How To Find Your Inner Peace to Anchor Yourself Amidst All The Tumult Of The World

I recently got asked by a dear friend of mine, about how one wisely copes with the tsunami of pain and suffering that we witness all over the world around us. I gave them the following response and honestly liked it so much I thought I'd share it here too, in the hope that it helps allay and hopefully relieve the fears, anguish and emotionally suffering of the silent souls in here.

May the guiding light of Peace and healing be with us all.

..........................................................................................................

I try to imagine if this all was a simulation, how would I react? If this was all but a dream, what would I do?

I’ve been learning that our mission is to be more involved in life, yet, less attached to it. It is not our attachments that cause us the suffering, it’s our attachment to our attachment. The secret to peace lies in our courage to let go of the temptation we have to identify with our identities. It is here when we can release the illusion of our identification with our perceived role in this movie we call life, and simply become spaciousness, until we become peace; peace itself, manifesting itself in human form. Ram Dass’ words ring in my ears like jingle bells on Christmas eve, “Everyone should smile. Life really isn't that serious. We make it hard. The sun rises. The sun sets. We just tend to complicate the process.”

I learned that the world is in, fact, perfect as it is, including my desire to change it. We have to remember that the universe will turn as it wishes, and we must turn with it. What messes us up most in life is the picture in our minds of how its supposed to be.

When we are immune to trying to control everything, we can let our souls rest in the peace that comes from letting go.

Jack Kornfield planted that seed long ago and has said "To let go does not mean to get rid of. To let go means to let be. When we let be with compassion, things come and go on their own." When my father died, I felt like a part of me had died too. I was deeply stricken. I felt I had died. That my heart had stopped beating. I spent the ensuing 3 years like that. I was dead for three years. Yet, I didn't resist the reality of his death. The wisdom of release is not indifference. It is self-care.

We have to allow ourselves to feel our emotions. When we give voice to that which needs expressing, we honour the deep and authentic human emotions with the gentle breeze of love. It is here when we can gently touch our own hearts with the loving reassurance of, “I’m here for you. I feel you. Your emotions are valid.” It is here where we reassure ourselves that we’ve got our own back. We have to allow ourselves to feel emotions to be fully human. We just need not get all caught up in the entangling web of emotions that bombard our tender hearts with the waves of fear and angst. We need not let the tsunami of emotions drown out the blissful voice of our inner peace. The true abode of peace can be found in the sanctuary of nurturance we cultivate in our hearts.

Vulnerability makes us human. Our commitment to embracing it, honours our true humanity and graces our sacred souls with the light of self-compassion and love. Wisdom advises us to lighten up the way for ourselves by being there for ourselves at all times. When we don’t, we betray the voice of truth that lies within our beautiful souls. The awareness of the power brought on by our commitment to cultivating peace and wellbeing, honours what is buried deep down by giving a voice to that which needs expression, bringing much needed clarity in uncertain times of caliginous tenebrosity.

We trade our inner peace for relentless drama, only to be carried away by the vociferous waves that ceaselessly batter the shorelines of our soul. In the absence of the light of truth that emanates from our commitment to harmony, we surrender our wellbeing to the unremitting emotional windstorms that seek to rob us of our peace. It is in making a loving pact of commitment to cultivating inner peace within ourselves, that our true potential for harmony resides. Radical acceptance may serve to illuminate our path with the power of letting go.

Throughout my spiritual journey, since I was 12, I’ve been learning and am continuing my journey of learning that, even if I react, it won't change anything, it won't make people suddenly love and respect me, it won't magically change their minds. The same thing goes for the tragic events that betide all around us. I had once read in a book, about the 4-7-8 breathing technique, where one inhales, holds their breath, then exhales over a period of time in seconds corresponding to each of those numbers, respectively. We like to drown ourselves with illusions of control, but when we repatriate back to our breath as our guide, we anchor our souls in the harmonious waters of the here and now.

I use a technique by Ram Dass where I say to myself: “Where am I?”, answering “Here”, “When am I?”, replying, “Now.”. Repeat it until you can hear it flowing within the deeply caring and sensitive threads of your loving soul.

I'm slowly but surely learning that life is better lived when you don't center it on what's happening around you and center it on what's happening inside you instead. Work on yourself and your inner peace.

After all, as Epictetus once wisely reminded us “There is only one way to happiness. Stop worrying about things you can’t control.” Happiness does not wait. The strength we gift ourselves through mindfulness, is the balm of self-love and respect for our emotions. We need not let the events around us play with our feelings. Grounding our souls in radical loving acceptance becomes a prerequisite for preserving our energy and time for what really matters. It is here that we reinforce our resolve to stand in Peace.

In the hope that this learned and shared wisdom provides the solace and light your beautiful soul needs at this juncture of its journey. May it be the guidance that helps you bring guidance to your soul.

Bless your soul bountifully, now and always.

Namaste 🙏