3242: 8 Places Happy People Find Peace by Marc Chernoff of Marc and Angel on Choosing Happiness

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Living Daily Episode 3242 8 Places Happy People Find Peace by Marc Chernoff of Marcandangel.com and I'm Justin Malik, your host and narrator. And now let's get right to it as we optimize your life. 8 Places Happy People Find Peace by Marc Chernoff of Marcandangel.com

[00:00:26] Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. Buddha Somewhere between the love in your heart and thoughts in your mind is a happy, peaceful place. You'll find it promptly when you look in the following places. 1. The Foundation of Acceptance

[00:00:50] Life is a series of continuous natural events and changes. Don't resist them. Doing so only creates unnecessary stress. Let the reality of these events and changes take place. Let them flow. Or as Henry Wadsworth once said,

[00:01:08] For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain. Acceptance is letting go and allowing things to be the way they truly are. It doesn't mean you don't care about improving the realities of life.

[00:01:24] It's just realizing that the only thing you really have control over is yourself. This simple understanding is the foundation of acceptance and only with acceptance can there be peace and growth. 2. A Sincere Inner Space

[00:01:42] You have your own way. For you, this way of living is the absolute right way. Honor it. One of the most influential sources of peace is simply being comfortable with who you really are. Not trading your reality for a role or your truth for an act.

[00:02:00] Not giving up your freedom of thought. Not putting on a mask. There cannot be peace in your external life until you are at peace within yourself being yourself. It won't always be easy, but no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning your inner spirit.

[00:02:18] 3. The Mindset of Forgiveness When someone has hurt you, it's hard to be peaceful. But you do it anyway because you know peace is the only battle worth waging. Peace is beautiful. It is the manifestation of your love and the best resolution for a brighter future.

[00:02:37] Being peaceful is hard sometimes. Much harder than being angry and vengeful. It requires you to stay calm and let go of the pain. It requires you to forgive and move on. Of course, you don't do these things just for the person who has hurt you,

[00:02:53] but for your own well-being. 4. The Land of Appreciation If you believe you would finally be happy if you had twice the amount of things that you already have time, money, friends, cars, snazzy dress shoes, etc. You'd be sadly mistaken.

[00:03:13] Because if you aren't happy with what you have, you won't be any happier when what you have is doubled. As Socrates once said, Contentment is natural wealth. Luxury is artificial poverty. 5. Moments of Purposeful Solitude

[00:03:52] You need to pause at least once a day and spend a few moments breathing silently. Use these moments to think and consciously separate the past from the present and future. Responsibilities, obligations, unfinished business, family, and friends can all survive without you while you take these moments for yourself.

[00:04:14] You deserve this time away. You deserve to think peacefully, free from external pressure. No problems to solve, hands to shake, or people to please. Sometimes you need to make time for yourself, away from the busy world you live in that doesn't make time for you.

[00:04:33] 6. A Mutually Loving Relationship When you love someone, you understand them. You don't necessarily understand exactly what they're thinking, but you understand why. And they understand the same about you. This shared understanding is precious because when human beings are understood, they are at ease.

[00:04:56] Understanding nourishes emotional comfort and belonging. When those you love truly feel understood, they feel free to release themselves into the trust and shelter of your inner spirit and soul, which is where the real connection is made and true peace is found for the both of you.

[00:05:15] 7. A Passionate Endeavor Passion is powerful. It rests deep within you and passively drives your feelings, choices, and courses of actions. It can't be ignored and shouldn't be ignored. Your passion will become the sole source of your greatest achievements and your finest moments.

[00:05:36] The fevering excitement of love, the joy of work that moves you, the clarity of your purpose, the ecstasy of letting go and being one with the present moment. This is what passion does to you. Without it, there's no peace of mind, just a hollow existence of unfulfilled dreams,

[00:05:56] a lifetime left unlived. And number 8. The Muscle of Positive Action In life, you get what you put in. Every moment of your life is dynamic, responding exclusively to your inputs. When you put a positive, productive effort into it, you will receive a useful outcome from it.

[00:06:19] This is the greatest power you possess, the power you have over your own choices and actions. Instead of attempting to gain power over others and external situations, exercise the unlimited power you already have over yourself. Forget about the past, the future, and where others are in their journey.

[00:06:41] Put your mind at ease. Put the worrying and complaining to rest. Focus on your living, breathing, present self. What can you do right now to make a difference? Get positive, get productive, and get busy putting the possibilities of this moment to the test.

[00:07:05] You just listened to the post titled, 8 Places Happy People Find Peace by Mark Chernoff of markandangel.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Thank you to Mark. One thing I learned when I was at a retreat is the power of our best selves,

[00:07:23] or as Mark put it in number 2 on his list, a sincere inner space or inner spirit. Whether or not you're religious or spiritual, I think we can agree that there's a place within us that we can look to for guidance,

[00:07:38] a sort of higher, best version of ourselves that always knows what's right. But how often do we actually check in with this part of ourselves? Something I'm doing daily now is actually checking in. And not just with that higher self, but also different parts of my body,

[00:07:57] like my mind, my body, and emotions, and so on. For me it's really easy to ignore, or actually not even just ignore, but not hear at all those different aspects of myself. So I find it nice to do a daily check-in and see what's really going on there.

[00:08:16] It's something I'd recommend if you've never done that before, simply being more in touch with what you're feeling each morning. For me it's been a great way to start the day. So thank you again to Mark for this one, and thank you for being here.

[00:08:30] Have a great rest of your day, and I'll catch you tomorrow for Minimalist Monday, where your optimal life awaits.