PEACE OF MIND

‘To be calm is the highest achievement of the self.’

                                                                    Zen proverb

Peace of mind is freedom from worry and anxiety. In today’s fast paced world, it is very hard to find peace of mind. We are constantly surrounded by technology. Whether it is jealousy seeing perfect lives on Instagram or breaking into arguments on twitter, we have filled ourselves with negative emotions, leaving no space for positivity and hope. Take a moment and think about the last time you were calm and were genuinely happy. For some people it might be yesterday, maybe last week or maybe somewhere in the month and if that’s you then I truly applaud you for achieving something that many people constantly wish for, yet rarely attain. But what if you thought and thought but couldn’t remember even one time that ever happened, then its high time you make some serious changes to your lifestyle.

How to achieve this so called peace of mind? Well, the first step will be to try to rid yourself of negative emotions. These negative emotions can be anger, jealousy, hatred, disgust etc. Once you try to stay away from things and people which or who trigger these emotions you can make significant progress. Being happy with who you are and what you have whilst keeping room for criticism and improvement is also very important. My grandmother told me to tell myself every morning that ‘I am healthy, wealthy, happy and fit’. I never understood the significance of saying that because it’s not going to change anything. But just telling yourself that you are doing good and will strive to do better in your life gives you motivation and helps you to face and overcome your problems and things that worry you. Telling myself that I am healthy even when I am not while may not miraculously change my condition, but it will certainly push aside negative thoughts and bring in more positive ones.

Obviously if you practice these ‘rituals’ for a week you won’t see many changes. But over time it will change the way you think and feel about yourself, both of which are incredibly necessary for anything you aim for in your life. Recently I heard a beautiful quote and I wanted to add it in here, “If it costs you your peace of mind, then the price is too high”. It’s up to you to decide if the price is too high or if you are willing to risk it all. In my advice we human beings must learn to slow down and take in everything around us, appreciate the small things, learn to keep calm in difficult situations, look at problems as experiences; only then will we be able to achieve true peace of mind.