Jayita, Canada

I started to feel peace and happiness inside since I have started to write in my journal. I write down my worries and problems in my journal instead of carrying those worries in my head all through the day. This way, I was able to track my negative thoughts and became conscious of them. I have become much calmer and happier since I started to write in my journal.

Spending time with myself helped me calm down. After documenting my thoughts and emotions for more than a year, I become more conscious. I also watch a lot of spiritual videos. I realized one important truth: our sufferings come from our desires and our tendency to control people and situations. But, we fail to understand that nothing is in our control - except for our reaction to outside events, our health, and our personal well-being. We can not control even our own children's future. One thing is in our control - how we feel about ourselves and how do we react to situations coming from outside. That does not mean that we do not take responsibility. By letting go of control, we can reduce our stress and focus on the present moment.

I have also realized that forgiveness is the way to find true happiness and peace inside. Instead of labeling people into good and bad, we can view people as conscious and unconscious. We make mistakes when we live an unconscious life. A conscious person with greater awareness is much less likely to make any mistakes. So, it is all about our level of consciousness. So, in order to find true peace, we need to stop judging ourselves and others.

We forget that nothing is absolute or permanent in this world. If we can accept the impermanence of this world, and let go of our tendency to control everything, then only we can find true happiness.

People hurt others because they are hurting themselves. There is a saying - Hurt people hurt people. So, there is no outside enemy. It is my thoughts and emotions that create our perceptions about our outside world. We can change it by being more conscious about our own thoughts and behavior and being in the present moment.

Definition of success is different to me now than 10 years back. To me, being happy and peaceful is the most important thing. You don't need to prove anything to anyone; I do not need anyone's approval to be happy inside. Most importantly, I have realized that happiness is an inside job.

One should stop judging people (and oneself) in order to find long-lasting people. People make mistakes when they are conscious of their actions and behavior. I have a long way to go. My journey has just begun. Journaling makes me feel connected with myself. Writing down my thoughts and emotions helped me connect with myself and analyze my everyday actions and behavior.