Why am I feeling so stressful? Why no matter how hard I try, success always escapes me? Why am I such an introverted person? Will I ever stop wallowing in self-pity and punishing myself?
Well, if your mind is constantly bombarded with such questions, then there’s only one thing you should know: If you want to conquer the external world and win all life’s battles, you need to win your inner battles first.
There’s a very good proverb in the Buddhist philosophy, which says: “It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”
That’s right. Your enemy is not somewhere out there in the outside world – it’s in you. It’s in your mind.
Your mind is like a battlefield where you’re constantly fighting battles. You’re constantly fighting your worries, anxious thoughts, problems, mistakes, and failures instead of letting them go.
You carry your burden from the past and consciously and/or unknowingly let it wear you down, sap your energy, and kill your happiness and inner peace.
You’re in a constant war with yourself.
But why?
Isn’t life already stressful and difficult enough so as to spend your time and energy contemplating your past mistakes, failures, heartbreaks, and losses?
Isn’t life already unpredictable enough so as to worry about what your future might bring to you?
Isn’t life short enough so as to spend it worrying about things you can’t control and change?
Yes, I know it’s hard having to hear that enemy living in you tell you that you are weak and unworthy; that you don’t have what it takes to achieve success; that others are and will always be more successful than you; that true happiness was not meant for you.
But the truth is that if you want to achieve happiness and peace of mind and lead an authentic, fulfilling, and enjoyable life, you need to destroy that enemy. You need to win all your inner battles.
You need to stop focusing all your time and energy on the bad things in your life – on your misfortunes, lost opportunities, failed relationships, mistakes, sorrows, and losses.
You need to stop wallowing in self-pity and despair whenever life kicks you down.
You need to stop letting your strong, negative emotions get the best of you. You need to stop allowing your insecurities, fears, and past mistakes prevent you from pursuing your goals, dreams, and passions and becoming the person you want to be.
You need to stop allowing your inner demons and shadows from the past to play tricks on your mind and undermine your confidence and self-esteem. You need to stop doubting your own worth because of them.
You need to stop creating all kinds of scenarios about your future and focus on the present instead.
You need to learn how to take joy in the things you already have in life and be grateful for them. You need to be more aware of the people who are close to you and who truly love and care about you instead of taking them for granted.
You need to stop wasting all your energy worrying about your problems and focus it on finding solutions to them instead.
You need to stop ignoring your negative emotions and let them flow through your body. You need to let them come and go.
You need to become more aware of what’s going on in your body. In this way, you’ll be better prepared to recognize as well as end your inner battles.
And once you end your inner battles, you’ll be more effective at dealing with any problem you might have since your mind won’t be clouded by negative, violent emotions and drama.
And finally, whenever you think that it’s other people or money that prevent you from achieving happiness and peace, remember the words of the legendary surfer Laird Hamilton: “Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.”
Riley Cooper is a professional writer who writes informative and creative articles on topics related to various fields of study. Written with love and enthusiasm, her articles inspire readers to broaden their knowledge of the world, think and get ready to act. If you have a general question or comment please fill out the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible https://curiousmindmagazine.com/contact-us/
