Changing Feelings

“We have the power to direct our minds to replace the feelings of being upset, depressed, and fearful with the feeling of inner peace.”
—Gerald G. Jampolsky

It may be more difficult at some times than others to find inner peace, but it is available to us. Some of us find it watching a sunset, others taking a long walk, reading a book, meditating, playing, or praying. There are many ways to find inner peace.

We don’t find inner peace by feeling sorry for ourselves. We won’t get it by blaming others for our pain. And we won’t feel peace if we don’t try to move forward.

We can face fear with courage and love. When we are upset or depressed we can reach out to others for a listening ear or support. Whatever works for us and is a healthy thing is what we need to try.

To have peace in the midst of a storm is difficult, but possible. God can help us with that. Our past experiences where we got through tough times prove that we are resilient and able to weather what comes our way. And to find peace in the middle of the storm is an even bigger gift, one that is available to us all.

We have to direct our minds to peace and away from misery. We don’t run from our feelings, it’s good to feel them, but we also move forward. And we are able to move forward by feeling the feelings as they come; we just don’t get stuck there.

When we feel down or in fear, we must find the power within to find peace however it comes to us. We can change our thinking to be more positive, less blameful, and thus more powerful.

We have more power in our lives than we know.

Holding Onto Peace

“Find the peace that prevails even when the turbulent waters of the river roar through your life.”
—Melody Beattie

It is such an easy task to say we have peace in our lives; that is, until the storm hits. And because life has times or turbulence, just like it has those days where we seem to float down a peaceful stream, we must ensure that we have ways to find peace when we lose it.

A person can’t really force peace, but to get it we can slow down, take a deep breath, and think things through. We can go to a place where we know we can find it, such as a mountaintop, a favorite reading or meditation place in our home, on a trip down a country road, anywhere that allows us to find serenity.

We don’t find peace stressing about tomorrow, or worrying about yesterday. So staying in the moment is a start. Sometimes what we have to do in order to have peace is wait, and at other times we must take action. We back away, or we move in. Situations call for different solutions.

Peace comes with faith in a Higher Power. It comes with the knowledge that there are rocky times in all of our lives and that we cannot expect perfection within us our around us. We get peace when we understand that feelings are what they are and not something that defines us. We can find peace in love, forgiveness, and grace.

Often we hold onto the past with such a tight grip that there’s no room for peace. We cling to hurt and wrongs done to us, which only continue to make us a victim. We need to move away from the grip on turmoil and we do that when we forgive; when we put love first; and sometimes simply by the grace of God.

When we find peace, we ought to try to hold onto it, and when we can’t keep it in our grips we remember how we got it so we can go back when we need to, when the turbulent waters roar too loudly in our lives to find it.

Find out what brings you peace and remember it so you can return when it’s lost.

Inner Peace

“Do not lose your inward peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”
—Saint Francis De Sales

There are a few things we can count on in this world and one of those is that sometimes we will have a bad day for no apparent reason, or basically that things won’t always go the way we want them to no matter how hard we try or what we do.

But if we have true inner peace, when the storms of life hit us, we will be able to remain calm in the midst of it knowing that no matter what, we will be okay. We can remain peaceful knowing that no amount of anxiety or worry is going to change a situation.

Having inner peace is something that most likely has to be developed. It’s based on trust and faith. Usually we have it after experiences have taught us that it is possible to be at peace when things get crazy outside of ourselves.

Many times when we feel like we are going to lose control, our temper, or otherwise “freak out,” we can be reminded that it is okay to relieve our stress in healthy ways. That won’t make us lose our inner peace. We can cry and scream if we need to. Maybe we can work our frustration out on a punching bag, or go for a long hike or run.

Prayer and meditation have been proven to be effective means of gaining and keeping inner peace. Self-love — including a good level of self-esteem — and inner peace go hand in hand. We can’t have inner peace if we don’t feel capable of making good decisions or if we are behaving in unhealthy ways.

Some of the other keys to having and keeping inner peace involve forgiveness and acceptance. Knowing that others aren’t any more perfect than we are and allowing them to be that way. We also understand our humanness and allow ourselves to make mistakes without being too hard on us.

Knowing our limits by having the ability to say no when we are overwhelmed and yes when that is a good answer for us will also allow for inner peace. Just as unexpected events can draw on our reserves, so too can things we knowingly put ourselves in the middle of. Being aware of what we are doing, living a conscience life is also essential to having inner peace.

There are things outside of our control and within our control that can take away from or add to our inner peace. It’s up to us to decide if having inner peace is something we desire. If it is we will be willing to do what it takes to have it.

Inner peace takes effort, but so does the opposite.