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Release the end result. Stay in the moment. Live each day mindfully. Be aware of your surroundings. Be open to small joys daily. Live in gratitude. Serve the world. In any instance, in any situation, do what Jesus would do. Or Buddha.
All of these statements, if pieced together, would lead us daily to a life full of inner peace. But, what is inner peace? To each of us, it might be slightly different. Have you ever paused and asked yourself what your concept of inner peace is? If we haven't, how will we know if and when we ever get there? Or even if we are close? As many wise sages, holy men and women have said from the beginning of time, the answers to our prayers may simply lie in the asking of the question, for if we do not regularly ask the question, we begin to live a life that is clouded, monotonous.
So, I ask you today, what does inner peace mean to you? What would your life look like, feel like, if each day was lived with a sense of peace? Focus on this question daily, for the answer may simply lie in bringing yourself back to this question every morning which will lead to awareness and inner peace.
To me, it seems that this search for inner peace is simply the search for our true, or our pure self. Did you ever stop to think that right now, what we are all searching for is already with us? The more we search and ask ourselves these questions daily, the closer we come to peace. For without slowing down our world, which unbeknownst to most of us we have total control over, we continue living on automatic, falsely believing that a life full of peace is something only the great religious chosen ones have access to. How sad and how untrue. We all have complete control of our reaction to any given situation, person or event. Peace, true inner peace, comes from knowing this truth and then acting on it.
Look at the way our wise elders in this country react to each day. The ones who have knowingly asked these questions are living peacefully in each moment in their gardens, woodworking shop, or just sitting. They have learned the futility of rushing, scrambling, fretting. They look at faces and pictures on the wall in the long line at the bank, while the rest of us nervously stare at our watches and worry about the time. Our wise elders have come to the realization that inner peace has been a choice all along, one we did not know we could grasp or snatch out of the air at any moment.
The wait in line will not speed up regardless of how agitated we become, so why do we go there? At any moment, we can choose a life filled with inner peace. Are you ready to question your outdated beliefs? Are you ready to let go of misconceptions? Follow the wise ones, the living sages today. Follow your own path starting in this moment to continual inner peace. Ask yourself the question daily, what would my life look like if it was filled with inner peace? Act on this today.
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THE CHOICE TO BE ALONE — IS THERE A POSITIVE SIDE? “GETTING BIG” with David Essel “I think it is a sign of strength, power and confidence to consciously choose to walk your own path, pursue a dream and live a normal life. You can accomplish more, and have a more fulfilling life than those who feel they are a failure if they are not with another individual. Look at how many people jump from one relationship to the next throughout their whole lives, or remain in one because of the fear of aloneness. If you are alone, ask yourself why? Do you feel comfortable being alone and maximize the time you have that is not being devoted to someone else? Are you doing something for your career growth, for yourself, for society? Because if you are not utilizing the extra time constructively, I think that is a sad waste. At certain periods in our life many of us are not ready to commit to a relationship or may not have found that person who is compatible for us. We should still be happy. Having a fear of aloneness often is societally based, because it's society view that there must be something wrong with you. There is pressure from ads that show couples skipping down the beach. And of course there are familial pressures. Some suffer from a personal fear of aloneness, and are uncomfortable or frightened to be alone for even a few hours. I believe this stems from a lack of knowing yourself and your own immense power and worth. These people run from their thoughts and internal dialogue, and cover it up with distractions like watching television, listening to the radio, eating food, making idle conversation on the phone that leads us nowhere, taking drugs, etc. are always out. If you were comfortable with yourself, you would be able to sit in silence. The first thing I tell people who always have the television or music on when home alone is to become aware of their habits, because there is no way anything will change in your life if you aren't first aware. Here is an example: a female client said to me, I have no time for myself. And it was true. She was a single mother of two, and worked 60 hours a week. I asked her to count all the times that she said this to herself. It turned out to be 47 times a day. Well, if you say something to yourself so often, this creates a belief and you will find ways to sabotage your desire for time for yourself. After realizing she had all these negative thoughts, we did a time chart. If you don't know how fearful of being alone you are, start to chart what you do when you come home. If you find yourself immediately flipping on the radio, the television, or grabbing a phone . . . stop. You will begin to hear your true self emerge from within. Be patient. It takes time. And it should be comforting to know that everybody is, in fact, alone. Meditating is a great way to relax when home alone. But for those who aren't into meditating, the Buddhist practice of mindfulness is less structured and also helpful. It can take place with the washing of a glass, where you focus on the warmth of the water, the slipperiness of the soap, the texture of the glass. Or when taking a shower, and you feel every zone of your body. Or when chopping vegetables and preparing a meal. As we incorporate this awareness during simple everyday activities, the mind automatically relaxes. Regarding love relationships and their affect on health, most studies that have come out say that individuals who are happily committed in long-term relationships are healthier than those who are single in their later years. But a caveat is that those who are involved in communal activities with a lot of social interaction have similar health statistics to those in committed relationships, and their state of happiness, self-esteem and confidence should not be affected. Conversely, if an individual chooses to be alone due to a fear of commitment, or believing that they're not worthy enough for a relationship, this is a weakness and needs to be addressed. Living without a sexual relationship is tough, although many people have learned about their bodies, sexual desires, and needs when they are alone. A woman just told me that she began pleasing herself sexually and found zones that she had never found in her 20-year marriage, and as she approaches a new relationship will now be more aware and sensually involved. Sexual aloneness gets a bad rap because human beings are meant to be intimate. But, looking on the bright side, we can use this aloneness to explore our sexuality and learn more about ourselves.” --------------------------------------- If you believe this article can help someone you know, please pass it on. David http://www.davidessel.com |
Learn the art of presenting and public speaking from Internationally acclaimed Motivational Speaker, Author and Master Life Coach, David Essel. David's Public Speaking Certification course not only gives you techniques for sound and stimulating public speaking, but can help you build the confidence to do it with ease. From the elevator speech to the lecture hall, David will guide you through the processes that can help you tap into your innate ability to use your voice, your words and your passion to deliver your message in a way that will engage and enthrall your audiences, both large and small.
If you currently work in the world of non-profit, education, finance, healthcare or the service industries...this course will help take you and your organization to the next level. If you are looking for a career shift, David Essel's Public Speaking Certification through Edison State College is a powerful way to enhance your job prospecting opportunities.
David Essel has been a professional motivational speaker and presenter for over 24 years and is the author of, Slow Down: The Fastest Way to Get Everything You Want (Hay House Publishing 2004). His clients include fortune 500 companies such as Boeing, American Express, Nestle, Lifetime Television,
To Register call Wendy Thompson
Continuing Education, Edison State College
See What Graduates Have to Say...
"I wanted to let you know how rewarding and relevant your public speaking class was. Speaking in public has always intrigued me but I never thought much about putting my thoughts into action because I didn't feel I "owned" a topic, nor had the confidence to make it come to fruition. Today tells a different story. The thoughts of delivering a presentation that excites an audience is now something I look forward to. Thank you so much for sharing your ideas, strategies, skills, experience, etc. to allow us to focus on our strengths, gain confidence and have the ability to present to an audience a speech they will never forget! As always, your dedication, caring and knowledge mean so much!” With warmest regards, Joann M.
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"This class was amazing and helped me deliver my very first presentation to a major statewide conference with confidence. David's approach helped me focus and learn the keys to becoming a better public speaker. I can't believe how much I improved in just 3 weeks! David had the ability to coach the best out of me. Thank you!” ~ Rev. Renee Bledsoe
