“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” Buddha
Inner peace is having a quiet mind
Inner peace is the result of a quiet mind that allows you to see yourself and the world around you as it really is; without aggression, desires, frustration, or stress. It is having a feeling of contentment….simply to be.
The journey to find inner peace will require dedication on your part, but it will benefit not only yourself, but those around you as well, and the good news is that anybody can achieve a peaceful mind if they wish to do so. You do not need to be rich, successful, pretty, or popular to feel this inner calm, all you need is to have the genuine desire to take control of your mind and stop the constant repetitive chatter.
Recognizing mind chatter
Are you often overwhelmed by the negative narrative taking place inside your head? I’m referring to the voice that seems to clutter your mind with senseless details about your life, often flipping from one topic to the next, critiquing yourself or making judgements of those around you.
This chatter is referred to as the “ego-mind.” Ego- because it is related to superficial concerns or ego-related nonsense, and mind- because it seems to have a mind of its own. Although you may believe that this entity is the real you, it is not. One way that the ego-mind takes control is by undermining our confidence and keeping us stuck in past experiences, often reliving a moment of embarrassment or hurt, or some other negative occurrence over and over again.
Eckart Tolle describes this process of discovering the ego-mind and finding the entity or stillness which exists behind all of the chatter as finding “the listener,” or “the greater being.” This is what is the real you. It is only when you become fully aware of the ego-mind’s ability to fill your head with this constant negative chatter that you are finally able to quiet it altogether. Tolle writes that, when finally recognized, this “presence behind the chatter” will begin to expand onto itself, and this will allow you to take control over all of the white noise and help you to discover the inner peace that lies underneath.
https://youtu.be/TcsgCytw1BA
Eckart Tolle and the end of the ego-mind
Being Present
“We do not heal the past by dwelling there; we heal the past by living fully in the present. We do not secure a better future by living in the future; we secure a better future by living full and well in the present. Time weighs heavy upon us, until timelessness lifts us and sets us free.” Marianne Williamson, Spiritual Teacher.
The present moment is the only time that matters yet often we are living somewhere else… usually roaming through the past or fretting over something that may or not be in our future. Unfortunately by doing both of these we are robbing ourselves of experiencing the beauty of the present moment. Living fully in the present moment is the key to finding both personal and spiritual liberation.
One exercise to begin this process is to be present with your surroundings and the people around you. Give your full attention to whatever you are doing; whether it is a conversation you are having, a mundane cleaning chore, or something else and just put your mind on the task at hand. If negative chatter tries to distract you then direct your mind to let it go. Being aware of the chatter and recognizing it for what it is will cause it to lose its power and you will soon be released by this “ego-mind” and find mental peace and clarity.
Replacing Negative Statements with Conscious Healing Statements
The average person has between 60,000-90,000 different thoughts running through their mind everyday….sadly, about 90% of them are negative. It is only when we finally become aware of these this negative chatter that we can take control of our emotional lives. Begin by using the power of your thoughts to part ways from negativity into a mind-set of positive thoughts and healing.
Louise Hay, in her DVD titled ‘You Can Heal Your Life,’ talks about ending the negative thoughts and replacing them with positive affirmations and positive dialogue, as well as healing images and a healing dialogue. Some examples of this include making healing statements such as:
- “I am bathed in the healing light of god,”
- “Thank you for my healing.”
- “My body is healing”
- “The cells within my body are doing what they were designed to do, detect and destroy cancer cells.”
On a side note, Louise Hay is a cancer survivor too. She was diagnosed with vaginal cancer while practicing as a metaphysical healer and realized that she needed to be doing the mental work on herself instead of her clients. This involved recognizing and ultimately forgiving the sexual abuse that she had endured as a child. I posted her video below which is a meditation on forgiveness.
Louse Hay’s meditation on forgiving your inner child.
Louise also changed her diet to “only eating things that are living”. She did not have standard treatments and was able to heal herself by making changes to her mental and physical body. This is an example of how exploring psychological issues and committing to major changes in the diet and lifestyle can have an effect on the physical body, even healing it.
- Remember that thoughts are a form of energy, words carry even more power, and actions above all else determines where your life is going.
- Visualize positive imagery.
- Make your words positive affirmations.
- Make your actions tell the story of a person who plans on living a long life.
Additional Reading:
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
You Can Heal Your Life (Gift Edition)