Being at peace with oneself is not about everything around us being in order without challenges and uncertainty. It is about being connected to our true nature within and operating from that, even when the world around us is in turmoil.

And this begs the question – is it even possible to be peaceful within with external turmoil. It’s not easy, but possible. And it hinges on our understanding of ourselves and the world.

Peace is within. It is neither dependent on anything nor anyone for its existence. It is available for us to connect with whenever we want. Just like the sun always exists. And when we are connected within and are at peace, it is like the sun reflecting radiantly on a clear mirror.

The world of events and people is external. Our challenge is that we have linked our peace to the external world. And when things go wrong, we say our peace is broken. We do feel restless and agitated but not because the peace has disappeared, it’s just that our mind has disconnected from the peace within. When the mirror breaks and we can no longer feel the brilliant reflection of the sun, we need to fix the mirror. The sun is not broken.

But this needs daily practice and dedication. Twenty minutes of silence and meditation to connect within. And we soon develop the awareness that the internal dimension of being peaceful is completely independent of the external dimension.

This does not mean we become uncaring and don’t feel the emotions. On the contrary, because we operate from the depth of our being and connectedness, we are fully conscious and present with what is happening. But, we are equally conscious of our inner connectedness all the time. It is not an ‘either-or’. It is facing life’s turmoil ‘and’ being connected within.

Peace is not just absence of conflict. It is living in the presence of our Presence.