With all the war and pandemics around us, it seems far-fetched to talk about living a peaceful life or to even strive to get it. But what is life without peace, is it even worth living?
Being peaceful grounds us and reminds us of where we are going and how far we have come.
Peace is the ultimate stillness like a spring of water or a dam. It is like taking a walk in the park or walking down the road not taken with the fresh breath of the morning air with birds chirping. A place where the worries of this earth melt away into the distant unknown core of the earth – probably where they belong.
This is the place where we all want to stay forever with all our loved ones, provided they are not the main disturbances to our peace. Surely you don’t want peace thieves and disturbances to be in your sacred place.
The busyness and to-do list of life can get in the way of peace. Sometimes the fast pace of life becomes all that we ever chase, and we get caught up in living life. Decide to incorporate peace from your morning routine until you sleep at night.
But why is peace important and how do we become peaceful in this life? Peace is a balance in your life.
Living a peaceful life does not mean living a perfect life, but it’s being happy in your current circumstances and knowing that everything is happening as it should. As Ronald Reagan said: “Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.”
Peace is being content.
Being peaceful should be your way of life despite the craziness of everyday life.
Peace is understanding that yesterday is done, tomorrow is not promised the only thing you have is today.
“If you are depressed you are living in the past if you are anxious you are living in the future, if you are at peace, you are living in the present.” —Lao Tzu
Let’s get straight into it and help you start living a peaceful life.
1. Find your purpose in life
What is most important to you? What do you plan to achieve and obtain in life and do you have goals or dreams that you are striving to achieve? Commit to these things that drive you to your goals. Focus on what is important. your purpose in life does not have to be complicated, true happiness comes from living a simple life.
Do not be a jack of all trades but a master of none. Set a goal and work towards it. Cut all distractions and things that are lower down on your priority list.
Be okay with not doing everything all the time.
You cannot do all things all the time. We compile to-do lists but we never get to everything and that becomes the source of stress and not being at peace in life. You cannot be everywhere all the time and you have to make peace with that. That’s where your priority list comes in.
Commit to doing the top three things on your list and do them to perfection. This is a sure way to live a peaceful life.
As the old saying goes tomorrow is still a day.
2. Don’t be a people pleaser
Don’t fall prey to emotional blackmail from family members, employers, colleagues or friends for things you didn’t do for them. If you try to please everyone you will please no one. You cannot carry the burden of everyone’s troubles on your shoulders, it will drain you and eventually bury you, and we don’t want that.
Be at peace with yourself. Although there is room for you to explain yourself do not try to make everyone happy, you cannot. No matter how difficult this is it applies to your close family as well, be it your partner, parents or kids.
This is the best way to start living a peaceful life. True peace comes with living your life freely not being concerned about people’s opinions of you.
“Do not let the behaviour of others destroy your inner peace.” —Dalai Lama
3. Forgive and let it go
People hurt us all the time. Sometimes it seems deliberate but sometimes it is an honest mistake, but it hurts so much. Most of us want to express the hurt, pain and betrayal that we feel but is that really necessary? Choose peace.
Although I am not suggesting that you let people walk all over you, it is worth considering that sometimes you have to silently forgive and let go. Holding onto grudges will make you a bitter person who does not have inner peace. Letting it go, frees your heart and mind and it helps you live life happily.
Stop reliving the pain, it’s in the past and it’s gone. Don’t let bitterness take root in you. Decide to be angry and sad and heartbroken for a limited period and then decide to move on. It is easier said than done but practise this daily and you will see how much peace you have in your life.
Another helpful tip to forgive and let go is deciding that happiness is more important than being right. Most of us hold onto pain and grudges because we believe we are right and yes maybe we were in the right. But what is more important, being right or living peacefully? I would say being peaceful. Choose peace, every second of the day.
In today’s world, it’s important to do everything to make sure that there is no negative energy around you because you are holding onto grudges. Practice forgiveness.
Another way to help you forgive and not be hurt is to reduce your expectations of others. Human beings will always behave and think differently than we expect. You may think you know people but do you really know them?
4. Mind your own business
You can never control everything and everyone but yourself. There is nothing more peaceful than minding your own business. Looking after your own affairs and making sure you are happy is your number one priority. Minding your own business is the best way to live a peaceful life and have peace of mind.
5. Stop complaining and worrying
Worrying and complaining are as futile as rocking a chair on your patio on a Sunday afternoon. It goes back and forth but it does not really go anywhere. So why continue wasting all your energy complaining and worrying about your problems.
Problems do not disappear just because you are talking or thinking about them.
Do not complain or worry it is a thief of joy.
Remember complaining is living in the past, and worrying is living in the future, so why not live in the present moment instead.
We want to create inner peace, joy, and happiness and that starts with watching our thoughts and what we say. Be positive and instead of complaining try saying positive affirmations about yourself and your surroundings.
“Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.” – Doris Day.
6. Focus on executing tasks with excellence
Do the best you can, always. Put 100% into everything you do. There is amazing peace that comes with knowing that you have given it your all. Even if it doesn’t work out, you have done your utmost best and that’s all that matters. Have peace in that.
