Peace starts with you. To make peace with yourself, you must first make peace with your inner self, with your friends, and with every other things around you.

Yes, you can’t make peace with everybody, but you can make peace with yourself. You can choose yourself.

Yes, you can’t make everybody happy, but you can make yourself happy. Isn’t that good enough? Let’s find out.

Put other people first

Hafsat Abiola said, “Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they are.” When you help other people, you are helping yourself. When you make other people feel complete, you are making yourself whole. When you work really hard to bring out the best in other people, you are bringing out the best in yourself.

Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.

Judith Butler said, “No matter what someone else has done, it still matters how we treat people.” Forgiveness is the key to positive relationships. It is also the key to a better life. It is hard to do, but if you can do it, freedom will come to you. No matter what people may have done to you, to move forward, you must first forgive them. No matter what you may have done to yourself, to live a better life, you must first forgive yourself. If not, you won’t be able to move forward in your life. Wendell Berry was right when he said, “To have peace you must make peace with your enemy.” To have peace, you must make peace with yourself.

Focus on what is important to you

According to Gautama Buddha, “This is peace, this is the excellent, namely the calm of all the impulses, the casting out of all ‘basis’, the extinction of craving, dispassion, stopping, Nirvana.” Focus on what makes you whole. Do not worry yourself about what didn’t go well. It is not the end of the world. Focus on how you are going to make it better next time. When you are at peace with yourself, everything will “flow with ease.” Remember that peace is not something you search for. Peace is something you make for yourself. It is something you create for yourself. It is a state of mind. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Peace is to be found only within, and unless one find it there he will never find it at all.”

Be comfortable with who you are, not with what you have

Love is life. You are here to love yourself, not to beat yourself to the ground. Whether things are going well or not, still find some time to give yourself some love. Be comfortable with yourself. Love yourself. Before you can love anyone else, you must first love yourself. Believe in love. It is real. Love never disappoints. Robert Collier said, “Love never fails.” It is true. If you believe in love, it will never fail you. The question is, do you believe in the power of love?