By TreeLiving
Everyone has ups and downs – moments when we feel excited, happy, sad, or devastated. But cultivating a deep, inner peace that holds true even amid life's emotional fluctuations is an art.
It starts with cultivating a healthy perspective and acceptance of yourself. Here are some tips on how to be at peace with yourself.
1. Don't try to be s omebody else. Recognize that you are uniquely designed for a specific purpose. You will only frustrate yourself trying to be like someone else. Besides, even that person you envy has his or her private struggles. It has been said that the only perfect people are the ones you don't know.
2. Separate societal accolades from what really matters. Some of the people you may envy are idolized by society, but social standards are not the only ones. Character is what counts, and you may well have much more character than someone who is popular.
3. Nobody's perfect. Internalize this truth and adjust your expectations of yourself accordingly.
4. Don't focus on what you lack; be grateful for what you have received.
5. Appreciate nature. Look at the trees, plants, animals, starry skies, sunrises and sunsets as gifts to you.
6. Don't feel like you have to be productive every moment of every day (and night!). Recognize the importance of "down time," and don't feel guilty about taking some.
7. Reduce mess and clutter in your home. You will feel more at peace in general if you do this.
8. Manage your time effectively. While you needn't feel like you have to work every minute, a good schedule where you feel productive and that allows for leisure time can give you a great sense of peace.
9. Make lists so you don't have to hold everything in your head at once. Nothing undermines peace like a bunch of jumbled thoughts! Your lists should include long-term projects and immediate to-dos.
10. Let things go that you can't control. When it comes down to it, we really can't control nearly as much as we would like to.
11. Keep a journal or scrapbook. For some, just the act of organizing their thoughts and keeping a record of their lives brings peace. For others, getting their thoughts out on paper is therapeutic in itself.
12. Let the past go; it can not be changed. Learn to embrace past experiences as learning opportunities. Share with others what you have learned from your mistakes. Your sense of peace will increase if you use your negative past to have a positive impact on your (or someone else's) future.
13. Spend time with yourself. You can't be at peace with someone you don't know.