Sometimes I get annoyed, but the saying that what you focus on is what you get more of is so true. If I focus on being upset that I am once again not feeling well, I don’t feel well. When I shift my thinking, I immediately feel better, even though I still have the physical symptoms of aching sinuses or a runny nose. When I grow more peaceful, the world grows that much more peaceful. This is a big responsibility and I do not take it lightly. I hope you will join me in growing your inner peace.

Simplify…To me simplicity is essential to inner peace.  Well really for outer peace too.  Acceptance of what is rather than resisting…often times I am resisting and I don’t even know it.  When I become aware and stop resisting, that thing loses its power. And I have peace. Not resisting does not mean doing nothing. Rather it allows me to think clearly and take the appropriate action.  The other day I was resisting making a phone call regarding my finances. When I came into acceptance, and put my energy into what I needed to do, I made the phone call and the monster was not really scary at all. Kind of crazy, but that’s how it works in my world. There was a stillness inside when I let go of the resistance.

Forgiveness…hmmm I cannot have inner or outer peace without this piece of the puzzle.  I like Oprah’s definition of forgiveness.  To paraphrase it is accepting the past as it was, letting go of wishing for things to have been different.  This has been hugely helpful for me in being able to forgive myself; my ex-husband as well as family members who I wished for a long time had a different relationship with me. It is what it is. Thank you universe. And I have found that not forgiving keeps me connected to people in a way that I do not want to be connected to them. Forgiveness is a way to freedom for me.

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”   St Francis de Sales

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about how you can cultivate your inner peace every day.