For mentally healthy and highly functioning individuals there are four primary things that are standing in the way of our complete state of inner peace and joy in life. Those are,
1) Our predisposition to judge things that are happening in our lives as bad. This is an ongoing theme on this site and I address it in detail in my upcoming book 29 Degrees. Many time we prematurely misjudge a situation as bad overlooking the bigger picture and missing out on all of the blessing that are present in these seemingly “bad” situations. Many if not most times these events offer the seeds to our greatest opportunity or progress and growth.
2) Our inability to faithfully believe that God, Higher Power, The Divine, The Universe or whatever you feel most comfortable calling your Deity, is constantly working for our greater good in all circumstances. I am fascinated when some of the most religious people I know fall trap into thinking that any situation is bigger than the omnipotent force in their lives. It would be incongruent to believe that any challenge is larger or holds more more to that which is the origin of all of existence. Align yourself with this inner power let it guide your actions and put your mind at ease.
3) The third factor that robs us of our peace and joy is wishing things are different from the way that they are currently. Not accepting the reality of whatever we are experiencing and not embracing the fullness of the moment. Many people are familiar with the serenity prayer. I find it a powerful reference for acceptance of challenges in the moment.
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
4) The fourth and final condition that frequently steals our ability to achieve and maintain peace in our lives is our inability to live in the present.
We are constantly worried about what is about to happen. Which usually is not an accurate assessment of our current circumstances. What we really are worried about is one of our mental constructs, which in many cases is our minds running off and creating a worst case scenario that we play out in our minds that never really materializes. Moreover, these worst case scenarios we create in our minds are often completely irrational and not at all likely to occur. This creates the presence of worry within us and we frequently allow these mental constructs to cause us large doses of anxiety and stress. The other thing we do that steals our ability to remain peaceful and joyful in the present moment is looking back at the past with regret and remorse which often leads to deep feelings of guilt. Wishing we could have done things differently overlooks the reality and cosmic necessity of what was. In either scenario we take ourselves out of the Universal flow of energy of this present moment and God’s Will. For if we offered complete acceptance to ourselves, the people around us and our circumstances, what grievances do we have left? None!
Consistent meditation and mindfulness practice is a wonderful way to clear the clutter of peace destroying non stop thought from our minds. It is a scientifically proven way to draw our attention into the beauty that is in each present moment experience.
Be aware of when your mind is overtaken by any of these 4 blocks to your inner peace and you will find that you are more naturally in a state of calm in all of your experiences.
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