LOVES HEAL ALL!
What Is Inner Peace And Serenity
What do people mean when they talk about finding inner peace and serenity? The truth is it means something different for everyone. You may look at inner peace as something that makes you feel safe and secure on your own. While someone else may find inner peace and serenity in executing plans and achieving their goals. We are all different and that’s beautiful.
Love is the purest form of a soul at peace. ~Matthew Donnelly
It isn’t always just about finding silence and gaining peace in the moment. It isn’t even always about learning how to meditate and doing so regularly (though, that is highly recommended for everyone).
No, inner peace and serenity are personal. You are entitled to find yours, however that may be, and you should be able to do that without feeling bogged down by the concept.
That being said, there are certain things that everyone can benefit from. In the midst of finding peace, while you chase goals and execute plans, you can complete loving acts. The busy businessperson can still take time out to create care packages for the homeless people in their community.
The stressed-out entrepreneur can find some time to volunteer or the money to donate to a worthy charity. When you’re paying it forward, include children (if you have them) so that they learn the lesson that love heals all early in life.
As you impart this wisdom on your children, you’re influencing the next generation (and they’ll influence the next).
When you think about the legacy you’ll leave behind, consider how much better the world would be if your legacy was love.
Serenity & Inner Peace With Others
A lot of people find inner peace and serenity when they become part of something that is bigger than themselves. One of the best ways to do that is by getting involved in your local community. You can volunteer your time (or your money if you’re thin on time). The point is that by giving your time to your community you are positively influencing the lives of others.
The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart. ~ Helen Keller
The inner peace you find doesn’t stop there. There is serenity in feeling part of something bigger and there is peace when you get a better perspective of your own life. We’re all guilty of complaining about our lives, and while they may be fair complaints, when you get a look at what others are going through your own problems fade into the ether.
There is also something to be said for finding a group of people who share your beliefs or hobbies. It might be that you are crazy about crafts, wild for watching foreign films or a rabid reader. Whatever your interest, there will be a group of people (whether it’s in person or online) that are just as passionate as you.
When you engage in activities with others you gain a new sense of belonging. It makes you feel understood, seen… and those are key feelings when you’re trying to find inner peace and serenity.
Serenity & Inner Peace Within Yourself
Visualization is an effective tool for people who want to find inner peace and serenity. The idea that you can visualize that peace is wonderful, but it’s much easier said than done. The biggest reason for that is you have to have a great understanding of what inner peace and serenity looks like for you. From there, you can work backward.
For many, the first big step towards achieving inner peace is recognizing just how much control you have over how you feel and think.
This is something that a lot of people struggle with because for the most part, we are convinced that we are subjugated by our emotions. How can we win the battle for inner peace and serenity when we can’t control our unconscious thoughts. The reality is it takes awareness. You’re not bound by your emotions; you can control them. You’re not bound by your unconscious thoughts; you can gain control over you.
If you believe you have no control over your thoughts, it’s time to change your belief. When you focus on your thoughts, you will start to notice that a lot of your thoughts aren’t a true reflection of your feelings and emotions, even if they’re trying to tell you otherwise.
Start paying attention to your thoughts, when you notice a negative one, ask yourself why you would think that. Then change that thought to something more in line with inner peace, something closer to your authentic self.
Serenity & Inner Peace With Self-Care
It shouldn’t surprise you that self-care is an important aspect of finding inner peace and serenity.
Often, we are the last person we consider. We’re always so busy looking after everyone else or searching for external solutions, that we forget that it begins within. There are small acts of kindness you can extend to yourself – turn your email notifications off when you finish work, turn your phone off after dinner each night, book a facial, enjoy a walk in the walk or, just sit down and enjoy the book you’ve been waiting to read for weeks (or months). Sometimes you need a time-out and giving yourself that a time-out is a powerful act of self-care.
Self-care isn’t about ignoring stressful situations instead of dealing with them. It’s taking a timeout to care for yourself.
Self-care isn’t walking away from balancing your budget, sometimes it’s finishing that budget and taking a minute to breathe afterward.
If you want to find inner peace and serenity, then it’s vital that you protect your mental and physical health by practicing self-care. In its simplest form, it’s knowing your limits and recharging your batteries when necessary. Regular self-care will help you find the inner peace you’ve been looking for.
Serenity & Inner Peace With the World
Some people feel that the true key to serenity and inner peace is shutting yourself out and off from the world, shutting the blinds, and unplugging yourself from everything. Yes, the world is chaotic, it’s loud and there are thousands of distractions.
