How to find inner peace?
Most of you must have noticed how you often play several conversations in your minds. Sometimes, you might be having conversations with your inner self and at other times, you might be just recalling random conversations with others. This is what you call internal communication or internal representation. At times you may face certain incidents that have a way of disrupting your inner peace and leaving you lost in thought.
You might often find yourself endlessly ruminating on the situation, replaying events in your mind, and having inner conversations about what you could have done differently. These thoughts can often leave one anxious, frustrated, and even feeling helpless. In such moments, it’s important to recognise that while it’s natural to reflect on what has happened, dwelling on it excessively can be detrimental to our mental well-being. It’s essential to find ways to manage these thoughts and emotions and find our inner peace, whether it’s through talking to someone, practising mindfulness, or engaging in activities that bring us joy and calmness.
Here I have mentioned some self-proven techniques which can help you maintain inner peace so that you can live a happy life:
1. Let go of the past:
Past is not the place to live in, it’s a place to learn from. However, many of us are still holding on to our past and missing out on our present. We might be living in 2023 but we are still thinking and talking about what happened in 2011. It happens with the majority of people. I know it’s hard to get rid of the past but trust me, it’s not impossible. I often repeat this quote by Tony Robbins, “Energy grows where focus goes.” If you focus on the past, you will only waste your energy on that.
Past is past. It cannot become our present or future and most importantly, it can not be changed. People have so many dreams for their future, but rather than focusing on the process of achieving them, they are busy carrying the baggage of the past. It’s just better to de-clutter it and see which things (learnings) you can use to make your present and future better.
2. Forgiveness:
The most imperative thing to find is your inner peace. I read in an article that Nelson Mandela spent 27 years of his life in prison. Can you imagine living your best years in prison? Of course not! When he became the president of South Africa, he invited the prosecutor who sought the death penalty to him for dinner, he also invited one of the prison guards. When one of the media people asked him why did he invite them, he gently looked at him, smiled, and said, “If I didn’t forgive them today, I would still be in prison forever.”
Forgive the past events and move on. If you want to forgive yourself for something, stand in front of the mirror and say “I forgive you (your name) for doing this”. Repeat this for a few days and you’ll see the difference.
3. Detox of excuses:
The beginning of transformation is in awareness. Start becoming more mindful and aware of the excuses you are making in your day-to-day life. Every time you make an excuse, you give it the power to lead your life. Do you really want to give your powers to a silly excuse? I cannot afford it and I am sure, you too cannot. Focus on delivering results. Once you change your focus from making excuses to delivering amazing results, the detox process will automatically get geared up. This detox will help you make small improvements daily. These improvements when done consistently over time lead to stunning results.
4. Generosity:
This is something missing in today’s generation because people are busy being busy. It’s hard to develop the mentality of generosity. This is something which has to come from within. Let’s talk about our heroes or sheroes — Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs, etc. They were all givers. On the other hand, there are people who are on the receiving end, they always take from the world. They will always complain — “I don’t have enough money”, “I don’t have a good job”, etc. Always remember, the more you give, the more you receive. This is the law of the universe. Be generous with everyone.
5. Affirmations:
These are short and concise statements or declarations. When you think, say, or hear these statements, they become your thoughts. These conscious thoughts, upon repetition, make up our reality. Using affirmations is empowering. You get to decide what you think, how you think, and why. Affirmations when done with proper discipline can do miracles. Using these without believing in them and their power is futile. That’s why people often say affirmations don’t work. Whenever you affirm something, you need to feel it and you need to believe it to be true. It can be the turning point for your inner peace. You can sing or hang beautiful pictures of your affirmations.
6. Celebrating small wins:
People are always darting at their long-term goals but they forget that to reach there you need to celebrate your small wins. Celebrating small wins does not mean that you need to throw a big party. You can call your friend, you can celebrate it with your mom or dad, or you can also just go for an ice cream date with yourself. It will let you realise that you are going in the right direction and will keep you motivated.
Usually, when goals are too big, it takes more time to reach there. For example, if I want to transform 50 million lives by November 17, 2025, and if I think about just the end goal, again and again, I will be in turmoil since that is a huge number. I should rather focus on the process and on my progress. That will gradually take me to that 50 million mark. During my journey, I will definitely celebrate my small wins, and document them to motivate myself.
Practising these things with a stern mindset of achieving inner peace will start showing you the difference in no time and you will see your life change for the better. Remember, protecting your inner peace — the state of calmness and contentment that arises from a deep sense of well-being and connection with oneself — is absolutely necessary for a fulfilling life. It is only when you find and protect your inner peace, you can develop stronger relationships with others and communicate more effectively.
Having clarity of emotions also helps you have clearer judgment, as our minds are not clouded by negative thoughts or emotions. All of this when clubbed together brings contentment and stability into your life. Cultivating simple habits as I mentioned above or habits such as meditation, mindfulness, and self-reflection can free you from the negative emotions and thoughts that can cause stress and anxiety, thus paving the way for your inner peace.
