I think it’s safe to say that we all would like to be in a state of peace. Whenever I thought about being at peace, I envisioned myself sitting next to a waterfall taking in the stillness and beauty of nature. I have since come to the realize, however, that peace is not external. It is internal. Associating peace with specific environments would only allow us to experience it conditionally and temporarily.

We can only find lasting peace within ourselves, not our environment. Peace is not physical. It is mental. It is spiritual. One can be at peace sitting next to a waterfall but also, one can still be at peace sitting in the middle of a traffic jam. No matter where we are, if we connect with inner peace, it will always be with us. So, how do we get there? Well…we will be in a peaceful state when we are able to totally separate ourselves from situations external to us. The lack of peace results from internal disturbances caused by external situations.

Our expectations can disturb our peace. Expectations from life, our family, friends, and even ourselves. When things don’t go the way we expect we become engulfed in all kinds of negative emotions that are internal disturbances. We must accept that things will not always happen the way we want. People will not always behave the way we think they should. Our life’s journey will not always be smooth. We must expect the unexpected so that when situations occur the impact is not as harsh.

I am not suggesting that we should become numb to everything outside of our being. No. This is life. We will always have annoyances and agitations and disappointments. I am simply saying that we must learn to not ponder on the unchangeable. If the glass is already broken there’s nothing that can be done to un-break it. It’s glass; the possibility that it could break always existed. When people don’t act the way we expect there’s nothing we can do to change their behavior. That has to come from them. What we can change are situations that are within our circle of influence. What we can change is how we allow those situations to affect us and therefore, obtain peace.

Ire o!