Cultivate inner peace
January 22, 2017
According to my experience, the principal characteristic of genuine happiness is peace, inner peace.
— His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Cultivate a sense of peace, an abiding inner peace that doesn’t depend on outward circumstance.
So much chaos, so much drama, so many emotions surge through us. It is so easy, so tempting to believe that once we get through this circumstance, once we achieve this goal, once we solve this problem, then we will be peaceful.
That’s an illusion.
“I’m happy when I get what I want,” said Kent. “For a few minutes.”
Getting what we want may cause us to feel happy for a moment, but it will bring a limited, transient happiness. The next problem or emotion will present itself. Or we will begin resenting that person or job, because he, she, or it did not bring the happiness we believed it would. Like a carrot on a stick, happiness will always be the next problem, acquisition, or emotion away.
Be peaceful now.
Be happy now.
Take the limits off your joy.
God, help me remember to be peaceful first, no matter what situation I face.
From the book: More Language of Letting Go
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About the author
In addiction and recovery circles, Melody Beattie is a household name. She is the best-selling author of numerous books.
One of Melody's more recent titles is The Grief Club, which was published in 2006. This inspirational book gives the reader an inside look at the miraculous phenomenon that occurs after loss--the being welcomed into a new "club" of sorts, a circle of people who have lived through similar grief and pain, whether it be the loss of a child, a spouse, a career, or even one's youth.
For more information about Melody and her books, visit the author's official website