Inner Peace

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Anyone who is asked the question, “What is inner peace?” will usually respond by saying, “Happiness.” Is this true? Is the only way to establish inner peace through happiness? Many philosophers and monks have contemplated what inner peace means, and from their efforts we have developed a ‘dictionary’ definition. Inner peace is a considered noun. But the question remains, is inner peace a thing or is it an idea? The connotation of inner peace is–just like beauty—in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I believe inner peace means stepping away from the doubts and misconceptions of modern day society and looking situations that evoke fear in the eye, with no fear in one’s heart.
The misconception that happiness is the only way to establish inner peace is made commonly. In fact, it is the other way around, happiness is only discovered after inner peace has been recognized. Think about it this way, you can’t frost a cake without having a cake to frost. Happiness is the frosting on the cake of life. As people grow, they are given the ingredients to make their cake. Inner peace acts as the timer. The only way to know your cake is just right is when the timer goes off. Many people try to apply the frosting without the cake being fully cooked and end up with a goopy mess. Inner peace is essential to happiness. And the sooner one realizes this, the sooner they can begin being happy and enjoying the sweet delights that life has to offer. But this doesn’t answer the question of “What is inner peace?” To begin we must dissect the definition of inner peace that we have accepted into our society’s vocabulary.
As Merriam-Webster eloquently puts it: “Inner peace refers to a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge...

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... Or a person may be plagued mentally by the ideas or images of a past. In either situation, inner peace is not established. The key is to establish mental AND spiritual peace. This means letting go of the memories that plague us, the doubts that bring us to our knees, and the fears that mercilessly betray us. Inner peace is accepting the past and moving on with your life. This is the real definition of inner peace.
Inner peace is the belief that no matter what may come, a person will have the strength to overcome whatever the situation at hand deals them. Inner peace is knowing that however the situation turns out, a person will be okay. Until a person has reached this level of enlightenment, inner peace cannot be achieved. Although inner peace’s definition can vary from person to person, one fact remains true: Happiness and inner peace are two different entities.

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