"Achieving Inner Peace" by Sharon Marquart
You mean you have to Work to achieve Inner Peace? You mean it doesn't come natural? You betcha!
For most of us, our waking hours are focused on reacting to what is happening in the world outside ourselves. The many activities, the never-ending lists to complete, all the interactions with others can cause us to be tense, worried and anxious. And if you are a parent, your responsibilities are often doubled or tripled. This constant state of "don't blink or we'll miss something" hypersensitivity can be very tiring and leave us feeling anything but peaceful! Whew! The chaos that can accompany everyday living explains why we have to put forth extra effort to achieve inner peace.
First we must take responsibility that we are in control of our thoughts and attitudes. Your presence in any circumstance adds to the energy of the situation. If you are in a state of worry and anxiety, you contribute tension. If you are in a state of Inner Peace, you contribute harmony. We are in control of our attitudes and we control what we contribute to any situation. We are in control of stopping ourselves from reacting to the world and instead learn how to respond to the world.
Next it is important that we take time to connect with our Inner Peace. Spending time with a sleeping infant reminds us that Inner Peace is our natural sate of being. Inner Peace is our natural state of health. This can be done through quiet contemplation, meditation, walking in nature and putting ourselves in peaceful environments. Taking time to separate ourselves from the outer world and connecting with our inner world is vital to discovering our Inner Peace.
How do we change our state of being? We live in three phases of time: past, present and future. Release yourself from past regrets, guilt and resentments. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to live in the present while carrying around baggage from the past. There are many healers, therapists and self-help books that can guide you through various processes of clearing old and stale energy. If you take this first step, you will have less worry and anxiety to project into your future. As you become free of your fears, you will be able to imagine your future as fun-filled and joyous. You will have more "presence of mind" to manage the current stress that takes place on a daily basis. You will have more presence to change your reactions to responses.
Achieving Inner Peace does not mean that un-peaceful things stop happening. It's how you respond to them that allows you to live in a more peaceful state of being as you move through your day. You begin to radiate Inner Peace. Your responses to the tensions of the day uplift any situation. You will notice the difference; your family and friends will notice the difference, your coworkers will notice the difference and anyone you interact with during the day will be reminded of the Inner Peace that lies within them simply by observing your sense of peace and tranquility. Will you reap the rewards of your work? You Betcha!
