There is this lovely story of a sea captain who in his retirement skippered a boat taking day-trippers to Shetland Islands.
On one trip, the boat was full of young people. They laughed at the old captain when they saw him say a prayer before sailing out, because the day was fine and the sea was calm.
However they weren’t long at sea when a storm suddenly blew up and the boat began to pitch violently.
The terrified passengers came to the captain and asked him to join them in prayer. But he replied, “I say my prayers when it’s calm. When it’s rough I attend to my ship!”
The lesson that we can take from this story is to do the work on ourselves daily so that when things get rough, we have the necessary internal resources to handle whatever it is that we are confronted with, with ease.
In this post, I will share with you 3 daily actions that you can take to keep your inner world peaceful, when confronted with emotionally challenging situations:
1. Practice daily gratitude :
The traditional approach is to maintain a journal and key in 3 things to be grateful for, daily. While it works beautifully for some, it can get monotonous for others.
An alternative approach is to use your triggers as cue to practice gratitude. For example:
When you are angry with someone over something and are ruminating over it, shift your thinking to reflect on some of the good qualities in this person. Qualities that you appreciate & admire. Notice what effect that has on your psyche. Does it soften your reaction to this person?
When you fail at something and it's making you feel hopeless, reflect on some of the successes you have had in the past.
When you feel rejected by someone, reflect on all the people who love & care for you. Notice if you feel grateful for their presence in your life. And if you care a little less about the rejection.
When you want something but can't have it & are feeling dejected, reflect on all the things that you do have, that's making your life beautiful. Notice if this reflection helps change your internal weather.
How can this practice help :
By using your triggers to practice gratitude, you are training your brain to respond differently to a situation. You are learning to focus on what's right in your life, to look at the goodness in others, and to find something to be happy over sad.
Regular practice will add more ease into your life through the simple principle of "what you focus on grows stronger".
“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” - Lao Tzu
2. Practice Self compassion:
We live in a world, were we are constantly judged - by our society & even by our own family and friends. While there is no escaping this judgement, we can minimize our need for external validation, by taking the time to nurture ourselves through self compassion.
Some ways in which you can cultivate this are :
1. Give yourself a high five, every single day, for something you did, that you are proud of. ( Don't just nod your head in agreement. Do it as a practice. Like literally stand in front of the mirror, look at yourself in the eye & appreciate yourself. Do it everyday till it becomes second nature ).
2. Some days , when you are feeling particularly low, take the time to give yourself some extra love. You can do this through positive affirmations ( I have 10, that I have committed to memory & use them when I need ), or take the time to be quiet with yourself, or immerse yourself into something that gets you into a flow state. Hopefully by now you know what those things are that makes you feel better. Take the time to do those things.
Overtime you will learn to figure better ways to self soothe & bounce back with enthusiasm.
3. Finally, end of each day, let it all go and set an intention to welcome the next day afresh, with a renewed sense of purpose. Write down your purpose ( as only your heart can tell you ) in your journal & read it every night before you go to sleep.
Having a strong sense of purpose helps us live an intentional life, and gives us the ability to look beyond our immediate experiences, finding meaning in them.
Doing these simple practices daily can help you find inner peace amidst chaos. The question is, whether you are willing to take responsibility for your inner environment & take action?
“Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”
Give me a 👍 or a 🙌 in the comments if you are & also let me know your own ways of staying calm in the storm. I would love to learn from you 💕
Wonderful post and especially well articulated!
Totally loved today’s subject. So well written. It’s like you read my mind. Super👍👍