Peaceful woman looking over balcony - Keep calm and feel joyful

CALM DOWN AND FEEL JOYFUL: 3 steps to inner peace

Last updated: September 13th, 2018

So many of us crave meaning and joy in our lives. We look for something larger than ourselves—something outside of our everyday existence that will deliver us to a higher consciousness, filled with happiness.

But we don’t have to look outside ourselves. To find our own sense of peace and a connection to the Divine takes travelling within. You could say we’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places.

I was a driven real estate agent with a difference: instead of being thrilled and happy with my success, I was restless and unfulfilled. In the midst of one hectic season, I found myself called by voices I could only describe as Divine, and drawn to a search that had nothing to do with hot properties.

The more I learned and the more techniques I practiced, the deeper my sense of peace and joy became. In time, I reached a level of inner calm and happiness I’d never imagined. Now I’m teaching others how to take their own journey to find calm, comfort and true inner peace.

What I learned is that personal growth and spiritual growth are closely connected. Seeking the Divine starts with developing the mindset and the tools to deepen your happiness, quelling the drama inside and outside of your own mind, and learning to celebrate the present instead of regretting the past or longing for a better future.

Here are three essential tools to get you started on your journey:

Set your intentions


Parents walking with toddler and baby carriage in autumn - Calm down and feel joyfulFocusing your intentions in a present, positive manner is key to manifesting exactly what you want to experience. It paves the way for a better outcome, whatever the activity or relationships involved.

[su_pullquote align=”right”]If you anticipate trouble, imagine overcoming it. If you’re facing a challenge, imagine that you’ve already prevailed.[/su_pullquote]

Every time you head into any situation, consider your highest expectation for it: if you anticipate trouble, imagine overcoming it. If you’re facing a challenge, imagine that you’ve already prevailed. If you’re about to do something fun, imagine it being even more of a pleasure. The universe will fill in the details.

There’s nothing complicated about this technique. It’s a simple, easy process that will bring untold benefits. You could phrase it like so: My intention here is to enjoy this day with my family, easily find a place to eat that we all take delight in, and discover a lovely setting to explore.

Or, if you’d like to make it a prayerful version, start with addressing the deity that’s at the centre of your belief, be it “Heavenly Father,” or “Ascended Masters,” for instance. When you’re focused on the outcome you want to have, you pave the way for it to really happen.

Tune in to the voices of your inner fears


Instead of trying to ignore those voices in your head that clamour for your attention and sow doubt and confusion, do the opposite. Relax into the recesses of your mind and observe those voices until they stop—and they will stop.

Our imaginations are far too good at running away with us. Sometimes we feel as if those worries are actually constructively helping, but they’re not. It’s time we get better at quieting them down instead.

As soon as you recognize that voices are commenting on whatever is passing through your mind, you’ll realize those voices aren’t there to serve you, but to strangle you with fears and suppositions. They come at us hard, breaking down our ability to reason and causing us to question any decisions or understanding we’ve already come to. But by observing these voices, you defuse their power.

The more you practice this, the better you’ll be at keeping your intentions and staying focused. You’ll start to notice how comfortable you are with your own reasoning and decisions, instead of second-guessing yourself all the time.

Stay mindful


Peaceful woman looking over balcony - Calm down and feel joyfulOnce you’ve learned, practiced and mastered setting your intentions and quieting the voices in your head, it’s easy to master staying mindful.

Mindfulness is a powerful term, though it’s not always clearly understood. It means keeping your mind completely focused on what is happening in the present moment—without judgment. Happenings might include thoughts, emotions and experiences.

At first, you’ll find yourself fading from this practice with each distraction, but then returning—since you’ll have already set an intention to remain mindful at all times. As you practice, you’ll feel yourself ebb and flow. But if you maintain your efforts, you’ll be able to master this powerful tool.

Staying mindful will bring you to places of inner peace you’ve never imagined, where you’ll find profound balance and harmony within.

Simple yet effective


The simplest methods are so often the last ones we’d consider learning as we search for joy and meaning. But these three tools are essential for anyone’s journey towards consciousness and grace. We need to learn to live with intention, expose the inner voices in our heads as disruptive forces and learn to live in the now.

The grand prize for mastering these techniques is that our experience of life will change dramatically—and we’ll find ourselves open, calm and clear. In that state, we can align ourselves with our sense of the Divine within—and discover joy, meaning and boundless love.

«RELATED READ» BEING PRESENT: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice [book review]»

[su_panel background=”#f2f2f2″ color=”#000000″ border=”0px none #ffffff” shadow=”0px 0px 0px #ffffff”]LouAnne Ludwig has firsthand experience using metaphysical practices to give her everything she desires and more. She brings this same experience to others in a simple way that demonstrates how easy it is to change our lives for the better and infuse them with new meaning and balance. Her empathic practice in dream analyzing has assisted hundreds with cutting through their defenses, helping them see exactly what they need to bring peace and harmony into their everyday lives. She lives in Southern California (U.S.). Her new book is A Journey Within. For more about the author, visit www.louanneludwig.com.


image 1: Pixabay; image 2: Pixabay