How to Find More Peace With Yourself Each Day
“Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.” — John F. Kennedy
Stress, worried or confused? Congratulations, this is part of the human experience. What’s more important is how we choose to respond to the challenges and problems that arise in our daily lives, and not reacting to it in a habitual way (anger, frustration etc.) by being more conscious and mindful of our actions and behaviour. That is the difference and the true path to finding more peace each day.
Just like in nature, everything we put out has a ripple effect. One small change a day can lead to a significant impact in the long term, where many people fall into the trap of being impatient and looking for shortcuts to change or success. Unlearning unhelpful habits or building something new do take effort and time, and the simple act of gaining self-awareness of what you need to change or move towards is already half the battle won.
It may even become more frustrating when you are aware of the unhelpful behaviour or pattern you wish to change, but you still see the gap to where you wish to be and face much resistance. Let me assure you that this is part of the process. Be it a business you wish to build, a career you wish to have, a thinking pattern you wish to change, it takes time and consistent efforts.
So how do we find peace in times of uncertainty and change? Sometimes we stay so trapped in our own problems and situations that we fail to see the bigger picture of where we are and who we are becoming. Looking at ourselves objectively requires some practice but it will open you up to better perspectives.
Reframing is one of the most powerful tools and it can immediately uncharge the stress or emotions that come with challenging situations. Asking powerful questions and constantly challenging yourself to think differently is a key skill to develop if you wish to lead a life with more ease and peace.
As I begin to practice mindfulness more regularly, I began to understand the idea that we can’t control everything that is happening around us or coming our way, but we can train our minds to be less reactive and respond more constructively.
“Life is not going to never bother you, but if you know how to find your way back to baseline, you will begin to find a lot more peace. “ — Deborah Norris
And that is the practice and mindset we wish to gradually cultivate at any point in our life. We need to come to the acceptance that some things are beyond our control, and focus on viewing our own situations objectively, by observing our stress levels, our triggers, and building a patient and compassionate voice to guide ourselves to taking little actions each day, where one is “slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.”
If you enjoyed this piece and wish to learn more about mindfulness and improving mindset, here are some of my other work:
