Many people want similar things in life. They want to be loved, happy and successful. Many also want to do their best in life and experience a sense of peace.
What are the things you do that sometimes lead to you having a sense of peace? Here are some answers that people give when exploring this theme.
Peace. The times in my life when
I experience a sense of peace are:
When I am giving to people … When I am gardening … When I am walking … When I breathe deeply … When I am doing something I believe in … When I am passing on knowledge to people … When I experience a sense of wonder … When I feel I have done my best.
There are many views about what constitutes peace. Thich Nhat Hanh, the Zen philosopher, described how it can sometimes be about simple things. Here is what he wrote:
If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.
Different people find peace in different ways. Some may experience it when they pause, follow their principles or get positive results. They may also do so when maintaining a sense of perspective. Let’s explore these themes.
Pausing
Some people experience peace when they take time to pause. They may sleep, breathe deeply, go for a walk or do other things. Some aim to relax, recentre and refocus.
Looking at your own life, when do you pause? What do feel calm, collect your thoughts or simply let your mind wander? What may be the benefits of taking such an approach?
Principles
Some people feel at peace when they are following the principles they believe in. They may do this when encouraging people, pursuing a craft, tackling a challenge or working towards a specific goal.
Some people gain strength from following their principles. They may also find that following these enables them to flow, focus and find fulfilment. One person expressed this in the following way.
“I enjoy the journey as much as reaching the goal. Every day that I get the chance to follow the principles feels like a win. It is a joy to be able to do what I believe in and work towards a compelling goal.”
What are the principles you want to follow in your life? How can you continue to follow these in your own way? What may be the benefits of taking these steps?
Positive Results
Some people experience peace when they do big or small things that lead to positive results. They may make a nourishing meal, tend their garden or do other things that give pleasure to themselves or other people.
Sometimes a person may feel at peace when doing the activity. Sometimes they may experience this feeling as a result of doing satisfying work, creating something beautiful or achieving success.
Some people experience a sense of peace when they achieve positive results but also see things perspective. This can happen in different ways.
A person may see themselves a small in the great sweep of history and the vastness of the universe. This can create a feeling of awe, wonder and, sometimes, even a sense of peace.
A person may gain perspective by making sense of experience. They may gain knowledge that helps them to understand a situation and shape their future life. This can help them to feel more at peace.
Some people sees things in perspective by focusing on their lifetime picture of success. Here is one of the most common exercises on this theme.
They start by imagining they are looking back at the end of their life. What are the specific things they want to have done by then that will mean they are more likely to feel at peace?
Here are some of the themes that people mention when doing this exercise.
My Lifetime Picture Of Success
Looking back on my life, I want:
To have been kind … To have raised a happy family … To have been a good friend … To have made the most of my talents … To have done practical things to build a better world … To have passed on a positive legacy.
The next step is for them to focus on doing something towards these goals each day. Taking these steps can sometimes lead to having a sense of peace.
Let’s return to your own life. Looking ahead, what are the things you can do to increase the likelihood of experiencing a sense of peace? How can you follow these steps in your own way? What may happen as a result?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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