LIVING A PEACEFUL LIFE
By
Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.
Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.
2436 West Coast Highway, Suite 103
Newport Beach, CA 92663
http://www.SuccessBeyondYourImagination.com
© Robert Puff 2011 – All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced without written permission of the author.
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-0525-4
LIVING A PEACEFUL LIFE
Some people are able to find peace and inner happiness even in the humblest of circumstances, while others who seemingly have everything -- financial security, success, good marriages, and the like -- are miserable much of the time. How is this possible?
Believe me. You don’t need to run off to a tropical island or visit an expensive spa to find what you’re looking for. Everything you need is already inside of you. By listening to this Podcast or reading the accompanying article, you’ll learn how you can achieve the peace you seek.
Hello, I’m Dr. Robert Puff. Everyone wants to have a completely satisfying, calm, and relatively stress-free existence. In this Podcast, I’ll tell you how you, too, can live a peaceful life, no matter what’s going on around you.
Before we begin, if you haven’t already done so, I urge you to listen to the free download of my book, Anger Work: How to Express Your Anger and Still Be Kind, at my website, www.DoctorPuff.com. Thousands of people all over the world have read Anger Work, and have successfully used the methods I’ve suggested to heal themselves from past emotional wounds. Doing Anger Work is actually the first step towards living a truly peaceful life and eventually discovering the ultimate state of contentment that all human beings seek.
Once you’ve done that, then you’re ready for the next step: finding your path to inner peace.
MY PERSONAL SEARCH
I’ve always had an innate curiosity about what brings people true happiness. Was it religion? Spirituality? Material things? I had my first epiphany while on a trip to Egypt when I was a graduate student at one of the finest universities in the world. At school, I was surrounded by the wealthiest, smartest, and, potentially, most influential people in the world. Yet by living in this environment, I had discovered these factors did not equate with happiness and peacefulness. There was pain, insecurity, and fear, along with a drive that was insatiable. I had arrived at the Ivy Tower, and all wasn’t well.
It was during this awakening, that I visited a village where some of Egypt’s poorest people lived. They were the garbage collectors, the lowest societal class in the country. Their small houses were constructed from pieces of discarded wood, cardboard, corrugated tin, and other items rescued from the piles of garbage strewn around the area.
I was welcomed into the home of a family of twelve: husband, wife, and ten children. I remember thinking that here was an impoverished family, who sorted through garbage as a way to barely earn enough money to survive. They lived in a tiny, ramshackle shack. And yet, they were kind, loving people. In spite of their circumstances, this family – seemed to be extremely happy and enjoying life.
FINDING PEACE OF MIND
After decades of working as a therapist and studying what brings human beings real happiness, I know that the words “peace of mind” can mean different things to different people. For some, it’s getting the approval of others. They believe that if everyone loves and thinks highly of them, they will be happy. Others equate peace of mind with possessing a lot of material things, like cars, expensive clothes, or a fabulous house.
What does peace of mind mean to you? Perhaps you feel that if you could land a high-power job; earn your college degree; find the perfect mate, get married and have children; retire with plenty of money in the bank; or…well, you fill in the blank…then you could enjoy self-satisfaction and, ultimately, peace of mind.
But if it’s true that external things could bring about peace of mind, then why are so many people who possess all or many of them still so unhappy? If I told you that everything you’re looking for, everything you need to live a truly wonderful life filled with peace and joy is something you have access to right now, would you believe me?
It’s true. But to achieve this kind of internal peace requires a few very easy changes. It’s literally all in your mind. Let me explain.
When we’re born, our minds are like a blank slate. Infants make no judgments about anything. They don’t evaluate what’s good or bad, and react only to what they need in the moment, like milk or a clean diaper. By about the age of two and a half, our minds become more aware of our surroundings. We begin to look at things and form likes and dislikes. We say to ourselves, “I want more of that.” Or, when something is unpleasant, we think of it as bad and attempt to push it away. The term I use for this kind of thought process is the “egoic mind,” which is another way of saying that our thoughts are in control.
It’s egoic thinking that causes us to suffer. I don’t mean the kind of suffering you experience when you burn your hand on a hot stove. What I’m talking about is mental suffering that’s created by internal thoughts. It’s the “if only I could have” kind of thinking that focuses on accumulating external things, like honors and accolades, or material possessions. It can also come from wanting internal things, like obtaining deep wisdom, self-confidence, or for some, reaching enlightenment.
Egoic thinking comes from trying to control or change things that are out of your hands, instead of accepting “what is.” It’s making mental commentaries about things that we think are good or bad. And it’s about finding discontentment in our lives, no matter how well off we really are.
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