If you do everything with excellence, you take pride in it. Enjoy excellence and strive for it.
Be it a personal or work task make sure you give it your all.
7. Separate your personal and workspace
We have all experienced that beep that comes while having a family dinner at the table and it steals the peace from the dinner table, hence most families do not allow phones at the dinner table because it takes away from personal time.
With the latest trend of working from home, it becomes difficult to know when working hours start and when they end. We find it difficult to draw the line
Don’t let work steal your peace. You and your peace are irreplaceable.
Resist the urge to check that beep email notification from work. If anything, switch off work notifications from your phone. I would even go as far as to say do not install work applications on your personal phone. This will stop work from interfering with your personal time with loved ones or just personal time alone.
8. Switch off
Although technology is the best thing since sliced bread it can also be the thief of peace. With fake news going around every day and breaking news every minute, it can get to you. It can stress you and cause you to be emotionally drained and exhausted.
Living a peaceful life requires you to switch off from TV, social media and many news sources an hour before bedtime and in the morning as soon as you wake up. These can be peace disruptors. Grab a book before bed or in the morning.
Learn to also have at least one day a week where you stay away from your phone and spend quality time with friends and family or with children. You can even spend an afternoon with your grandparents. They are the best people to help you reboot and relax and be at peace in life.
9. Create time out for you alone
Find peace in solitude. Remove yourself from life’s ups and downs and have quiet time with yourself. Reconnect with your inner self and check-in with who are you by spending time with yourself. Recenter you and re-root yourself. Find a peaceful place to clear your head. Take deep breaths and include this alone time as part of your daily routine.
Because life is busy most of us cannot do this because we feel we will miss out or because we are in positions of power, moving from one meeting to another and everyone is pulling us in many different directions, but that usually results in burnout.
The only way to control that is to take time out daily to disconnect from everything.
“Nobody can bring you peace but yourself.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson.
10. Enjoy the little things
Take it one day at a time. Try to enjoy each day to the fullest even the small things. Challenge yourself to self-love and go on that solo date. If you focus on the little things, you will realize that life has so much more to offer.
We all think we will be happy and find peace once we reach the top of Mount Everest, but the truth is we might never make it to the top.
So why not enjoy the journey on the way to the destination.
“The life of inner peace, being harmonious and without stress, is the easiest type of existence.” —Norman Vincent Peale
11. Life is short, be grateful for every minute
Laughter is indeed the best medicine in life. And it’s free. Use it. Find reasons to laugh every day. If you cannot laugh, then try smiling. Smiling and laughter are contagious.
The more you smile and laugh the more other people in your life will smile. No one wants to be around a grumpy negative person because they drain the energy out of everything. Living a peaceful life means you are a ray of sunshine living a happy life.
Being grateful means appreciating where you are in life today and not being concerned with material possessions that you do not have.
As Mother Theresa said: “Peace begins with a smile.”
12. Live a little and laugh a lot
Laughter is indeed the best medicine in life. And it’s free. Use it. Find reasons to laugh every day. If you cannot laugh, then try smiling. Smiling and laughter are contagious.
The more you smile and laugh the more other people in your life will smile. No one wants to be around a grumpy negative person because they drain the energy out of everything. Living a peaceful life means you are a ray of sunshine.
Laughing is an effective way to show your positive feelings to the world and live a happier life for the rest of your life.
As Mother Theresa said: “Peace begins with a smile.”
Dare we think that smiling is good for your mental health and physical health.
13. Walk away
It’s no use crying over spilt milk just as it’s no use believing people will change to accommodate you. If people in your life are the source of anguish, hurt and tears let them go or better yet walk away. Good things and bad things happen all the time but don’t get stuck in the negative emotions of bad situations.
Learning to be peaceful is realizing that the table you are sitting at no longer serves you and getting up and leaving. It’s not being rude; it is putting yourself and your inner peace first. Holding onto misplaced hope is tragic and detrimental to your living peacefully.
As the saying goes; if you don’t like where you are, move you are not a tree.
Walking away includes realizing that your work environment is toxic and that you need to find another job. It includes knowing that your friends drain you and turn you into a negative person that is always complaining and deciding to spend as little time with them as possible.
Learn to walk away from as many fights as possible. Some people enjoy chaos and will do anything to cause it. They love conflict and wherever they go it will follow. Do not fall prey to these people. Stay away from them. Not every battle is yours to fight.
It’s okay to love toxic people from a distance.
Finally
All these tips will help you with living a peaceful peace. You have always lived in chaos but now it’s time to change. Go out and spend time in nature this weekend showing yourself some love and you will begin to feel inner peace.
Living a peaceful life is being a type of extremist but it can be achieved with small steps and an open mind to try these 13 steps. Making a conscious decision to follow these steps will surely reduce your stress levels and make sure you live your best life.
Start living differently and focusing on peace and happiness. This is the best way to live a fulfilled life. Take care of yourself and your body and be mindful of what you spend your time on. As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
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