{"id":7708,"date":"2011-10-25T21:19:49","date_gmt":"2011-10-26T05:19:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=7708"},"modified":"2013-10-02T07:59:49","modified_gmt":"2013-10-02T15:59:49","slug":"14-tips-for-tranquility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/14-tips-for-tranquility\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Tips for Tranquility"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We all know that life can be difficult, but the recipe for peace and tranquillity is really at our fingertips.<\/em><\/p>\n

Here’s how:<\/em><\/p>\n

1. Don<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>t worry about your self-image. <\/strong>We all have an image of ourselves, how we think we appear to others. It\u2019s usually wrong because we just don\u2019t know what other people think about us, and so it\u2019s not worth worrying about. You are you, and others have to like you or not. If you have a fault, try to improve it, but don\u2019t worry about your image.<\/p>\n

2. Give up trying to find yourself. <\/strong>A lot of people say, \u2018I need time to find myself, to work out who I am.\u2019 <\/strong>This is one way to give yourself a neurosis because there\u2019s nothing to find. You have your capabilities; you may be a cook or a chemist or a charity worker and nothing can take that away. Rest on that.<\/p>\n

3. Celebrate your uniqueness. <\/strong>Every human being is different, unique. Nobody has quite the same take on things as you do. This is a marvellous feeling to enjoy. At the same time we have to understand that others have a different take too. It means we\u2019re not necessarily right, and it makes us more tolerant.<\/p>\n

4. Create an environment of peace in your life. <\/strong>People can be happy even though their life is hard and uncomfortable, but most of us need an environment of peace and calm. One of the important building blocks is treating others with kindness and generosity. People will generally reciprocate kindness and you have created a space of warmth and calm. There\u2019s a big happiness dividend here for everyone.<\/p>\n

5. Stay aware of what generosity really is. <\/strong>If your heart isn\u2019t in what you give away, it isn\u2019t actually giving. Sending old clothes to the charity shop is a good thing to do, but it\u2019s really only getting rid of junk. Give away something useful to you.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0 Live now! <\/strong>Don\u2019t put it off until tomorrow. We don\u2019t know what tomorrow will be like. The past is a memory – so there\u2019s no point in living there.\u00a0 The future is a hope and a dream which is pleasant to contemplate, but don\u2019t count on it. Now is all we have.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0 Be aware of this moment in your life. <\/strong>What\u2019s happening? What are you doing? Are you enjoying? It doesn\u2019t have to be a big moment like a graduation ceremony or winning a lottery prize. Life is mostly small moments like washing the dishes or riding the subway, or having coffee with a friend. Be there and feel alive! Life is too precious to be wasted drifting along half-awake.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0 Go slowly. <\/strong>Sure, life can be fast and furious, but not all the time. Put the brakes on. Slow down. Think and feel what you\u2019re doing. Actually live now instead of having your mind on the rush for the next thing.<\/p>\n

9. Be sociable. <\/strong>You can\u2019t attain real peace and calm by shutting yourself away. All you get is quietness. Mix with others and appreciate their uniqueness. Accept them for what they are, and use kindness as a tool to achieve a peace and calm that is rich with the lives of others.<\/p>\n

10. Be ready to cope with change and unpredictability<\/strong>. Nobody knows what\u2019s going to happen tomorrow. Life is a very uncertain business. That\u2019s the way it is. Reality. We have to build this into our thinking, whether it\u2019s missing the train, being let down by a friend or loss of a loved one. It\u2019s not\u00a0 personal, you haven\u2019t been singled out. It\u2019s just bad luck. You can have good luck too!<\/p>\n

11. Remember that anger doesn<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>t work as a solution to your problems. <\/strong>Anger related feelings are our default setting as soon as we are crossed. That\u2019s natural. But anger is a virus that poisons us. It makes us feel bad. It\u2019s a burden we don\u2019t need to accept. And when did shouting get you anywhere?<\/p>\n

12. Loosen some of your attachments. <\/strong>We\u2019re attached to all sorts of things, our family, our friends, our property, our job, our investments. The pain comes when the kids don\u2019t want to go on vacation with us any more, when our friends aren\u2019t as helpful as they could be, when we lose our property or our job. This hurts.\u00a0 Nothing is absolutely guaranteed. If we can detach ourselves a little from events around us, if we don\u2019t hold so tight, we can be happier.<\/p>\n

13. Face life with a spirit of acceptance. <\/strong>It doesn\u2019t mean you don\u2019t struggle to change things you can change. But some things can\u2019t be changed like the loss of a friend or your employer going broke. We need to accept and tolerate happenings that can\u2019t be changed, like death of a friend. If we can cultivate an attitude of acceptance and detachment, we can move on.<\/p>\n

14. Get engaged in life in a meaningful way. <\/strong>So what\u2019s meaningful? I can\u2019t tell you that. You have to decide what is meaningful to you. But it doesn\u2019t have to be something epoch-making or important in the community. Growing flowers or climbing mountains or doing the housework are all meaningful. But an activity isn\u2019t meaningful if you\u2019re doing it half-heartedly. If you believe what you\u2019re doing is meaningful, you\u2019re going to enjoy it.<\/p>\n

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Gil Hogg is the author of The Happy Humanist<\/a> and Teaching Yourself Tranquillity<\/a>. He is also a novelist. Check out his website www.gilhogg.co.uk<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Don’t Forget to SIGN UP for the\u00a0PTB newsletter!<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Related Articles:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A Smarter Approach To Time Management<\/a><\/p>\n

Tips For Breaking Bad Habits and Developing Good Habits<\/a><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We all have an image of ourselves, how we think we appear to others. It\u2019s usually wrong because we just don\u2019t know what other people think about us, and so it\u2019s not worth worrying about. You are you, and others have to like you or not. If you have a fault, try to improve it, but don\u2019t worry about your image. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":7716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[6],"tags":[463,367,4641,1282,66,4629,1707,1706],"yoast_head":"\n14 Tips for Tranquility - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Be aware of this moment in your life. What\u2019s happening? What are you doing? Are you enjoying? 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