Inner Peace is Always Available

Most people are familiar with inner peace and would claim they are actively seeking it along with a sense of genuine fulfillment. The question becomes whether we’re looking in the right places? Often, we look to exte
al situations and circumstances for inner peace. For example, many of us believe that we can obtain inner peace by sitting on a quiet beach in paradise or by going to our favorite yoga class. We may even believe we have to wait until the children are in bed before we can experience inner peace. While it is true, a lovely spot in paradise certainly helps us feel peaceful and we all feel more at ease after that wonderful yoga class, we do not need to rely on our exte
al conditions in order to experience inner peace. Misconceptions about inner peace leave us feeling empty and disappointed about life.

Here are four common misconceptions about inner peace:

1. Inner peace is elusive and hard to attain.
2. In addition to being elusive, inner peace is fleeting and difficult to sustain.
3. Inner peace can only be obtained through meditating.
4. It is impossible to experience inner peace when our exte
al environment is dramatic or chaotic.

The misconceptions highlighted above make it easy to see why many people experience hopelessness when it comes to inner peace. With such strict conditions, only a small percentage of us would ever succeed in attaining and maintaining inner peace. Perhaps our conscious experiences confirm that reality because we have a tendency to recall fleeting moments of inner peace. When sifting through our memories, we seem to remember that the only times we have ever felt peaceful were when our exte
al conditions seemed to be in order. But contrary to popular belief, inner peace is accessible to each and every one of us at any moment and it is completely independent of our exte
al circumstances.

The great news for those of us who live in busy environments is that we can cultivate inner peace regardless of what’s happening around us. An extreme example of this is that of Viktor Frankl, a neurologist, psychiatrist, and Holocaust survivor, who wrote extensively about his experience of finding meaning and inner peace despite being immersed in horrific circumstances. Inner peace is not elusive nor does it have to be fleeting or obtained only through meditation, instead, it is a choice made in each moment. The realization that our inner peace is not dependent on anyone or anything outside of ourselves is quite liberating.

Now you may be wondering, how can you cultivate inner peace without relying on exte
al conditions? While there are many paths to inner peace, all of them begin with acceptance. When we can accept exactly who we are, where we are, right now, we create a solid foundation for inner peace. The greatest barrier to experiencing inner peace is resistance and a non-acceptance of life as it is. By simply acknowledging our lives and accepting who and where we are, we allow ourselves to let go of resistance and experience the ever-present peace that is always here, now. We can even experience peace with not being at peace. For example, when we feel angry, anxious, disappointed, or sad, we can still find peace within the moment by accepting the presence of those emotions in our awareness. By practicing the art of complete acceptance, we create a compassionately loving space for inner peace to flourish.