Transformational Arts College of Spiritual and Holistic Training

Inner Peace - A Precious Commodity

By Kathy Ryndak and Gord Riddell

Inner peace and serenity is a commodity that is priceless and cannot be bought. Even two of the richest philanthropists in the world, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet can't place an order for this one. Out of curiosity, if you were to put it up for bidding on E-Bay (people do things like this) we wonder what kind of price it would command. Just like love and happiness, though, this inner state runs on a currency that is spiritually and soul based.

Like any other currency, inner peace will fluctuate and because we are human it will rise and fall. There are certain things we can do to make it more constant in our life, less fleeting and transient. One thing for certain - it is spiritually earned depending on how much soulwork and spiritual practice we do. Let's explore some ideas on how we can sustain more inner peace in our lives.

Exorcise your Demons

First of all, inner peace comes with many years of deep inner work and facing your shadow. We need to be free of the inner demons that cause havoc in our psyches. This can be anything like soft or hard addictions, obsessions and compulsions. Everyone has some kind of addictive behaviour, some more serious than others. If something in our external environment controls us and we give our power to it then it is difficult to attain inner peace. The three major "temptations", money, sex and power are extremely addictive. They are very attractive for the ego which can never be satiated by them. We certainly don't want these things to control our life although this is what Hollywood and celebrity hood can be based on. Remember that even Christ came up against these "glamours" in the desert as a test in becoming a Master.

Living from Source

Know thy self is a Greek axiom which sounds simple yet is extremely complex. Our psyches are very multi-faceted and at times convoluted, ruled unconsciously by distortions and myth. Within us, is a multiplicity of selves that can quarrel with one another, vying for the most air time. For every self, there can be a polarity, lost or disowned self. For example, you may be an over achiever and have a disowned inner couch potato. So, you decide to have an afternoon of doing nothing and an inner voice constantly berates you for not accomplishing anything. Know what I mean? This is hardly a state of inner peace.

We really need to get to know these inner selves yet we cannot be over identified with them for they are not the true self. We also do not want to be in a constant state of holding a tension between polarities since this is duality consciousness. A lot of these inner selves are really a splintering-off of soul essence and were developed when we were children as coping mechanisms to protect our vulnerabilities. As we evolve, we want to be very conscious of them and have choice of when we reside in them. More importantly, they need to be anchored and guided by our soul, source or true self. We are striving for wholeness, integration and centredness. The fragmentation of the many selves, especially when they get chatty will not feel peaceful inside. Yet paradoxically, we need to be aware of their voices and then make our choices from our true self for inner serenity.

One of the loudest voices in our heads is the inner critic which is our internal rule maker. Even as you grow consciously, the inner critic also develops with you and will give you a new set of spiritual rules to abide by. You learn to meditate, miss a few days and then critic will berate you for this. Again, this is hardly a condition of inner harmony. Check in with your source and see if you need to meditate today or is it really a walk in nature that you need.

Emotions

We actually do have choice about our emotional states with the only exceptions being when we are in a spiritual /emotional crisis or dark night of the soul. Primary emotions guaranteed to cause inner strife are guilt, worry, fear and shame. Guilt and worry are futile emotions. If you have wronged someone and feel guilty, apologize, don't do it again and forgive yourself. Worry is just negative visualization and can be changed into creative visualization. Or you can take action and do something about it. The opposite of love is fear. Send love and be patient with your fearful thoughts just as you would with a child and watch them have less power.

Higher octave emotions such as kindness, joy, happiness, and gratitude take us to a beautiful space within.

Peaceful Tips

If you want more peace in your life here are some helpful tips:

• Forgive, forgive, forgive! Including yourself. When you are resentful and bitter you only hurt yourself.
• Practice gratitude and appreciation everyday. Focus on what you have instead of what you don't have. Besides more inner peace you will attract more abundance to you.
• Be kind and nice. This is spirituality in the moment. When you choose the path of kindness all those returned smiles and thank you's give us such a warm feeling inside.
• Come to peace with your past, heal your wounds and move beyond them.
• Stop fretting about what other people think of you. Wayne Dyer says that "what other people think of you is none of your business." Engage in regular spiritual practice that takes you to your own inner sanctuary and retreat. Remember that the "kingdom of heaven" is not externally located but within you.
• Work through conflict in your relationships instead of avoiding it. It is there as a teacher for you and resolution takes you into a higher way of relating.
• See beauty in all things around you. Create beauty and sacred space in your home and workplace.
• Stay aligned with purpose and meaning in your life whether it be personal or professional.
• Live the aboriginal adage "Today is a good day to die."

Inner peace is such a precious jewel and like shiny pearl can only be cultivated by you. There can be no price put upon it except the price you pay when it is absent from you life. As Richard Bach states "the best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it."