Create peace within yourself: How to stop letting yourself be disturbed

Living inner peace means recognizing, loving and trusting yourself. It means accepting who you are right now. It doesn't mean hoping to find happiness and love outside, but starting with yourself. But above all, inner peace means accepting that in every moment you have the chance to decide what you want to feel and think and how you want to act.

Still, it takes time to find and cultivate inner peace. Especially these days we are becoming more and more distant from ourselves and often losing touch with our intuition. In a society in which we have learned to always react and in which self-love is almost equated with egoism, it is not easy to change our way of thinking. Inner peace has to be learned again.

I would like to share with you today the things I have learned on my personal journey towards inner peace.

Don't take anything personally.

Far too often we react reactively to statements made by those around us. We quickly feel personally attacked, insulted and angry. It's almost an art not to take things personally. But here lies the first key to inner peace: If we view other people's statements or actions rationally and put our ego aside, these things can bounce off us and we see them for what they are: other people's statements and actions. What others say or do initially has nothing to do with you. It says much more about the person when they say “You annoy me” than it says about you. 

So try not to identify with what comes to you from outside. Stop and make a conscious decision not to take it personally.

If you would like to delve even deeper into this topic, I wholeheartedly recommend the book “The Four Promises” by Don Miguel Ruiz. The book changed a lot for me back then!

Shield yourself from negative influences.

This doesn't mean that you should stay away from all the evil in the world as much as possible - that's not possible. Because then you would basically no longer be allowed to leave your house. But what can help you not to let other people's negative emotions get to you is to get one imaginative protective cover to build. This protective shell surrounds you like a soap bubble and lets everything that doesn't serve you bounce away. You just don't let other people's negativity get to you. For example, if you're sitting on the train in the morning and the people sitting next to you are getting upset about how our world is collapsing - because everyone is just staring at their cell phones - then don't go along with that anger. That doesn’t mean you have to approve of “everyone just staring at their cell phones,” not at all. But don't let this anger get to you. In here, out there. 

By the way, I mean it when I say that you should imagine an imaginative soap bubble around you. These images can help tremendously in finding inner peace!

Be grateful.

You can go through your day in a much more balanced and positive way if you acknowledge everything you have. If you value the roof over your head, your eyesight or your internet access. When we constantly focus on what we don't have, we live in a state of lack. We are dissatisfied and think that we could be doing much better. After all, others have more money, more friends or a better job. That may be true. But in doing so, we forget all the wealth we already possess - be it material or intangible. 

Make it a habit to be grateful every day. It doesn't matter whether you write it down, recite it in your head or talk about it with those around you. It's about recognizing what is already there instead of focusing on what isn't there.

Choose love.

Almost all of our decisions come down to the question “Do I choose love or do I choose fear?” back. Think about it: Why do you do the things you do? If you ask yourself this question again and again, you will always end up with either “out of love” or “out of fear”. If you become aware of this, it will be easier for you to decide. You are also more with yourself. The peace within you grows every time you choose love and against fear. Ask yourself: “What would love do?”

Practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness means paying attention to the experience of the present moment in an intentional and non-judgmental way. This can happen explicitly in meditation or yoga exercises, for example. But in principle you can be mindful in every everyday moment. For example, you can consciously perceive the sensory sensations while brushing your teeth. Mindfulness is about leaving the “doing mode” and entering the “being mode"To come. Just be there and be completely in the here and now. Mindfulness can also come through gratitude or Journaling practice. When you are more mindful of yourself and your life, you are not only more present, but also more focused and often more positive. You learn not to identify with your thoughts and can go through your life more relaxed. Here you will find a lot more inspiration on the topic of mindfulness. 

If you try to implement these things into your everyday life or keep remembering these tips, you are already doing a lot to strengthen the peace within you and allow it to flourish. But know that everything is a process and change takes time. 

Are you having a hard time finding inner peace?

If you would like to find out more about the topics of mindfulness, healthy eating or sustainability, take a look here over.