The Short Path to Inner Peace

When the winds of turmoil are raging all about us, where can we turn to find inner peace?

Some seek it in religious observances, others in natural out-of-doors settings; but we can't always be in church or communing with nature ~ the demands of daily life don't permit it.

What do we do the rest of the time?

How can we find a refuge to turn to at the very moment when we need it most? Only by carrying it within us.

Research shows that feeling spiritually connected results in decreased anxiety, greater calmness and a sense of well-being, and also increases resiliency in difficult circumstances. There is no doubt that a spiritual connection is a true path to inner peace.

This can be developed by a simple practice such as visualizing yourself in some circumstance in which you feel connected with something larger than yourself — this can be the Divine, Universal Mind, nature, or whatever feels right for you. Stay with this until you feel a sense of calm taking over.

It needn't require more than a few moments, but to make it effective it should be practiced often, especially first thing in the morning when you wake up, and last thing at night before you go to sleep. What you think about at the beginning of the day will set the tone for the rest of the day. What you think about before sleep will have an impact on the quality of your sleep and even of your dreams.

However, for the shortest and most reliable path to peace our inner work must be matched by peacefulness in our dealings with the world around us. Most of us long to see greater harmony in our society and in the world, but as Mohandas Gandhi advises us, "We must be the change we wish to see."

We need to ask ourselves how often we really feel peaceful toward others. Are we instead more often ready to criticize, or to look for some small revenge against those who have angered us? We can never be truly peaceful as long as we view others as adversaries, only when we have peaceful intentions toward those we come in contact with every day.

But this doesn't mean we must concede to unreasonable demands placed on us by others. It is possible for us to maintain our position in any matter while being free of animosity, and still respectful of another's point of view .

This way of responding has benefits for us in practical ways, too. How we treat others has a boomerang effect. When we are antagonistic toward them, they become belligerent; when we offer them consideration and courtesy, they usually respond in kind. Resolution of disagreements then comes quickly and with satisfaction on all sides. And peace reigns within us and around us.

TOOLS FOR CREATIVE LIVING... The short path to inner peace:

• Find peace within yourself by forging a spiritual connection.
• Find peace in your outer world by treating others with acceptance and respect — just as you would like to be treated.

By Cora Scott