How to Find Inner Peace and Lasting Happiness

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.” – Eckhart Tolle

I woke up yesterday feeling this deep sense of calm and inner peace in me, maybe for the first time in my life. I was absolutely surprised by the happiness that washed over me when I realized what I was feeling, and it got me thinking about the journey I took to get here. For me, it was starting a new life and make some major changes in my life. But most of all, I remember starting with understanding the 8 lessons to find lasting happiness and inner peace in my life. If any of these things can bring you even a little bit of joy that I am experiencing, I declare that a success.

1. Perfection Is in Imperfection

Not that I am a perfectionist or a perfect person in any sense whatsoever, it is really pressurizing to keep having to maintain an image. My mother is more of an organized person than I am and that somehow put the pressure on me for having a perfect surrounding for people to see. But I have lately realized that I have my own style and imagination and following in the same path as someone else is not one of them. As soon as I realized that I like to do things my way and that’s what makes me happy, it took away a lot of load from my mind. Stop micromanaging each and everything around you and let go of all the self-appointed responsibilities.

2. Clear the Negative Clutter

Try to surround yourself with things that make you happy and not bring any emotional distress. Clearing the clutter starts with things as well as our thoughts. It is eminent that we are not overthinking every little situation as it will end up straying you from your path to happiness. Negative clutter for me is when I am not surrounding myself with positive people as that can lead to toxic people bringing toxic thoughts, toxic relationships, and unhappy conversations. It is one of the biggest obstacles in being at peace with yourself. Your social circle doesn’t have to big, just a few right people can be enough.

3. Practice Gratitude

I read somewhere many moons ago, about practicing gratitude and thought was the best thing to happen to me at the time. It was an activity that asked me to write down 5 things that I am grateful for every day when I wake up or before I go to sleep. The only rule was to try and not repeat the same things. It could be something as easy as a beautiful sunny day or realizing how happy something is making, no matter how small. It surely brought things into perspective and I still practice gratitude. You might not be able to find time to write, but you can just think about the 5 things before you go to sleep to surround yourself with a positive aura.

4. Your Past Is Not the Future

I have had the most trouble with staying in the present from time to time. It brings inevitable stress and anxiety if you keep thinking non-stop about your past and have no vision for the future. It is important that we learn to differentiate our past from our present and then from the awaiting future. The past doesn’t define you, nor does it hold any precedent over your present. It is all within your reach and ultimately boils down to your strength of positive thinking. Don’t be afraid to do something just because you failed in the past. Instead, learn from the past and be thankful for the lesson to then move on and do it better.

5. Learn to Let Go

The art of letting go needs for you to stay a step ahead of your past and be stronger than ever. Clear all the things that you no longer need or don’t bring you joy, happiness, peace, or calm. I am not asking you to leave your job overnight if you are unhappy. But try to find your passion and chart a path of doing what you want to do without bringing unnecessary stress in your life. Let go of toxic relationships where you don’t receive respect. Cut ties with negative groups of people and choose your own company if you need to bring yourself in the balance with the universe.

6. Find Time for Yourself

All of the happiness that comes to you, has to start from within you. Everyday life can be very cruel and hard and the last thing we think about is ourselves. I spent most of my life making sure people around me are happy, but I forgot about myself. I was so concerned about everything else that I realized I have not done anything that brings joy to me for a long time. Once I started doing just one thing that I enjoy, it just made me so glad and at peace with where I was.

7. Vow to Grow and To Learn

We are, most of the time, our biggest critics and mostly harsh. Let’s change that and be our biggest motivator instead and learn to bring ourselves up from every low. Once you learn to put yourself above everything, you are allowing yourself to grow and get above the little disturbances that come along with life. Being happy and at peace with your inner self is to promise that you’ll always think about making your life better for your own sake. Vow to grow and to learn new things and never stop looking for things that are meant to be yours and bring you the most joy.

8. Cherish Your Present

Be at peace with your present but that is not the last thing in this journey. Instead, it is just the beginning of a life full of amazing possibilities that you will make sure you can achieve. Cherish the hard work that got you your beautiful present but let that be a stepping stone in your journey in finding only the best for yourself. Stay excited about the future but never let go of things that make you happy and at peace with the present. You ask, why? Because you are promising yourself to never stop until it's what you deserve and then some more!

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