Line upon Line

Do you dream of a more peaceful life but instead find yourself living in a state of constant turmoil, anxiety and uncertainty? Life can be very stressful and it’s easy to get bogged down with problems and challenges. But in spite of difficulties, peace can be yours if you are willing to make it a priority. Here are twelve tips that will help you achieve a more peaceful life.

1.Call a “cease-fire” with anyone you are warring with including yourself. Make peace with the past, let it go and forgive! Forgive yourself, your family, friends, coworkers, past loves, neighbors and anyone else who might be at the core of your anger, hurt and turmoil. If you need help to do this get help. You’re worth it!

2.Count your blessingsbe grateful. Constantly focusing on what you don’t have can become a destructive addiction, causing feelings of self-pity, resentment and jealousy. Break the habit! Focus on your many blessings. An attitude of gratitude is a powerful ally and can literally change your life. The more you are aware of and appreciate the abundance around you, the more abundance will manifest itself. Each night, right before you go to sleep, try and concentrate on one specific thing that you are thankful for and make that your last thought of the day. This is a simple (but extremely effective) way to imprint gratitude on your heart and mind. And in case you’re not aware, scripture tells us that ingratitude is offensive to God and will bring forth His wrath (see D&C 59:21).

3.Be generous with everything you have your time, talents, money, belongings, whatever God has blessed you with. Use it to bless and benefit others. Not only will your charity and generosity become a source of joy and peace (knowing you’re helping to lift the burden of others) the universe will return to you ten fold! It’s the Law of the Harvest in action.

4. Bridle your tongue (see James, Chapter 3)! You don’t have to say whatever comes to your mind. Use some self-control! Never verbally assault others, and make sure you don’t ever say anything that is demeaning or hateful. This goes for internal dialogue as well. Words that are sharp and cutting can inflict serious wounds that are painful and difficult to heal. Remember, words hold powerfor good and badthus it becomes vital to watch what you say if you want a life filled with peace and harmony, not sorrow and regret.

5.Don’t meddle in other people’s lives. Keep your focus and energy on your own life’s issues instead of speculating, gossiping or forcefully involving yourself in someone else’s problems. If you are genuinely concerned, offer your sincere help privately, confidentially. If they want your help they will tell you, otherwise, don’t get involved. This means family, friends, anyone! Eliminating unneeded drama is an important step to achieving more peace in your life.

6.Love and care for yourself just as you would a dear friend. Speak only kind, helpful and encouraging words to yourself. Offer yourself forgiveness on a daily basis. Eat right; get plenty of rest, exercise and stop criticizing yourself. It does nothing but churn up negative energy within. Be thankful for you! You are singular like a snowflake, there is not anotherMost importantly, you are a child of God! The fact that God’s work and glory is to bring to pass your immortality and eternal life, speaks volumes about your value to Him, and His love for you (see Moses 1:39).

7.Sloooow down! Stop overscheduling yourself and start working on eliminating the “gotta do it all” mentality that’s so prevalent these days. If you want a calmer life you must resist the urge to be on the go all the time. This addictive behavior is exhausting, not to mention stressful (I know this first hand), and will rob you of peace quicker than anything. Being less “busy” doesn’t mean you’re less productive, less important or less needed, it just means you have learned to prioritize life and have chosen to live at a more peaceful pace.

8.Make sure you surround yourself with kind spirited and positive people. The people you spend time with can affect your thinking and behavior more than you realize. If they are negative and critical, constantly complaining and stirring up contention, it will be almost impossible for you to maintain any sense of peace or positive outlook on life. If this is your situation, it’s time to make some changes.

9.Spend time outdoors in nature every day. No matter how busy you are, take a break and look at the sunrise, sunset, the night sky with its beautiful moon and stars. Breathe in fresh air. Listen to the birds sing. Stand in the rain. It will reset your “emotional well-being” button. This world is God’s glorious creation and is beautiful, awe-inspiring and healing. You will feel an increase of peace in your life if you make this a daily practice.

10. Listen to calming music. To offset all the nerve shattering, demanding and noisy distractions in life, try listening to music that is calming. Beautiful calming music is balm to our minds and bodies and will reduce stress. It lifts, soothes, comforts, inspires, rejuvenates and blesses the listener. Many studies have been done on the power of music and how it can alter one’s thinking, behavior, mental capacitieseven one’s heart rate!

11. Stop Trying to Change People. Trying to change another person is a waste of time and emotional energy. People will change when they are ready to change. Most often what people really wantand needis a listening ear. Let us follow the example of the Savior and learn to accept and love others unconditionally, but keep a prayer on our lips and hope in our hearts that those we love and care about will make good choices. So be accepting, learn to listen and offer a loving, welcoming environment in which to do so. You won’t believe the peace that will flow into your life.

12. Find your “sacred grove” and pour your heart out to God. It has been said that prayer is the soul’s sincere desire. Our brain might not feel the need for prayer but our heart and soul yearn for it. As mortal man our deepest desire is to communicate with the Almighty, to know He is there, to experience a personal connection. One of the gifts of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the gift of prayer, the right for us as individuals to approach God with our needs and our wants. Christ stands before us as The Great Mediator when we pray, and makes sure that every utterance of our mouthand heartreaches God’s throne. There is no act that we can engage in, no amount of time spent in a gym, biking, walking, swimming, running etc.

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  that will bring us the physical, emotional or spiritual relief like that of prayer. Nothing can compare with the peace and blessings that fervent heartfelt prayer brings into our lives.