After Many Storms, I Finally Found Peace

I’ve finally found peace, but it took going through many storms to find it. Because sometimes, it’s not enough to turn the page or start a new book. True wisdom involves reinterpreting what’s already been written, and also understanding that when you have inner peace, adversity is only a small part of the scene.

We’ve all gone through chaotic moments, complicated days, and truly difficult existential crises. Even though the mind demands peace and quiet, the brain is immersed in another type of discourse. The neurochemical activation triggered by stress and anxiety disturbs this subtle balance. It keeps us from finding the harmony we need to put ourselves above environmental pressures.

It’s important to clarify that when we’re talking about calm, we don’t mean surrender. Opting for a calm and tranquil attitude towards life’s difficulties isn’t the same as giving up. On the contrary, it’s finding inner harmony, where thoughts, desires, and abilities align with wisdom.

Finding inner peace is an art that we invite you to learn more about with us.

Finding peace in a world full of incessant noise

Finding peace in a world full of incessant noise can’t be done overnight, especially if you allow it to permeate you. We live in a chaotic world where we receive demands from all of our surroundings. We have to be good citizens, productive workers, good children, excellent parents, and exceptional friends.

The phrase “we have to be,” which society imposes on us, can make our true selves disappear. Jules Evans, director of the Centre for the History of the Emotions at the University of London explains through his essays on anxiety and depression that in this fast-paced world, we often limit ourselves to improvising and lose control of our emotions. We lose our sense of inner balance and move away from the roots that nourish us.

Inner peace and balance are very precious. We’re not talking about spirituality, we’re talking about health and well-being. P eople who don’t have inner peace are stuck on an island of incessant noise where they’re incapable of making the right decisions. A restless mind can become one’s worst enemy, to the point of helplessness, lack of control, and possibly even depression.

We must take control.

Find calm using samurai philosophy

One book that’s equally as interesting as it is enriching is Training the Samurai Mind: A Bushido Sourcebook by historian Thomas Cleary. In it, he illustratively explains the techniques used by every warrior to calm the mind and better understand one’s opponents.

Obviously we don’t fight physical battles in our normal day-to-day. We don’t have enemies to kill, but there are antagonists to face, control, and even overthrow. These enemies, of course, are fear, stress, worry, and why not say it, the presence or attitudes of certain people.

Below, we’ll explain a few strategies taken from Buddhism that can help you find inner peace.

How to find peace in a fast-paced world

It’s important to understand that our best ally in finding peace and balance is the mind. However, sometimes our thoughts go over the line and become counterproductive. We have to turn around and put ourselves above our preoccupations, never beneath them, or else they’ll hold us captive.

To do so, keep the following in mind:

• Be loyal to yourself. You have a set of values that give you an identity. Defend them.
• Your emotions don’t make you weak. On the contrary, they’re a weapon that will help you find encouragement and give life to your essence, your virtues, and your resilient soul, which has already weathered battles in the past.
• Accept adversity. Just like samurais accept that sooner or later they’ll have to give their lives like Bushido demands, you have to accept that adversity exists. This doesn’t mean becoming obsessed with fatality, but rather accepting it without fear, so that you can accept everything positive that life has to offer when you least expect it.
• You can train yourself to be calm. You have to work on inner peace every day, and for that, there’s nothing better than finding an hour or two each day to be in silence and balance yourself. Meditate if you want, or take a walk if you prefer, but whatever you do, take time for yourself and your health will improve.
• Work on your sense of control each day. You should be able to concentrate on what you can control. You can and should make your own decisions, set limits, and above all, be assertive about what you want and don’t want.

All of these ideas will give you the psychological strategies you need to advance through your daily battlefield with more courage. Because peace isn’t found, it’s ACHIEVED.