The human mind holds within it depths we could never dream of. The power of our mind, as well as our spirit, can often be taken for granted.  The human mind holds universal capabilities which can be used in many ways beyond the physical and what we see. We are able to take in so much different information and so many different perspectives, emotions, and thoughts. Through time, these different things and different aspects of our own individual lives can build up and often cause stress, anxiety, or even worse. Peace of mind seems so hard to grasp because of the complexity of our mind, spirit, and emotions.

During this time in our lives as college students, we are under what appears to be a great deal of pressure, not only from school itself but from people around us and the particularly eventful lives we lead. This can ring true for every individual of all ages as we all have our own issues we try to deal with on a day to day basis. Even though peace of mind seems a lifetime away, it truly is not.  

Most of our fears and anxieties come from pre-conceived thoughts or emotions we place on certain people or situations. In other words, most of our inner stress is generated when we fail to allow ourselves to be present in each moment. Ego is truly the biggest detriment to peace. We are constantly worried about the thoughts and opinions of others that we forget to focus on what makes us feel how we want to feel. We are so worried about what has happened in the past or in what is supposed to happen in the future that we forget to embrace the moments at hand.

Expecting something from anyone or anything will often lead to a feeling of being let down as well as a poor perspective on the now.

Thanks to our ego, it is incredibly difficult at times to accept everything about and around us for exactly what it is. Ego may tell us to react in a way which differs from acceptance and this will only lead to further inner-conflict. Very young children are able to experience forms of peace easily thanks to their lack of worry and lack of ego. The energy of a child is pure enough to naturally connect with each moment free of thought or restraint.

Obviously, as we grow older it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain a peaceful mind due to the number of responsibilities we pick up along the way. But through all of the baggage our mind, body, and spirit try to deal with, we will find that the pure energy we once felt as children, or have yet to discover, ALWAYS remains constant within us.  

As individuals, we must show attention and awareness to our entire being in order to come closer to the peace we seek. Everybody has their own muse or escape from reality, but not everyone is aware of the meditative elements of their escape. Meditation is the most recommended way to achieve a more clear state of mind, but not all meditation is sitting cross-legged saying “ohm” over and over again. Meditation is quite simply focusing your attention on a single thing and breathing while blocking out any other internal or external distractions. This could truly be anything as long as you feel a sense of comfort, self-awareness and any type of productivity.

Personally, I find that by bringing my focus to my breathing in moments of stress or anxiety, it will almost always bring me back to center and allow a more clear point of view going forward.

Exercising is considered one of the most popular forms of meditation and the art of yoga is scientifically proven to be heavily correlated with inner peace. You could listen to music, make music, draw, paint, clean, cook a meal, or do anything at all which allows your mind to free itself of worry from the rest of the world and focus on yourself.  In moments of doubt, breathe slowly and focus your attention to only your breathing.

Remind yourself that you are where you are supposed to be and that every single experience we have, good or bad, was meant to be experienced for us to grow. Taking moments for ourselves undoubtedly allows for a more calm and peaceful perspective at any given moment. It is absolutely essential to our well-being and will go a long way in determining how we lead our lives.

While I am far from Zen, I hope that some of the information and experiences I have been able to take in from those who have achieved great depths of peace will be of use to you in your path to peace.  Some may dream of peace when they die, but we can find it now, while we are still alive.

Namaste.