Kim Bacchus

Have you ever taken a walk down a very quiet street, not the creepy kind of quiet that makes all your hair stand, but the kind of quiet that gives you some sort of calmness and the magical ability to listen to your thoughts as they come? Have you ever watched a baby sleep? Ever listened to the giggles from their dreamland, the calmness that emits from them? If you have ever experienced any of these, then you have an idea of what inner peace is. If you have not, then I hope you would experience the peace that you need, beginning with this article.

Using one of the simplest definitions of peace according to the dictionary, peace is a state of tranquillity or quiet. This definition does not really do justice to ‘peace’ as one still has to understand what tranquillity and quiet means. We may think these are everyday terms we use and therefore we understand what they are, but that is not true because there is a whole lot to the concept of peace that we do not understand. Peace has variations, there is global or world peace, state peace, family peace, peace among family and friends and finally, the most important of them all, which is inner peace.

Wondering why inner peace is more important than the rest, especially world peace?

The answer is simple! Imagine everyone is at peace with themselves, no personal turmoil or demons that they have to face, imagine a kind of world with every single person like that. Do you still think there would be genocides, rape, wars and other things that take away the general peace of people?

Definitely not!

Hey! I think we have gone ahead of ourselves a bit. I would like us to understand what peace is a bit more and how much peace is connected with our total being.

Peace in one of its many definitions is defined as, freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions and harmony in personal relations. In the earlier definition given, peace was described as a state of tranquillity and being tranquil is also a state of being free from disturbance and turmoil. I know these seem to be a whole lot of definitions, but in order to understand the need for inner peace, you have to, first of all, understand what peace is and what it has to offer.

Now that we have acquainted ourselves with the definitions, we can then move on to understanding the reasons for inner peace.

Inner peace is a feeling that can be really hard to put into words, it is better experienced than explained. It is that feeling of calmness within especially when everything outside seems to be falling apart. It is the hope you feel when everyone else expects you to be hopeless. It is that fullness of joy that fills the void in your mind.

I once saw a picture of a woman from one of the third world countries ravished by war, she had the calmest smile I have ever seen! This is a woman that has probably lost a child, husband or other family members and friends, but here she was, giving a radiating smile to the camera, a smile that reflected the calmness in her mind despite all that was going on around her. Taking a look at this picture was what made me begin to take baby steps to finding my inner peace as I could not understand why I felt so restless with myself and the world in a relatively peaceful country while another woman in a war-torn country still radiates a calmness that I had not been able to understand.

I know inner peace sounds too good to be true and impossible to achieve, but I want you to know that you can have it, every real, enjoyable bit of it!

As important as inner peace is, it is not something that you can get off the shelf from a supermarket or a pharmacy, it is something you have to get by yourself.

How can I get this inner peace?

The first step in getting your inner peace just like getting your self-confidence, is to find yourself. The concept of finding oneself is one that has continued to be emphasised over and over again.

You have to be able to get in touch with yourself, understand who you are, what you want, why you are here. Getting in touch with yourself is just as important as eating and breathing because, without that, you may just be merely alive but never truly living.

You definitely cannot find your inner peace in the midst of noise. Take time off from all the hustle and bubble of the world, family, and friends. Finding your inner peace is a personal journey that you have to take alone. Go on a vacation, go to parks, go to a church; just make sure you are in a quiet place where you can be alone with your thoughts and understand what runs through your mind.

Fall deeply in love with yourself! Appreciate yourself, stare at yourself on the mirror a bit longer and appreciate every curve you have, compliment your eyes or mouth. Give yourself a wide grin and a big thumbs up whenever you can. You cannot be at peace with yourself if you do not see yourself worthy enough to be loved.

Do what truly makes you happy more often. It could be a hobby, a task or a job, just make sure that you get to do it more often than not. Get together with friends that share your ideology and are ready to help and join you to grow.

Listen to good music, do a bit of meditation, a bit of spirituality would not hurt either. The point here is to align yourself with the cosmos. Most times, we tend to find peace in our belief. If that is so, get to understand the concept of your belief better as a better comprehension of your belief brings you closer to your inner peace.

Let us not forget nature! Oh, beautiful nature! There is a certain calmness that looking at the beauty of nature brings to your heart. It could be watching the birds sing from the bench at a park or staring at the ocean waves at a beach. You do not really need to go far to enjoy the pleasure of nature, you can begin by noticing the blooming of flowers and their burst of colours on your way to work.

Inner peace works wonders, it leads to a generally happier life, better sleep and it sure drives away depression! Start working towards getting this inner peace and you would enjoy every bit of it.

Much Love