Inner Peace? Does anybody have it?

[Sportsdude]

Because I don't. And its destroying me. Please give experiences.

[tenkani]

Well, let's start by defining it.

I mean, I have inner contentment in that I find a lot of joy in life.

But I am lacking a sense of higher meaning (it's the price I pay for being a nihilist), and part of me feels empty because of it.

  What does "inner peace" mean to you?

[Sportsdude]

I don't find joy in things. I wake up in the middle of the night with night sweats about whats wrong with the world. Inner Peace to me means I don't have to worry about the world and I the night visions go away.

[tenkani]

I'm really very impressed with you sportsdude.

  From all I've gathered from your posts, you are an inciteful and caring person.

  IMO, just as my philosophy leads unavoidably to a feeling of emptiness, your perspective will lead to feelings of hopelessness and depression. You are too intelligent not to see where the world is headed. And you're too kind-hearted not to care.

  The trick is staying sane in this madhouse.

  Balance is the key IMO. When you start to feel overwhelmed, you've got to balance the horror you see in the world with something positive. Get some sun, visit a garden, spend time with optimistic, loving friends, whatever works in your particular situation.

  I would also recommend studying meditation. I think it can be helpful in developing the inner strength that will allow you to maintain, and even increase your insight, while at the same time prevent it from overwhelming you.

[Sportsdude]

I can take the world's problem but there is one emptyness I can can't break. Love.  I seem to be unlovable.  I envy Lise and P.C.. Lise with her growing family and P.C. with her hubby.  Yeah I can change the world but I'll always be miserable when I see a couple on the street.

[kitten]

Sportsdude, it's old advice, but well worth repeating.  Before you can expect someone to love you, you must learn to love yourself for who you are.  Have faith in yourself, and don't keep looking for faults within you.  Everybody has flaws;  nobody is perfect.  By learning to accept yourself, you will develop confidence, which is a very sexy and appealing thing to the opposite sex.  The whole idea is not about blending in and being part of the crowd, it's about standing out in the crowd because you know you are a good person.

[Sportsdude]

So if I stand out in the crowd I will get noticed? Usually when I stand out I get ridiculed.

[kitten]

There are always people who will badmouth others for no good reason.  It doesn't mean you should pay attention to them.  If you let it bother you they will notice your lack of self-confidence and mock you even more.   Ignore them and they will go away when they can't get a rise out of you.  They can find another target.

[Sportsdude]

Inner Peace.  I need to get into meditation.  I think that would help a lot.

[Lise]

What's my inner peace secret?

  Inner peace for me means:

  a) not having to worry about every little detail in life - there's no point besides you can either do something about it or not (just don't bitch about every little thing)

  b) cherish what you have - your health, the sky, the flowers.... anything. You're living and breathing, be thankful for what you have

  That's mine in a nutshell. I do hope you'll find yours, Sportsdude.

[Gopher]

I can experience inner peace more or less at will, howevcer it took a lot of practice and many years to acquire. Something to do with being able to retreat entirely inwards and recognise that you have two forms of existence (or rather, levels of consciousness), one which is concerned with the outward temporal concerns of life, the other which draws deep on some universal well-spring.To achieve inner peace one just has to 'centre down' - yes,  meditation does come into it; so give it a try, Sportsdude. Just surrender yourself to the the light inside. The trick lies in some form of self-hypnosis I think. Attaining 'outward' peace is well-nigh impossible, especially if you are a thinker.