Inner peace is for the most part of our lives very elusive; we never seem to get our hands on it. There is nobody on this planet that does not desire inner peace. People have taken a variety of different paths in trying to achieve inner peace. This is the nature of our lives; we are in toil and struggle, ups and downs, times of difficulties and times of ease. Allah is the best source of peace, and mental peace lies in the remembrance of Allah. Allah says:
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ
“And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: “If you give thanks, I will give you more (of My Blessings), but if you are thankless, verily! My Punishment is indeed severe.” (Surah Ibrahim 14:7)
Inner peace does not take away or eliminate our anxieties or fears, rather inner peace allows us to cope with those anxieties and fears, through which we learn and move beyond those anxieties. True and complete peace can only be attained when the individuals themselves achieve internal peace. This results from Islam or the true submission to Allah alone. We should be thankful to Allah for everything. Thanking Allah Almighty is indeed an act of worship. Allah says:
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُم بِظُلْمٍ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمُ الْأَمْنُ وَهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ
“Those who believed and (did) not mix their belief with wrong, those, for them, (is) the security and they (are) rightly guided.” (Surah Al-An`am 6:82)
Trust your thoughts less, pay less attention to the negative ones and focus on what you are thankful for in life, and you’ll be well on your way to the inner peace of mind. Our thoughts can make or break our quality of life. Make sure to choose thinking that works for you. Talk to yourself as you would a best friend. Self-loathing serves no purpose and will undoubtedly extract joy from your life. Fight the urge to fit in and do what’s expected. When you change yourself to suit others, you give away your peace of mind.
To help, here are ways to experience inner peace and enjoy life on a deeper, more satisfying level:
- Inner peace is dedicated our lives to prayer or spirituality
- Inner peace is to embrace feelings rather than ignoring
- Inner peace is recognizing our control over our moods
- Inner peace is to finish unresolved issues in your life
- Inner peace is stepped over, even the small stuff
- Inner peace is to be thankful to Allah Almighty
- Inner peace is to avoid worldly comparisons
- Inner peace is to seek the pleasure of Allah
- Inner peace is using relaxation techniques
- Inner peace tells the entire truth
- Inner peace is decluttered your world
- Inner peace find that you are able to cope
- Inner peace is more about being than doing
- Inner peace disconnect and escape for a while
- Inner peace improves our ability to focus our mind
- Inner peace is a state of emotional and mental peace
- Inner peace helps us to show patience and tolerance
- Inner peace is control over our activities and reactions
- Inner peace is mental peace without disturbing thoughts
- Inner peace helps us to cope with our stresses and anxieties
Inner peace is a sense of stability and contentment which carries us through all the trials and difficulties of life. Focus on your own journey and lose the stress of comparing yourself to what you think is going on in the lives of others. This is a surefire way to eliminate peace of mind. Talk to yourself positively by using affirmations. Believe in yourself and remind yourself regularly that you will be okay. Always keep your eye on the bigger picture.
Strategies To Find your Inner Peace and Balance :
- Be assertive and forward with your needs and desires
- Focus your attention on those things you can control
- Make your own decisions that important to you
- Sours your mood and makes you less capable
- Find positive outlets for negative emotions
- Spend time with natural humans life
- Avoid trying to change others
- Adopt an attitude of gratitude
- Don’t let others stand in your way
- Do good deeds and help someone else
- Never spend your life impressive to others
- Never allow society to dictate your choices
- Live a life that’s congruent with your values
- Meditation helps you see life and its challenges
- Don’t take yourself too seriously, live in the moment
Finding ways to keep our inner ideals and the way we behave similarly is one of the keys to peace of mind. Acceptance is crucial for peace of mind. Accepting that there are few guarantees in the world and learning to tolerate uncertainty is a huge leap in the peace-of-mind stakes. Differentiate between what you can and cannot control. The first step is to identify the obstacles themselves. We have to be aware of them, because if we cannot identify them then we cannot remove them.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran in a way:
- “Peace, a word from a Merciful Lord.” (Quran: 36:58)
- “Verily, I have created man in toil (struggle).” (Al-Balad 90:4)
- “Verily, in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest.” (Quran 13:28)
- “There is no compulsion where the religion is concerned.” (Quran: 2:256)
- “Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we cannot bear.” (Quran: 2: 286)
- “O, you who believe! Answer God (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life…” (Quran, 8:24)
- “Not they will hear therein vain talk but peace. And for them (is) their provision therein, morning and evening.” (Maryam 19:62)
Laughter is a great antidote for stress and releases hormones that help us relax. The more we like ourselves, the greater our peace of mind. We accept ourselves more and feel at ease in the world, no matter what situation we find ourselves in. We experience less insecurity and as a result, our inner peace is heightened. Try to inject fun into situations that aren’t particularly enjoyable. Approach life with a playful attitude. Allah says:
إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا قَالَ إِنَّا مِنكُمْ وَجِلُونَ
“When they entered upon him and said, “Peace.” He said, “Indeed, we (are) of you afraid.” (Surah l-Hijr 15:52)
All the accomplishments in the world can’t replace inner peace. Decide for yourself and live the life you were meant to live. Guilt is a negative emotion that removes peace of mind. Focusing on all the things in our lives that we are grateful for promotes inner calm and reminds us that there are always positives. Self-induced pressure never leads to inner tranquillity or peace of mind. Replace “should” with “could” and live more on your own terms. Allah says:
ادْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ ۖ وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ
“Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching and argue with them in a way that is better.” (Surah al-Nahl 16:125)
We are living in a world of toil and struggle, yet within ourselves, it is possible to attain inner peace, peace with the environment, with the world in which we live. But if we go back to the inner peace that we are looking for, then patience cannot manifest itself if we do not have that inner peace. Obviously, there are some obstacles that prevent us from attaining peace. The more we are thankful to Allah the more Allah will be happy and He will shower His bounties on us. Allah says:
تَحِيَّتُهُمْ يَوْمَ يَلْقَوْنَهُ سَلَامٌ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَرِيمًا
“Their greetings (on the) Day they will meet Him (will be), “Peace.” and He has prepared for them a reward noble.” (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:44)
Inner peace lies in two major things: in serving humanity and in the remembrance of Allah. Islam has put great emphasis on both of these things. One of the true joys of life is sharing life with others and knowing that others “get” you. We feel less alone and feeling understood allows a fantastic sense of well-being. Challenge your impatience, be mindful and enjoy life at the moment. Release tension and frustration in a pro-social way and feel a whole lot happier.
