9 Ways to Find
Peace of Mind in Tough Times.
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass,
it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
―Vivian Greene
it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
―Vivian Greene
1. Learn to trust yourself.
“It
isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. As you heal and grow, it will
all work out. Relax and trust yourself.”
Repeat
that in your mind every morning. Because the truth is, it all works out
in the end. Put your full trust in yourself by following your intuition
and doing your best, and then move forward one step at a time with faith and
confidence in the future. Life will not forsake you. Love,
persistence and hard work combined rarely lead a person astray in the long run.
If
you have faith in your abilities, if you stay true to the path that feels
right, if you channel your passion into action, you will ultimately achieve a
breakthrough. In other words, as soon as you trust yourself you will know
how to heal and
grow.
2. Focus on what you’re
learning.
Mistakes
and setbacks are simply a form of practice.
If
the road is easy and free of bumps, you’re likely going the wrong way.
The bumps in the road teach you what you need to know to progress down a path
that is all your own. Sometimes things have to go wrong in order to go
right. Sometimes you need to change a flat tire or two before you can
move on.
Bottom
line: Your journey isn’t supposed to be easy, it’s supposed to be worth
it. To never struggle is to never grow. There is no perfectly
smooth road to anyplace worth going.
3. Ease your expectations.
Life
is under no obligation to give you exactly what you expect. Whatever it
is you’re seeking will rarely ever come in the form you’re expecting.
Don’t miss the silver lining because you were expecting gold.
You
must see and accept things as they are instead of as you hoped, wished, or
expected them to be. Just because it didn’t turn out like you had
envisioned, doesn’t mean it isn’t exactly what you need to get to where you
ultimately want to go.
4. Open up to someone you
trust.
You
aren’t alone; let someone special in when you’re in a dark place. You
know who this person is. Don’t expect them to solve your problems; just
allow them to face your problems with you. Give them permission to stand
beside you. They won’t necessarily be able to pull you out of the dark
place you’re in, but the light that spills in when they enter will at least
show you which way the door is.
Above
all, the important thing to remember is that you are not alone. No matter
how bizarre or embarrassed or pathetic you feel about our own situation, there
is someone in your life who has dealt with similar emotions and who wants to
help you. When you hear yourself say, “I am alone,” it’s just your
insecurities trying to sell you a lie.
5. Use hope to drive positive
action.
Only
in the dark can you see the stars. The stars are hope. Look for
them.
The
very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And
the most you can do is live inside that hope as you work for what you
want. Do not admire what you hope for from a distance, but live right in
it. Get deeply involved with the thoughts and activities that keep your
hope alive and your intention possible.
No,
hope alone will not save you from despair. Hope empowers you to strive
and grow even when your circumstances are in shambles. The road that is
built with hope is more pleasant than the road built in despair, even though
they both may seem to lead you to the same place in the short-term. But
it is the positive growth you attain on your way to this temporary place that
will benefit your final destination.
It’s
all about balance – accepting reality without giving up on what needs to be
done to reach your desired destination in the long run.
6. Move TOWARDS something
instead of AWAY.
“Don’t
think about eating that chocolate cookie!” What are you thinking about
now? Eating that chocolate cookie, right? When you concentrate on
not thinking about something, you end up thinking about it.
The
same philosophy holds true when it comes to freeing your mind from a negative
past. By persistently trying to move away from what you don’t want, you
are forced to think about it so much that you end up carrying it’s weight along
with you. But if you instead choose to focus your energy on moving toward
something you do want, you naturally leave the negative weight behind as you
progress forward.
Bottom
line: Instead of concentrating on eliminating the negative, concentrate
on creating something positive (that just happens to replace the
negative).
7. Take a few steps back.
Everything
seems simpler from a distance. Sometimes you simply need to distance yourself
to see things more clearly.
You
are more than whatever is troubling you. A very real part of you exists
beyond your worries, beyond your doubts, independent from the troubles and
frustrations of the present moment. Step back and observe yourself as you
experience each moment. Be present. Watch yourself as you think, as
you take action, as you experience emotions. Your body may experience
pain, and yet that pain is not you. Your mind may encounter troubles, and
yet you are not those troubles.
Think
of the most difficult challenge you face right now. Imagine that it’s not
you, but a close friend who is facing this challenge. What advice would
you give her? If you could step back and, instead of being the subject,
look at your situation as an objective observer, would you look at it any
differently? Think of the advice you would give your friend if your
friend were in your shoes. Are you following your own best advice right
now?
Don’t
allow your current troubles to cloud your thinking. Take a few steps back
and give yourself the benefit of this distance, and then give yourself some great advice.
8. Give yourself time.
Take
all the time you need. Emotional healing is a process; don’t rush
yourself through it. Don’t let others force you through it either.
Moving on doesn’t take a day; it takes lots of little steps to be able to break
free of your broken past and your wounded self.
Take
today breath by breath, one step at a time. Never let trouble from the
past make you feel like you have a bad life now. Just because yesterday
was painful doesn’t mean today will be too. Our wounds are often the
openings into the best and most beautiful part of us. Today you have a
choice to explore these parts of yourself. Give yourself the needed time
and permission to explore and heal.
9. Look for the beginning in
every ending.
A
wise man once said, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s
end.” Today is a new beginning; treat it that way. Stop thinking
about what might have been and starting looking at what can be.
Say
to yourself: “Dear Past, thank you for all the life lessons you have taught
me. Dear Future, I am ready now!” Because a great beginning always
occurs at the exact moment you thought would be the end of everything.
The floor is yours...
What’s
gives you peace of mind when times are tough and stressful?
Rom 12:12: Let
your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.
