Fear is something we use to protect ourselves. When we enter into an unknown area, our sense of fear increases. We want to survive to live another day. In this way, fear can help us determine whether we should move forward or go somewhere else.
Fear blocks inner peace
But that same fear can hold us back from life experiences. People fear the unknown. Most will need to venture into the unknown to accomplish their goals or to get out of unwanted situations.
One way to overcome fear is to read about others who have faced similar situations like the one you fear. See what steps they took and try to fit what they did to what you would like to do. Not every solution will be viable, but if you search for multiple ideas from different people, you may find a set of ideas that will work.
Know that usually most of what we fear is not as bad as we first believe. In other words, when we try something out that we were afraid to try, we may discover it was much easier than we thought it would be.
This won’t happen in every case, but with a fair majority, it will. Think about those times when you said to yourself, “that wasn’t so bad!” There are likely to be many of those in your life.
Create a vision of what your situation would be if your fear were removed. Continue this vision for as long as it takes to reduce or eliminate your fear. The very act of believing the fear is not real can help convince your mind that there is nothing to be afraid of.
There are circumstances where we should take heed of our fears. Jumping out of a 50-story building is going to kill you unless you are somehow very lucky. These kinds of fears must be respected and acknowledged.
Other fears, like asking for a raise, buying a stock for the first time, or starting a new business, all have the potential of positive outcomes. These are the types of fears that we need to try and overcome.
Fear can cripple people in other ways. For instance, if you have a lot of experience in your job, you can get caught up in avoiding new experiences since you’ve already “done it all.” Your experience tells you that these new situations will not work. This is also the reason why inexperienced people try things without fear. They have no bias associated with it.
Some resources to help find peace of mind
The following resources are tools you can use to help you achieve inner peace. You can pick and choose the ones that are appropriate for your goals. Many of these resources focus on mindset, which is a key component to inner peace.
As the website name suggests, it is dedicated to finding happiness. The website does exist for the purposes of selling its book, “Kick the Thinking Habit.” But they do offer some interesting articles on the subject of happiness.
This resource focuses on several aspects of leading a healthier and better life. Doing so can help you achieve inner peace. The five main categories are Eat, Move, Live, Breathe, and Love. Each has subcategories where you can find more information about the main categories. The Live category focuses on Happiness and Abundance (among others). Whereas the “Breathe” section concerns itself with spirituality and meditation, etc. You are likely to find something that will help you.
Wiki How – Achieve Inner Peace
WikiHow.com has articles on many different subjects. So the site itself is not necessarily a resource dedicated to achieving inner peace. However, they have a decent article that describes the various components of achieving inner peace. It is concise (one sentence per component). It is easy to read and has good graphic components to keep your attention. Here is the link to the specific article about Achieving Inner Peace:
Yoga is all about an inner balance between mind, body, and spirit. If you can relax your muscles along with toning them, you will have less to stress about. There are several different types of Yoga.
It may be worthwhile to try out these different types to find ones that are right for you. If you have a current membership at a gym that offers classes, you may already have access to Yoga classes. Check with the gym for availability and times.
Getting started in meditation can be confusing. Therefore, it’s best to learn a bit more about the practice before actually starting. You can find information online, but there are several great books available on Amazon. After you feel comfortable with the concepts behind meditation, try clicking the link above, which has exercises to get you started:
When people picture meditation, they imagine some guru-like dude sitting on top of a mountain, with long, flowing robes, and a white beard. You may be surprised to learn that when you drive, you often experience some form of meditation.
Have you ever driven a familiar road and then after a certain time, not realize that you were even driving? It’s as if you were transported in time from your previous distance. Some people call this a self-hypnosis, but it is closely tied in with meditation.
If this has happened to you, it’s because you entered into a relaxed state of mind. You know the road, so you don’t have to concentrate on where you are going. Your mind is still aware enough to handle any situations that may arise. But if those situations, like someone cutting you off, don’t present themselves, your mind can escape you. It’s as if you are experiencing an out-of-body experience.
Learning how to meditate can bring you into those relaxed states of mind. As you practice, you will be able to bring yourself to those states quicker each time. You will be training your mind to help you and your body relax. This will help you reduce stress, worry, and a host of other mental anguishes.
Imagine if you can put aside your difficulties in life for moments in time. This can help you achieve inner peace. You’ll be more equipped to handle those difficulties. They won’t go away. But you’ll be in a position to take care of them instead of letting them build up.
Even though there are more techniques than can be described in an article such as this, there are some steps you can take to start with. Find a quiet place that will remain free of interruptions. Although it is possible to meditate just about anywhere, when you are first starting out, you should stick with quiet spaces. Explain to family members your goal so you can keep undisturbed during your session.
Focus on a single object. Lighting a candle and using that as your object is common in meditation. This is because it’s relatively easy to focus on the flame of the candle. But any object will do. When you find your object, repeat a single word or phrase for the duration of the session. When you start to feel your mind getting into a trance-like state, don’t fight. Keep in mind, it may take a few sessions before you start to get into that state.
Inner peace through Buddhism
This is not an article on converting people to Buddhism. It covers a tiny fraction of Buddhist beliefs and how they relate to finding inner peace. It is based on research and not on any personal experience from the author.
Buddhism is not founded on the basis of a deity or god. It is more of a spiritual guidance. In this way, Buddhism can coexist with other religions. There is no denouncing of one deity in favor of another. Of course, these other religions may have a problem with people including Buddhism as part of their religious teachings.
Anyone can strive to be a Buddha and some people achieve it. Buddhists believe that everyone has within them the Buddha and consider anytime you come to that “Aha!” moment, you have experienced a step closer to being Buddha.
The idea that Buddhism can coexist with other religions is the foundation of George Lucas’ beliefs. He considers himself to be a Methodist Buddhist. In fact, The Force in the Star Wars saga was loosely based on Buddhist principles.
Buddhists believe in living in the moment. There is no sense in dwelling on the past as there is nothing you can do about it. They don’t believe in worrying about the future as that is a state in which has not happened yet. By focusing solely on the present, you have the ability to get more done as it is the only state where you have control over, at least those things which you can take control of.
You may believe you are good at multitasking. However, true believers in Buddhism will tell you otherwise. It is always better to concentrate on one task and work hard to complete that task. You will be better at the task, and you will complete it without distracting yourself with other tasks.
If you try to accomplish too many tasks at the same time, you are likely to have several tasks that are all incomplete. The quality of your work towards each task simply cannot be as good than had you concentrated all your efforts on one task.
These are some very basic concepts of Buddhism that can help you when striving towards inner peace. These concepts can help you whether you accept Buddhism or not. They are simply common sense attributes that can help you simplify your life. You can still adhere to these concepts, and no one has to know that you have practiced some Buddhist teachings.
See also:
A guide to happiness
Using mindfulness to promote your health and wellness
Living in the now