Before you read this article, I want to ask you to take a deep breath. Inhale deeply and exhale slowly. Bring yourself to the present moment as you read. Allow each word to slowly bring you into the now; allow yourself to slip into a space where the future does not matter, and the past does not concern you. You are merely here, right now, in the present moment. 

The journey to inner peace is unique. Everyone’s path is different, so while I can advise you on how to serve your highest good, there is no one certain way we as human beings are supposed to discover our true selves or find inner zen. 

When embarking on the beautiful journey that is inner peace and enlightenment, many people learn that who they are within, matters more than how others perceive them to be. 

HINDZ, an artist and spiritual guru who speaks about discovering who you are throughout this human experience, has said that the moment you can say to yourself “I see you. I see who you are and I fully accept you,” is the moment you know that you truly love yourself. Self-love and self-acceptance are pivotal moments in one’s inner peace journey. 

To me, self-love means to truly accept yourself wholeheartedly. To see yourself with all of your talent and potential, mixed with all of your flaws and mistakes, and know that no matter what, you are worthy of love and validation. Loving yourself is knowing that you are worthy and capable of living your best life. When you love yourself, you can attract people who love you just as much. Something I discovered along my journey is that I should love myself the way that I love others. And that applies to you too. You are worthy of loving yourself just as much as you love the people you are closest to. For more resources on discovering how to truly love your authentic self, click here.

Living through gratitude and mindfulness can significantly improve your quality of life. While it may be difficult to be grateful for the hard times you’ve experienced, the hard times truly add to your character. It is in our darkest moment we can discover who we are and what we want with our lives. Rachel Hollis, a motivational speaker, and bestselling author, has written self-help books such as  “Girl, Wash Your Face”, “Girl, Stop Apologizing”, and many more books to help people live unapologetically. 

Hollis’s “Start Today” gratitude journal has changed my life. Gratitude is not just an action or a thought, it is a state of mind. To actively practice gratitude takes hard work, but, much like anything else in life, the work you put in will benefit you. 

In Hollis’ New York Times best-selling book “Girl, Wash Your Face”, she states “You must choose to be happy, grateful, and fulfilled. If you make that choice every single day, regardless of where you are or what’s happening, you will be happy.”

 Inner peace is not just about feeling happy all the time, although it may seem like everything will be sunshine and rainbows, it’s not. You have to actively choose to be happy, choose the mindset you want so you can live the life that you want. You are worthy of living your dream life, you are worthy of feeling fulfilled, and you are worthy of being your true authentic self.

The journey to find inner peace can be a long one. That is the beauty of it though. Along the way, we discover who we truly are and who we want to be.