Resources For Finding Inner Peace

It is hard to know what each of us can do to solve this great crisis. But each of us can make a monumental effort, deep within ourselves, to find inner peace and calm, and then share those qualities with everyone we encounter. Some of the greatest figures in human history found inner peace in the worst of times. If you can do this, it will make a tremendous difference in your life and the life of everyone you know. And who knows – perhaps the spreading ripples of your inner peace will affect many more people than you could ever dream.

As you think about this possibility, bring to mind the people you have known, and perhaps some historical figures, who seem to have found inner peace. Reflect on their lives, who they were and how they lived. Then ask yourself: How were they able to find inner peace? Try to imagine your way into their lives. Many of them likely had very real challenges. How did they get beyond those challenges to a place of peace?

There are, of course, many books about finding peace. Below are some of the classics, most pretty short (don’t want to create stress around not finishing a book). Most of them can be downloaded either on Kindle or listened to on Audible. If you are not familiar with or have not used Audible – https://www.audible.com – they have an amazing number of recorded books. You can join directly, or through Amazon, and get a couple of books free as a new member.

Books that might help in finding inner peace:

  • Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (the Stephen Mitchell version is good)
  • Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words by Peace Pilgrim
  • Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (I like the translation, The Emperor’s Handbook by Scot and David Hicks, but there are many)
  • The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
  • Open Mind, Open Heart by Thomas Keating
  • Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh
  • When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice For Difficult Times by Pema Chodron
  • Enduring Grace: Living Portraits of Seven Women Mystics by Carol Flinders
  • Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff . . . and It’s All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson
  • Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (I like the Hilda Rosner translation)
  • The Way of the Pilgrim by Anonymous
  • Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
  • The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
  • The Trial and the Death of Socrates by Plato

Another resource is the National Emergency Library, a digital collection of 1.4 million books. During this crisis time, anyone, anywhere in the world, can check books out of this library—for free—until June 30th, or the end of the emergency.
https://archive.org/details/nationalemergencylibrary

Here are two national stories of those who are finding a way to help and serve:
19 Coronavirus Heroes – Politico.eu

 People Who Are Helping

And here are two articles that suggest various ways we can help:
How You Can Help During The Coronavirus Outbreak – The Washington Post

  9 Ways To Help Others During The Coronavirus Pandemic – The Idealist 

As for cultivating inner peace, a few thoughts:

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” – Saint Francis de Sales

“If it costs your inner peace, it is too expensive.” – Anonymous

“Possession of material riches, without inner peace, is like dying of thirst while bathing in a lake.” – Anonymous

“Inner peace is priceless as it sprinkles everything you do with joy.” – Roz Fruchtman

“Nobody can bring you peace but yourself.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Outward peace is useless without inner peace.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” Dalai Lama

“To attain inner peace you must actually give your life, not just your possessions. When you at last give your life – bringing into alignment your beliefs and the way you live, then, only then, can you begin to find inner peace.” – Peace Pilgrim

“When you make peace with yourself, you make peace with the world.” – Maha Ghosananda

Some web sites and articles that can aid with the journey to inner peace:
https://gratefulness.org
http://www.dailygood.org
https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-quotes
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/13/magazine/jack-kornfield-mindfulness.html

To be inspired by the words of others – with music:
 Inspirations for Peace

A video on Amazon about the life of a person in our time who seems to have found a large measure of peace: “Thomas Keating: A Rising Tide Of Silence”

A web site that provides ways to work on yourself:
Heartmath exercises

And if you want an unusual, long, relaxing experience,
try “Relax with Sheep”: