When I talk to my contemporaries and ask them what do they want most for themselves, some say money, others say a relationship, some say fame, but typically the majority tend to say inner peace. Although we know that inner peace is important we do not always know how to accomplish this state of tranquility. The question then becomes — how do we cultivate inner peace?
There are a variety of ways to cultivate inner peace. Central to inner peace is embracing a positive self image. Although easier said than done, the way we feel about ourselves is very important to our well-being and our peace of mind. With a strong but realistic self image you can ignore the negative energy that surrounds you. Further, negative messages directed at you will not immobilize you or cause you self doubt.
A second principle of inner peace is appreciating your intuition. Have you ever gotten an inkling or feeling about a person or situation? This inking is called intuition. Intuition develops over time so it is, in part, based on our experiences. The more experiences that we have the more we are able to trust our intuition. A state of peace occurs when we are able to integrate our feelings or inklings with how we think. Our intuition may seem irrational at first but if we are able to understand and explain our intuition before we act then we can be at peace with our decision making process.
With intuition and a highly developed self image we can find inner peace if we then are able to develop confidence in our judgments. Thus another component of inner peace is self efficacy or the belief that we are able to solve problems, make judgments, and reach our goals in our own way and in our own time.
Another component of inner peace is taking risks. Taking risks may seem counter intuitive to peace but it is not. Let me explain. Taking risks make life much more interesting. Individuals who are overly cautious tend to be fearful and live life with regrets. Their life path is to avoid failure or pain. Typically we learn through experiencing failure. So take risks, with the caveat that risk taking is fine as long as what you do is not dangerous to your well being.
With practice and dedication we all can learn the tranquility of inner peace. Some of us are more natural at finding peace while others, like myself, need to work at it. My final recommendation for cultivating inner peace is to learn ways to reduce stress. Relaxation training, practicing meditation, yoga and listening to peaceful music are typical strategies that have been found to be effective in helping people develop inner peace.