Ways to Find Peace Within

“What is stress? It's the gap between our expectation and reality. More the gap, more the stress. So expect nothing & accept everything.”

What do you do when you’re feeling overwhelmed, depressed or stressed? For me, my old pattern of behaviour was to fill the void with external objects or distractions. I would be more inclined to eat junk food, binge tv or completely dissociate from my emotions. I saw this trend continue even into my sobriety. I was programmed to reach outside of myself to find comfort and ease but what I didn’t know was, I had all the answers within. I would read quotes saying this, but I was unsure how it could be true. How could I have the answers to ease my discomfort and stress? If I did, then wouldn’t I have known about it long ago? It seemed too simple. Too available to everyone. Too free.

If I leaned into my stress I was able to gain awareness in its origins. I could sit down and meditate to slow my thoughts before becoming reactive. I saw the pattern of stress being tied to my own unconscious expectations - for myself or the outcome. These expectations ran and controlled my life. They curated a long list of rules to live by - and I was completely unaware of them. I would feel stressed in the morning because I hadn’t completed a work task before the invisible deadline I created for myself. Realizing that these “rules” or expectations I created were in fact fiction I had created, allowed me to slowly detach.

This process of letting go and detaching from expectations gave me more than I had anticipated. I was able to be present. I was able to acknowledge stress and let it go. I was able to look within myself for the answers. I was able to gain awareness of when/why I would feel discomfort. I was able to let go of expectations to make room for new possibilities.

This process is available to everyone. We are all able and deserving in feeling the freedom of peace. Do you have any expectations you’re ready to let go of? Are you ready to tap into your own potential by letting go of stress?

With Love,

The Way