Trying to find peace within ourselves can oftentimes seem impossible. We are always so critical of ourselves that we forget to just unwind. From time to time we all need to relax, truly shut off our minds, and not think about the day to day. Whether it be work, an important decision, or family issues, whatever it is, that may be weighing on our mind, we need to let go. It can be incredibly hard to make a decision about something, when all we do is think about and act on that feeling, which often comes out in the form of  stress, anxiety and other negative emotions making that decision even harder. In today's world it is so hard to just disconnect from all the stress, because we are always just a phone call away, we can be reached 24/7 right from our pockets. So what is the key to finding that peace and balance within our minds? Well unfortunately no one can answer that question for us, we have to figure out what it is for ourselves. We have to find what we truly enjoy doing, so much so that everything else for a moment seems obsolete. For me that is nature, being outdoors and in the mountains, hiking, biking, climbing whatever aspect it may be. There is something in forcing my body to push its limits both physically and mentally, overcoming challenges that take all of my focus to reach the summit, or conquering a trail on my bike, or finishing a climb. Whatever activity it may be for as long as I can remember I have always felt at home and at peace when I am in nature. The outdoors has always been the one place where I felt like those dark thoughts of depression and anxiety that so often filled my mind could not reach me. It was always the one place I could go to think, figure things out, and put into perspective all of the emotions in my mind.

Over the past year I have realized that I need to take time to enjoy my own company, become better friends with my inner self. So often I focused on others around me, how they reacted to me, what they thought of me, that I forgot to listen to myself. Someone once shared a book with me that has really impacted my life positively, ¨The Four Agreements¨ by Don Miguel Ruiz. It is about ancient Toltec wisdom and talks about four simple goals: ¨Be Impeccable to Your Word¨, ¨Don't Take Anything Personally¨, Don't Make Assumptions¨, and ¨Always Do Your Best¨. Ruiz talks about how by using and living by these four simple rules it becomes easier to achieve a higher level of satisfaction and freedom in all aspects of our lives. The lessons in this book have been incredibly helpful for me,  they have really helped me to focus more on my efforts and actions, therefore affecting how I interact with those around me, and how those around me interact with me. The ideas that Ruiz talks about in his book are in their simplest form the basic foundations and strategies to start living a life that is fulfilling to us, not anyone else. 

So to answer our question: what is the key to finding that peace and balance within our minds? Well like I said before no one gives you the answer. Someone can help to guide you, or give you advice and methods that have helped them in their journey of finding the answers, but only you can find the answer for yourself.