The road to inner peace is not found on any map or in any self-help book. Books can help guide you, but they can only point you in a direction, you have to find the actual path for yourself.
There are universal road signs and guideposts that help you to know when you are near, and when you have found the path, however.
The first sign you might encounter is when you are not upset by something that would have upset you before. The phrase, "don't sweat the small stuff" is getting to be cliche, but it is still very true. When you can stop before you react to something, and reflect on whether or not it is worth the energy that it takes to get upset, you are really on your way! When you can measure an occurrence using the yardstick of time (is this really going to matter a year from now?), then you are well on your way to learning how to ACT instead of RE-ACT to a problem.
Another road sign on the way to inner peace is when the relationships around you change. If you have people around you who are negative or critical, they begin to fall away. People who are not looking for inner peace have a very hard time being around those who are. They often try to throw up roadblocks for the seeker, to waylay and mislead them. Like the highwaymen of old, they will rush in and try to rob you of your successes. However, when they see that they cannot drag you off of your path they will then begin to leave. You may also find that some of your relationships grow deeper and more fulfilling. Those around you who will benefit the most from your journey will begin to come along with you.
A big sign on the path is when other seekers are drawn to you. There is a subtle energy around the seekers of inner peace. They give off a glow that other seekers can feel. You may find yourself drawn to someone. Follow the inner glow, for seekers can always help each other find their personal paths.
Another guidepost to inner peace is when you begin to question things that been accepted in your life that may not be working for you anymore. Just because something has “always been that way” certainly doesn’t make it right! Old patterns, old ways of dealing with things and people just don’t seem to fit anymore. The dynamics of these old patterns are useless to you now. You begin to see new ways of doing things that produce much better results than the old ones ever did.
When you are on the path to inner peace, you can begin to see the “Big Picture”. You begin to see that there really is an order in the universe, a meaning to the things that happen in your life for good or for bad, and that even the so-called bad things can have a positive outcome ultimately. You begin to be able to look back, non-emotionally, and see the opportunities that were disguised as troubles in your life.
A major road sign on the inner peace path is when you can let go of the past. You are no longer driving your car in reverse. Recognizing that the past is over and done with, and that it is unchangeable is a huge sign. All energy spent on regret is wasted. Instead of wishing that you could change the past, you learn to change today! You can clearly see that today is all you have, and that you need to make it the best that it can be.
When you are on the path, you know that only inner beauty matters. You can let go of society’s expectations and begin to just be yourself. You are working on who you are, not what you look like, and you accept this in others as well. It is only with the heart that one can clearly see; those are the only eyes that matter.
Another guidepost is seeing the blessings in everything. When you are on the path to inner peace, you are able to wake up each morning feeling happy, excited and hopeful for the day that you have been given, and every night you can count the blessings that you received and say thank you for them. After all, most blessings and miracles are just little things and easy to miss when you are not on the path, but each little thing becomes huge when you learn to see them with your soul.
And the last road sign to inner peace that I am going to mention is the one that tells you that you are a unique, beautiful, worthy, deserving individual. You know that you deserve the best that life has to offer, and you won’t settle for any less.
Inner Peace is the only destination that really matters in life. It is the place where we were all meant to dwell in. Inner Peace is where the Divine meets the human, and the journey is well marked if you know how to recognize the signs.
About the Author
Sibyl McLendon is 1/2 Navajo, and is a personal spiritual coach for Circle Of Grace http://www.circle-of-grace.com.
Circle Of Grace is a unique blending of Native American spirituality and holistic wellness coaching. Sign up for a free coaching session!
Sibyl can be contacted at sibyl@www.circle-of-grace.com