How do you picture Peace?
How do you seek it?
How far would you go to find it?
As far as I can remember, every single person has been craving peace in their life.
Since ever, the world itself has been thirsty for peace.
But why?
Why is it too hard to feel at peace?
Why has it become an unreachable dream?
And,
Why have we lost it in the first place?
So many questions are waiting for their answers.
While it is all connected, finding the correct answer to the last question will save us a lot of time and energy, as it will put us on the right track to finally understanding every single repercussion of this lack of peace and the right way to deal with each.
Before proceeding, I will ask you to close your eyes, take a deep breath, clear your mind, calm your heart, relax your body, and try to travel back in time to this moment in which you felt entirely at peace with yourself:
- Where were you?
- Who was/were with you?
- What were you doing?
- What did you look like?
- What emotions were evoked?
- What thoughts emerged?
Now, while keeping your eyes closed, try to remember what made you lose this feeling of serenity.
What was behind this disconnection?
- Could it be an unfortunate incident?
- Could it be a hurtful statement?
- Was it negative feedback?
- Was it an unexpected setback?
- Probably a sudden loss?
Detecting the primary reason is definitely important but never enough.
The loss of inner peace is not the actual damage.
In fact, it is the result of one or multiple self-limiting beliefs created out of that past experience, intending to protect you from future pain at the cost of keeping you from achieving your full potential, which will eventually damage your soul and inner core.
Let’s say you failed to honor a commitment.
What could false beliefs be created in such a case?
- I am not trustworthy
- I am not responsible
- I lost my credibility
- I lost my only chance to prove myself
- I do not deserve to be in such a position
This alone can deprive you of your inner peace.
You will live stressed over what happened in the past and anxious about what might happen in the future.
You start defining yourself based on them, and they become your identity, your reality.
To overcome your self-limitations, you must:
- Listen to your thoughts
- Recognize their patterns
- Examine them
- Question them
This process can help you:
First, become aware of what actually happened:
- What was under your control?
- What was beyond your control?
- What are the lessons learned?
Secondly, accept what already happened by acknowledging the fact that you are a human, having the right not to be perfect.
Worth noting that our self-limiting beliefs start developing at an early age.
The best way to Identify them is by gaining self-awareness.
“Zen masters say you cannot see your reflection in running water, only in still water.”
Practicing mindfulness naturally gives the mind space to discover itself, pay attention to thoughts and sensations without judgment, and refocus on the present moment.
Meditating is one of the best techniques used while practicing mindfulness.
The beauty of this technique lies in the fact that it is absolutely personal. There are no rules and no specific process.
The target is to disconnect from the outer world so that we connect to our inner world by enjoying quality time with ourselves.
We can choose to:
Take a walk in nature | Pray | Read a book | Listen to music | Write in a journal | Paint | Dance | Exercise | Sit in silence | Meditate | Take a shower | Hit the road | Hike | Jog | Camp
Meditating provides us with the calmness and clarity needed to reconnect with our truth and values and unchain our self-worth from others’ opinions of us.
You will live in peace once you realize that you define yourself.
The world has no right to define you.
Last but not least, world peace will remain a dream until each of us reaches inner peace.
We are the world.
World Peace starts with you!
