Discovering Peace from Within and Creating Fulfillment in Life

“Our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world as being able to remake ourselves.” ~Gandhi

The feeling of inner-strength and fulfillment can be enough for us to move mountains. For the most part, we all have the desire to do and be great. It’s just a matter of finding the right pieces to put together to make it happen.

Part of that discovery process is being able to overcome the low states of energy that hold us back from finding our inner happiness and confidence. When we feel refreshed, vibrant, and able to make the right choices for ourselves, the right actions and results follow.

Like so many others, I once viewed the sources of happiness and fulfillment in my life as events that were few and far between. I’d have some good days here and there, but they were mostly based on what didn’t go wrong at work, at home, or with my finances. It certainly took a toll on my self-esteem and sense of worth.

It was hard to be great when I didn’t feel great.

Events that I had no control over ruled my thoughts, feelings, and actions. Work-related frustration built up during the day, and nights at home were stressful and emotionally trying. I even let things like the weather and traffic on my daily commute ruin what could’ve been a perfectly productive and amazing day.

It left me in a constant state of doubt and disarray, searching and wondering when the next positive experience would come along just so I could feel good again. It was a destructive way to live, and it continuously put stress on all the important areas of my well-being.

In my eyes, I finally hit rock bottom: My finances were a mess, my personal relationships were suffering, and so was my emotional and physical health.

When my friends or family would ask how I was doing, my reply was always preceded with a long and drawn out sigh.

Then one day, I reached a place of clarity.

It wasn’t that something had to give; it was someone—and that someone was me. It was as if someone had just flipped a switch, and my world flipped along with it.

I arrived at a new sense of being after learning just a few simple ideas and fundamentals. Doing so has led me down the road to great fortune, better connections with the people in my life, and a healthier state of mind and body.

The First Place to Look Is Within

Early on I did not have a firm grasp on what it meant to be fulfilled and have inner strength. Most of my prior experiences with happiness were fleeting. Feeling content was temporary.

Then I’d sink.

I found myself waiting around for things like my finances, relationships, and the world to change for me. I blamed everyone and everything around except myself. The opportunities passed, along with the time, and then came the resentment.

Rather than being the conductor of my own life, I was simply a passenger along for the ride.

Sure, there were some great stops along the way, but I’d always revert back to that darker place that kept me from doing and being more. It took quite a while before I decided to get proactive, study, practice, and learn as much as I could about becoming a better person.

I found that in order for my life to change for the better, I had to change first. I realized that when I refined and adjusted my personal philosophy and behavior, more opportunities started to present themselves.

My passions and professional goals started to surface, which gave me a clear definition of who I wanted to be and where I wanted to go. This enabled me to create a road map for starting my business, and execute the necessary steps to make it happen.

I noticed that the more open I was to new experiences, the more of them I found.

Feeling happy and content became a choice, rather than an occurrence.

What I once considered problems and issues became symptoms of my own decisions and efforts. And by becoming aware of the symptoms, I knew I had the ability to treat the root causes.

The Vital Dimensions of Inner Peace and Strength

It was not long after finding this new-found perspective that I started to work on strengthening my personal boundary. This meant that I had to accept and manage the things that were in my control, and let go of the things that weren’t.

Even though I had a certain amount of responsibility toward things, like work, family, and my personal relationships, I did not have control over them.

When you let go of what you can’t control, you relieve a massive amount of stress in your life.

Strengthening your personal boundary creates and reinforces your value and worth. It also helps to keep the unhealthy drama, negativity, and suffering out.

Your boundary is made up of three distinct focal points:

1. Your mindset and emotions.

By becoming aware of your mindset, feelings, and emotions, you can work toward finding peace of mind and conquering fear, doubt, and negativity. Having a healthy handle on emotions enables you to choose fulfillment and joy. In the opposite respect, neglect in this area can bring emotional suffering and pain.

2. Your thoughts and ideas.

They can be a product of your mindset and emotions, or they can help to adjust them. Your ideas and thoughts are limitless, and lay the foundation for the path to achievement. When you strengthen your thoughts and ideas, you’re better able to create beliefs and attitudes that inspire you and increase productivity.

3. Your choices and actions.

Your ability to decide and act grants you power and independence. When you use your emotion and ideas as fuel to drive your actions (also known as ambition), anything is possible. Practice using your intensity and knowledge to participate in fulfilling activity which moves you toward a better future.

Finding Fulfillment Today

When I decided to work on these areas of personal refinement, it all changed for me and has never been the same since.

Refining my mindset and emotions was difficult at first, but by exercising awareness and making a habit of being in the moment, this soon changed.

Hard times fall upon us all and emotions tend to get a little haywire from time to time. But it’s accepting this and committing to changing how we deal with those troubles that makes the real difference.

When we have a handle on our emotions, it’s so much easier to think—and when our heads are clear, our creative and productive juices start to flow.

Writing has become a big part of my life. I decided to journal and capture all these great new ideas, as well as define my action plans for the future. In taking an initial step I was able to start turning my dreams and goals into achievements.

Using the momentum and celebrating each accomplishment on the way brings you one step, one day, and one move closer to where you want to be.

It’s with those simple fundamentals that I started to find myself empowered in situations where I once felt weak and helpless. I’d successfully transformed the world around me by transforming myself.

I found that my personal and professional lives were enriched in direct proportion to the amount of reflection and action I took.

It may seem dark out there to you right now and miles away from your reach, but I know you can do it too.

Nobody can make it happen but you. It’s my sincere hope that an idea or two here will resonate with you.

Perhaps it will move you to make the right kind of decisions and find the right kind of strength to change your life.

Photo by Paulo Manala