How to Create Peace of Mind in a Stressed-Out World
Replacing Stress with Peace of Mind
Do you feel stressed-out? Do you think that you can ever find peace of mind and live a peaceful life?
A peaceful life is not a static life but a life in which you can control what you do and how you do it.
Perhaps the primary characteristic of on-going, relentless, daily stress is that you feel continually off-balance. Balance is essential for a peaceful life.
Look at this image of Trolltunga (Troll’s Tongue), a famous rock ledge in Norway. Then look at the young woman who is balancing on the ledge. This kind of balance is not about being passive. Rather it represents powerful control over her actions.
A peaceful life is about finding your balance in a stressed-out world.
Keep reading for wisdom about about how to turn stressed-out into peace of mind.
We all try to avoid the dreaded S word. But it somehow creeps up on us from time to time. Yes, we all want to lead productive lives and accomplish many honorable things but we do not want to develop high-blood pressure and ulcer in the meantime. And we all know from all the medical research that has been done that STRESS can do all of that and more.
So, how do we strike a balance? Is there even such a thing as BALANCE anymore? Here are my thoughts on how to reclaim our lives from all the hidden stress.
- BE PRESENT: Being present has been my motto for the past 5 years. These two simple words literally transformed my life. Before knowing about being present and mindfulness in general, I felt I was living life on the go. With so many commitments, so many deadlines, I was always being dragged by things that had to be done, rather than doing what mattered the most. And being on auto-pilot while doing the mandatory, I wouldn’t even get to savor the journey.
All of that changed in 2010 when I declared, “enough is enough”. We moved out of the hustle and bustle of NYC to the gorgeous suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina. Yes, we literally left everything behind because we wanted to be present and focus on what truly mattered. And this is when I found my peace of mind and decided that I was going to make EVERY single moment matter. No more living life on a speedway! I am here to enjoy the ride, the breeze and yes, have time to smell the flowers.
When you become present, you notice the small things that you did not take the time to notice before. You notice the smile on the face of your child as you pick him up from school. You notice the beauty in the eyes of your spouse as he tells you about his biggest dreams. You go for a walk and notice the beauty of the sky, the shapes of the clouds and feel the warmth of the sun to your core. And these simple realizations make you feel ALIVE. Living a life of presence is really the only way to living a life of meaning. It is also one of the best ways to reflect on your purpose on this earth.
Read more about how to find peace of mind in your life at Huffington Post. By Yasemin Inal.
[Original Post December 15, 2015]
