If you were to ask many Americans, “What is the one thing you would like in your life right now?” I would not be surprised if most answered, “I wish I had more PEACE.” But most of them are not quite sure how to acquire this wonderful commodity.
One only needs to do a quick google search, and you will find a plethora of advice on how one achieves peace. Well, Good News! You do not have to! I did it for you. What is Peace?:
One of the definitions of “peace is freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc., tranquility, serenity.” That is the desired state of mindfulness we all crave.
How Can We Get This Highly Coveted Peace?:
According to Amber Murphy of https://declutterthemind.com/blog/peace-of-mind/ There are many ways to attain this sought-after peace, some of which are:
1. Think positively—Relationship expert Matt Boggs says, “our energy goes where attention flows. So, put your attention on the positive consistently. This will help peace flow into your life.
2. Practice meditation—getting into a quiet place and remaining calm for a period of time. This simple act of contemplation helps to clear the mind and can enable you to collect your thoughts and come back to your life with more peace and clarity.
3. Learn to accept the things you can’t change There are some things in life that might bother you, but you don’t have control over them. We must come to terms with that and begin to reframe your situation, meaning look at the situation from a different lens, then change the things that you do have control over. You can have peace by understanding that things are sometimes out of your control.
4. Read positive books to acquire peace: Personally, I read the Bible, and it brings me tremendous peace. If that’s not your cup of tea, read other positive books that bring peace and joy to you.
5. Exercise:
Exercising regularly releases a healthy dose of endorphins which helps calm your mind. That alone is enough to get on the exercise bandwagon. When we consider the other health benefits, exercising to relieve stress is a no-brainer.
6. Self-Care:
Self-care is such an important and needed modality to acquire peace. It is widely believed that self-care is doing nice things for yourself that bring you joy. For instance, a woman might go out and get a mani-pedi, or she might take a warm bubble bath, and this brings her joy, but does it bring her peace? I would bet that those things, although they might set the stage for peace, those things don’t bring peace in and of themselves. According to Margaret Paul, relationship expert at innerbonding.com, real self-care is getting in touch with your feelings and then loving and comforting yourself through those feelings. I think when we do that, we can truly experience peace.
7. Acts of kindness—Dr. David Hamilton said, “Copious amounts of research show that kindness and happiness go together. “ You can find that quote at https://drdavidhamilton.com/kindness-laughter-and-a-fond-farewell-to-a-dear-friend/. I would agree with Dr. Hamilton. While we are talking about peace, I would say that if a person is happy, then they are probably feeling a certain level of peace as well. So go out and do random acts of kindness so you can be at peace.
There were many other activities that one can engage in to help create a state of peace, such as gratefulness, getting enough sleep, and avoiding comparing yourself to others. That last one is a
biggie—comparing yourself to others! I would encourage you to find other ways you can find peace. Let us know what ways you found in the comments below.
Pamela Pertillar
