If you’ve ever watched the “Kung Fu Panda” movies, one of the main themes is the concept of “inner peace.”
It’s a state where you are completely at peace with yourself and your surroundings, and nothing can really shake or upset you. You can call it inner peace, peace of spirit, or stoicism, but whatever it is, it is often something we could use more of in today’s challenging world.
But how do we create peace of spirit whenever it seems like everything is dedicated to being anything BUT peaceful? It seems like everyone is fighting, disagreeing, and getting angry over every little thing, and it can be nearly impossible to remain peaceful in the face of all that.
When someone gets mad at you for having or expressing your opinion, it can be extremely hard not to want to fight back.
Here’s how to get started with putting your spirit to peace, and you can (and should) use all these powerful techniques in today’s world.
Stop Worrying About What You Can’t Control
There’s a saying that says, “Worry is interest paid on a debt you may not owe,” and it is true!
How many of the things we worry about are things that we can’t control? We worry about the world situation, we worry about what’s on TV, we worry about what our neighbors think, and we worry about lots of smaller things.
But here’s the question. How many of those things actually influence us? How many of those things can we do something about? We can worry about the news but can’t solve all the world’s problems.
We spend precious time and energy worrying about what our neighbors think, but we can’t change their minds, and what they think doesn’t profoundly affect us. We turn molehills into mountains with worry, and it can and does affect everything in our lives.
So, rather than worrying over all the things we can’t control, we need to accept that the problems are there and do what we can. For example, instead of worrying about the climate crisis on the big picture scale, let that worry motivate you to do something more local.
You might not be able to solve the big problem, but you can certainly go green, recycle more, grow a garden, and reuse things instead of throwing them away in your own household.
This will help keep your spirit calm because you are doing what you can instead of simply worrying. Sometimes doing what you can do for a cause is enough.
Meditate And Keep Calm
Worry is an emotion, and like all emotions, it can be helpful to you in moderation. However, when they start to overwhelm and overpower you, you can find yourself a slave to them.
Whenever you feel a rising tide of worry, you can attempt to slow it down by meditating and focusing on the worry itself. Take this time to ask yourself if the worry is even worth it to you, and then focus on blunting the emotion and letting it go,
Keeping yourself calm and peaceful during turbulent times can be a massive challenge, but whenever it comes down to it, focusing on tough times with a calm mind and a peaceful spirit is much better than the alternative where you face them with a turbulent spirit and mind.
It might take some time and practice, but you will be grateful for it whenever tough times come around, and you can face them calmly. People depend on that whenever a crisis happens, and they will look to you for leadership if you can exhibit these values through your behavior.