If there is love, there is hope that one may have real families, real brotherhood, real equanimity, real peace. ~ Dalai Lama
Those distractions may clash with your self-esteem or force you to question yourself. The point of serenity and inner peace is to accept the world as it is while finding peace within yourself. You can’t do that if you shut the world out and try to ignore it. You must tap into your serenity and inner peace in spite of it.
Think of it like this. You may not like your home, you might hate your job, but the only thing you can do is accept it for what it is right now. You can only do your job and be the best at it you can be.
You can only clean, accessorize, and decorate your home to make it as comfortable and beautiful as possible. You can appreciate the fact that you have somewhere to live and a job to go to.
From there, you can take steps to improve your situation – whether it’s striving for a dream job or working towards buying a new home. It’s important that you understand what we mean by acceptance, it isn’t stagnation, it’s simply recognizing what you have control to change (or not).
The only thing you can control is you, you can control your actions and thoughts, therefore you control your growth. When you put distance between yourself and your frustration with the world, you can use more of your energy on the right things.
The Connection
Did you notice a connection between the things we discussed above? There is a single red thread that is tying them all together. That thread is love – the love of others and love of self. It will always come back around and come down to love.
Think about how you behave in the early stages of romance. You want the other person to know how much you care so, you go out of your way to do that. It might be writing love notes or letters, it could be that you give small gifts or, perhaps you show your affection in physical ways.
We all relate to people differently, but in those early days of romance, we want the other person to know we’re interested. So, we go out of our ways to ensure they know we’re interested. The result of this, if the other person feels the same, is that they do the same thing. They want you to know they feel the same way. It’s all sunshine and roses, unicorns and glitter.
If you have been through difficult, abusive or unpleasant relationships, then you know how damaging that can be. It can make trust difficult. It isn’t just heartbreaking; it makes vulnerability feel impossible.
Yet, in this new relationship, you can feel yourself healing. Sure, you did a lot of work on yourself before this, but this feeling of love that’s blossoming within you is like a soothing balm to your jaded heart. Just like the love you gave yourself after that breakup was a pacifying potion. It’s all love and it’s providing you with the healing you need and deserve.
Healing Acts of Love
Whether you’re looking for healing acts of love for a romance, friendship, community or yourself, there are plenty. They are big and they are small, time-consuming and quick, expensive and inexpensive.
Healing acts of love are different, but they all stem from love and they all encourage love. So, below, we have provided you with a variety of suggestions for acts of love that you can practice in your life.
Love and generosity are the simplest forms of peace. ~ Kate Hardy
Show Your Appreciation
If there is one small and easy act of love that can go a long way, it’s showing your appreciation. It’s incredibly easy to take others for granted and showing gratitude is imperative for strong, happy relationships. That goes for your marriage, friendships, and even co-working relationships.
Go out of your way to tell the people in your life how much you appreciate them. Let your partner know you appreciate them tackling the chores. Tell your colleague how much better they make your workday.
Let a friend know how much you value their insight. Of all the acts of love you can practice, this one is free, and it doesn’t take much time or effort either. Yet, the benefit for everyone is great.
Be Prepared to Do The Dirty Work
Do something for someone that you know they hate. For example, if you know your partner hates doing the dishes, take care of those. If it’s the trash, take it out! If your colleague despises a certain task, then offer to do it for them. If it’s a friend, think about how much lighter you can make their day if you offer to run some of their errands.
There is always something to do that someone else dislikes. It might sound as though you’re going to run yourself down by doing everyone else’s dirty work, but it’s not like that. You still have to find time for self-care, first of all, secondly, this isn’t something you’re doing daily! You can easily show appreciation daily, the dirty work is something you can do less frequently.
Also, it doesn’t have to be as big as the things we suggested. It could be as simple as arriving to work 10 minutes before everyone else to get the coffee pot brewing. Or leaving early to swing by to grab bagels to start everyone’s morning right. Put yourselves in the shoes of others and ask yourself what you can do that will improve their lives.
Peace and love are eternal. ~ John Lennon
Show Affection
This is especially important in romantic relationships, even if you aren’t a naturally affectionate person. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to constantly touch your partner, but you can hug them more often, kiss them on the cheek, etc.
This is a loving act that provides healing for the beneficiary. That touch can help soothe them after a difficult day and helps create a stronger bond between you.
