When we are experiencing heightened levels of stress and anxiety, it can be especially difficult to draw upon our inner resources to find peace. But it is possible. You realize that there is no way to continue down the same path that you’ve been traveling. It’s simply not sustainable. And eventually, you come to understand that the stress, grief, tension, pain, and deep sadness that you feel is a great catalyst for growth in your life. This change is not optional, and it comes without warning, when enough is simply enough.

Inner peace is what we feel when our soul is in harmony with our body, mind, heart, and actions. Instead of fervently trying to resist or control our surroundings, we experience a deep feeling of forgiveness, love, peace, acceptance, and compassion for what is. If we are not in conflict with others, we conflict with ourselves, likely striving to meet some unattainable standard of perfection or toxic belief in “how we should be.” It goes on and on, circling our lives, creating more chaos.

Release the need or expectation for life to be different.

We can wish and hope that things were different, but no matter how ardently we pursue this, it will not change others or life in general. The truth was that we cannot control the family into which we are born, but we can seek out and create our own healthy family and relationships. That doesn’t mean that I still don’t get caught in the expectation trap, but that I am aware of it and can thus consciously temper my expectations to accept life for what it is.

Liberate yourself from resentments and grudges.

Grudges often have an identity. With our grudge in place, we know who we are — a person who was treated poorly or wrong. We have something that clearly defines us, our sense of injustice, anger, and being a victim, who lends us a feeling of strength and solidity. We give our grievance a clear definition that rarely goes away on its own. To release our grudges and resentment, we must release our identity as the victim or the person who was wronged. We must be willing to embrace a new part of ourselves, one that is determined by the present rather than past resentments and grudges.

Sit still with your feelings.

We naturally shun uncomfortable feelings and emotions, and it’s natural to suppress or even avoid them. The good news is that no matter how our brains try to convince us that these feelings are harmful or threatening to us, they really aren’t. They are merely expressions of our inner reality, like a great many other things. And the longer that we suppress these negative emotions, the more that we end up feeling disconnected, chaotic, and unpeaceful.

Versuasion Pakistan – Fareeha Robert