Right now, you have access to an unlimited supply of peace.

The kind of joyful, steady peace you can dip your toes into on a hot summer day.

In this moment, you can have the fresh air of freedom, like opening all the windows and letting the light pour in.

Wherever you stand, you can summon the courage that rolls through the sky like thunder.

And whenever you need it, you have the key to a strength that’s both solid enough to build an empire upon and giving enough to allow the flowers to break through.

I know that sometimes it feels like what you need is somewhere out there, in a buried chest, and you don’t even have a map, but you carry the most valuable treasures on the inside.

Wherever, whenever, however you are, you can create your own joy. And freedom. And courage, strength, wisdom, compassion, and peace.

The seeds have been planted, and it’s you who nurtures them.

To begin, give yourself a little space – a little time, a little sacred place, a little room to catch your thoughts and breath. And in that space, practice stillness. Practice acceptance of what you find in that stillness, offering it curiosity and caring.

This is how I’m doing it. I use this Soul Smile Meditation for solace when I feel depleted, when I want to bask in gratitude, and when I want to align with goodness.

Breathing in, I find my center.
I bring love and peace into my body.

Breathing out, I feel my soul smile.
I release light and joy into the world.

Breathing in, we find our center, that place of calm and stillness. It’s where our most authentic desires are born, our wisest decisions are made, and our most focused, intentional actions begin.

This is how we water the seeds of joy, compassion, and strength. This is what renews our spirits.

Breathing out, we release all that we’ve cultivated into the world. For better or for worse.

It’s in the flow between inhaling and exhaling that we anchor ourselves to the present, and it’s in the present that we can examine the past and dabble in the future. @ralph_leslie (Click to Tweet!)

It’s there that we can play in our desires, set intentions, and move forward with focused energy.

If you’d like to practice this meditation, it’s as simple getting still, breathing, and repeating to yourself:

Breathing in, I find my center. I bring {whatever you need} into my body.
Breathing out, I feel my soul smile. I release {whatever you want} to the world.

Try it and share how it felt in the comments below.

P.S. If you’d like more, you can find this meditation in my new book, There, I Might Find Peace. It’s poetry and prose, mantras and meditations for peace, love, and strength.

Leslie Ralph is a psychologist, writer, and artist who hopes to leave the world a little brighter than she found it.  Her people are creative, sensitive spirits who crave love and peace, inside and out. Leslie is the author of There, I Might Find Peace: Poetry and Prose, Mantras and Meditations for Peace, Love, and Strength. Download her free gift, a ritual for receiving, a daily ritual for bringing more love and light, clarity and confidence, meaning and connection to your life. You can follow Leslie on Facebook or Instagram.

Image courtesy of Kalen Emsley.