How can you show affection platonically? By respecting boundaries, refusing to put expectations on others, and being honest. It doesn’t have to be complicated, it’s ultimately about respect. You can show your friends (and co-workers) affections with the words you use – be respectful and be grateful. Of course, you can hug your friends as well.
Offer Compliments
One of the easiest (and best) ways to show love and lift others up is by paying them compliments. A genuine compliment can go an awfully long way! At home, you can complement your partner on their cooking, their outfit, their efforts to help you with errands, the kids or chores.
At work, you can complement your colleagues on a job well done, their willingness to step up for the team or winning a competition. With your friends, you can complement them on their honesty, their ability to balance parenthood and a career or their ability to lift you up!
There is no such thing as too many compliments, just be sure you offer it genuinely. It might have the opposite effect if it comes off as sarcastic.
Take A Time Out
Sometimes the greatest act of love is giving others space. Know when it’s time to make space for yourself, but just as importantly, know when it’s time to give someone else space. If this is something you struggle with, read up on nonverbal cues so you are better at understanding body language.
The way of peace is the way of love. Love is the greatest power on earth. It conquers all things. ~ Peace Pilgrim
Just Have Fun
Inject fun into the day. Surprise your friends with a barbecue. Turn up at work with baked goods for everyone. Treat your partner to a picnic in the park. There is fun to be had absolutely everywhere you go. When you inject fun into the lives of others you are completing a true act of love of kindness. What better way to improve serenity and inner peace than with fun?
The Gift of Presence
How present are you when you spend time with others? One of the greatest acts of love is being truly present with others as you interact. Pay attention to the words they are using and their body language. Listen to what they’re saying and understand what that means. You just never know how much you will learn about the people around you. More importantly, you never know just how much they needed love at that moment.
The Challenge
It’s not enough to simply provide you with examples of acts of love that will help you bring inner peace and serenity. We want to challenge you to go out and practice love and kindness!
Documentary Evidence
Imagine that you are being followed by a documentary camera crew (like Modern Family), how will you act? Will you be kinder? Will you somehow find a way to be more patient? Will you be slower to anger? You will probably be all of those things. So, imagine yourself being followed by cameras everywhere you go today and try to embrace positivity and love.
A Shining Star
Who makes your life better? Seek them out, tell them they are your shining star and find a way to show them the love and healing they provide you with.
The Jar
Find a glass jar and label it as the Judgement Jar. If you find yourself thinking something judgmental, add a quarter to the jar. If you find yourself saying something judgmental, add a quarter to the jar. If you find yourself gossiping about someone, add a quarter to the jar.
Give those quarters to a homeless person at the end of every day. Not only are you spreading the love by supporting someone in need, but you’re also making yourself more aware of the negativity you’re putting into the universe. Judgment is not love, no matter how you try to justify it.
In addition to judgment, you can use the same jar or create another for negativity. It can be exhausting to deal with negative people who always complain. Do you know how to deal with those situations? Your immediate reaction is very likely to complain about them, but if you do, then you’ll need to put a quarter in the jar. Instead of complaining about complainers, find something positive about them instead. Try to put yourselves in their shoes and consider why they complain and react the way they do. You can melt irritation with empathy.
Build Positive Energy
At the start of every conversation you have, think something positive about the person you’re about to speak to. These positive thoughts are going to instill the environment with positive energy and improve the conversational experience. Don’t worry, you don’t have to share that positive thought aloud.
Reach Out
If you know someone in your life struggles with anxiety and depression, go out of your way to reach out to them. It could be a simple text just checking in to make sure they’re doing well. It might be a phone call where you shoot the breeze for an hour. Or, it might be meeting up for a cup of coffee or lunch. Love heals all and reaching out is a simple act of love that will bring you serenity and inner peace and increase the inner peace and serenity of others, too.
Every act of love is a work of peace no matter how small. ~ Mother Teresa
Final Thoughts
As we stated earlier, finding serenity and inner peace will feel and look different for everyone. Some people are more interested in going on a ten-mile run to recharge their batteries, while others would prefer a quiet day at the beach.
The key for you to find inner peace and serenity is to get to know yourself well enough to understand what that looks like for you.
However, if there is one thing everyone will find inner peace and serenity in – it’s love. Love heals all, whether it’s the love of self, love of others, love in your relationships (romantic or otherwise) or, loving acts of kindness. All of this brings about serenity and inner peace.
That idea of peace and love toward humanity shouldn’t be nationalistic or denominational. It should be a chief concern for all mankind. ~ Mos Def
