{"id":4548,"date":"2018-05-27T09:00:55","date_gmt":"2018-05-27T14:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/?p=4548"},"modified":"2018-05-16T18:40:59","modified_gmt":"2018-05-16T23:40:59","slug":"choose-to-seek-inner-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=4548","title":{"rendered":"Choose to Seek Inner Peace"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yet Another Year of Choices<\/em><\/p>\n

By Barbara Dahlgren<\/em><\/p>\n

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I must admit that sometimes peace eludes me. I\u2019m not talking about the \u201cpeace which passes understanding.\u201d (Philippians 4:7) When I think of the \u201cpeace which passes understanding,\u201d I think of God calming the child in the midst of the raging storm. I think of severe trials exercising faith muscles to the point where \u201cpeace\u201d endorphins kick in. I think of crises altering an outlook, forcing one to re-evaluate and be thankful for the most important things in life. When these events happen, I realize I have no control over the outcome; so although they are gut wrenching, it\u2019s a little easier to lift them up to God.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m talking about \u201ceveryday\u201d peace which some might call peace of mind or inner peace. As that famous philosopher Anonymous once said, \u201cIt isn\u2019t the mountains ahead that wear you out. It\u2019s the grain of sand in your shoe.\u201d Here are some of my grains of sand: nagging thoughts that get the better of me, being anxious when I have nothing really to feel anxious about, thinking the worst of others instead of the best, making mountains out of molehills, losing my perspective, getting upset because I\u2019m inconvenienced, and wanting to punch inconsiderate, thoughtless, or irritating people.<\/p>\n

Inner peace is described as tranquility of order. If this is true, there can be no peace where there is no order. Unfortunately, most of our lives lack order. Life tends to be messy, inconvenient, and stressful. Some cope or look for peace by drinking, taking drugs, making money, buying things, or eating. These forms of self-medication may give temporary relief, but being numb or catatonic is not quite the same as achieving peace.<\/p>\n

There are many areas of my life that I have no control over. However, by trying to integrate some of the following practices into my life, even where I lack control I can have some inner peace.<\/p>\n