Inner Peace

Being able to find and hone-in on our inner peace is essential to keeping ourselves in balance while remaining in focus on our path in life. As believer in Buddhism, throughout my life I’ve strived to keep my inner peace regularly active. I feel it helps me be a better more caring person in life. Everyone finds their own inner peace through different means, but there are many common elements that help us achieve it.

What Is Inner Peace?

One might think we know what this is, but it’s not always so obvious. It can be many different things to various people. To me, at the essential core, it’s about clearing your mind, calming your thoughts, letting go of the noise that life and society is constantly bombarding us for its attention. When you can take time to let go and simply be still for period of time, it is at this point that you’ll begin to find your inner peace.

The biggest challenge for many of us is breaking away from that noise and the plethora of thoughts running through our mind. For many simply acknowledging that all those thoughts are occupying us proves to be the first step. This can be big hurdle as our lives get accustomed to going through the daily motions and letting all those thoughts and things control our lives, instead us controlling them.

Finding Your Inner Peace

So what can you do to help break away from the chaos? I think many would agree that a common element that helps us break the mold is surrounding ourselves in nature. There is something particularly powerful that happens when you get out of the house, car, or workplace, and surround yourself with the natural growth and wonders of nature.

The longer you can be exposed to nature the faster you’ll find yourself at peace.

Now this doesn’t mean that you have to go out into the middle of nowhere, deep into the forest or desert. That can certainly have a big impact, but simply visiting local and regional state parks, mountains, beaches, or even in our very own homes. By exposing yourself to the beauty and wonders of natural life, even in the big concrete jungles we live in, find a little bit of nature and you’ll soon find yourself at peace.

It is different for everyone, however for many who are caught up in the chaos of daily life and work it can require more of a dramatic nature experience to break the mold. While others will achieve it with greater ease through visits into nature. For me, one of the ways I help myself achieve this is by filling my home and garden with nature.

When we bought our current home, the back yard was nothing but grass and a few small plants. Typical of most American homes. Living in Southern California where long summer months often range in 80 to 100 degrees, lawns are not the most optimal use of a yard. Requiring constant watering and maintenance that does not really serve any benefit. At least not for us. So we tore out all the lawn and slowly over a few years we planted trees and several succulent plants that naturally thrive in our climate. They don’t require a lot of water and next to no maintenance. In addition to this we also have space for seasonal vegetable gardening and herbs.

Everywhere I’ve lived I’ve always had lots of plants. Even when living at a townhouse in Marina Del Rey with only a tiny balcony and patio, that balcony was filled with plants. Gardening is a great way to nourish your soul and hone in on that inner peace. Witnessing the cycles and growth that naturally occurs helps keep us humble and amazed at wonders of life.

Nature can be a powerful vessel to help you hone in on your inner peace.

This can often be most impactful in the Spring time of the year. It is when plant life is going through its most noticeable transformation from dormant Winter to blooming Spring and ready to thrive through the Summer. Everything is bursting with new leaves, flowers, and growth. By taking the time to witness and experience this, I don’t mean noticing it from your car on the way to work, I mean really acknowledging and appreciating it regularly, take notice of the little details and beauty that occurs over time, then you’ll find yourself less concerned of the chaos of thoughts in our mind and more in tune with your inner peace.

There are many ways and approaches to find your inner peace, however the power of nature is something that can not be denied. By bringing life back to its pure essence we can be better people in our lives and to those we love. While this is something I’ve grown to appreciate more as I’ve gotten a little older.

Learning From Family

Learning from others that have achieved their inner peace can help guide us to achieve ours. I have to thank my loving older brothers Timo and Antero. From Timo, years ago he helped me be still and clear my mind. A life lesson that, at the time, in my hasteful youth, I didn’t fully understand or appreciate, but is something that has grown stronger within me throughout the years. He has the strength to take time every morning, before anyone wakes up, to simply sit still for long period of time and clear his mind of thoughts. To meditate. I’ve always admired his ability to do this on a daily basis.

Whenever around Antero, his natural presence and the way he lives has always felt centered from his inner peace. His energy exudes creativity and remaining aloof without taking life too seriously. His unwillingness to succumb to societies noise and simply live they way he wants has allowed him to be in balance. This has rubbed off on a subconscious level for me over the years and its not something I fully recognized until later in life. However its something I sincerely appreciate and love about my him.

It has served as a constant reminder in me to find my inner peace regularly.

Again nature isn’t the only way, there are many things that will help you find your way. If you think your finding it through material things you have or want or drugs or alcohol, don’t fool yourself, those are all fine and dandy in their own way, but those are more of a facade and they will not help you achieve true inner peace within yourself. It is important for us to be aware of this.

We need material development, but we need to understand that by itself it doesn’t bring peace of mind.

— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) February 22, 2013

The importance of all this is simply to find that inner peace within yourself and ensure you can achieve it regularly in your life. Once you do you’ll discover your life is better for it. You’ll have stronger love in your relationships, improved patience for life’s challenges, and greater appreciation for what life has given us. It’ll also help keep us focused on the really important goals in our lives. You’ll be a better person that lives from the heart, one that is more sincere and giving with less selfishness and wanting. All good virtues to keep us in balance on our journey of life.

This morning I came across this illustration that was posted on Facebook. A perfect example how our state of mind can become conditioned to a mundane life that loses sight of that inner peace that brings us happiness. It included the following quote: “Like a big mountain, a small garden stimulates, restores, and delights us, just as it poses challenges, promotes mastery, provides exercise and relieves monotony.” -Winifred Gallagher

For those who have read this far, I hope you find this helpful for you and that it helps you find your inner peace. For those of you who do achieve peace regularly please feel free to share your thoughts on how you do it in the comments below. I feel its important to be open and willing to learn from others to help us reach a similar goal. Thanks for reading.