{"id":21694,"date":"2020-12-23T09:45:24","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T13:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=21694"},"modified":"2026-04-26T15:28:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T19:28:40","slug":"find-your-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/find-your-peace\/","title":{"rendered":"Find Your Peace by Conquering These Obstacles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever wondered why you can’t find your peace no matter what you do? How do you figure out what’s standing in the way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Stephen Covey, there are three factors that might be the reason why you can’t find your peace. These include unrealistic expectations<\/a>, lack of courage, and pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading for Steven Covey’s advice on how to find your peace in the face of these obstacles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Find Your Peace in the Face of Obstacles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you base your priorities on true north principles<\/a> and put first things first<\/a>, you find four different kinds of peace:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. The peace that comes from fulfilling your four human needs<\/strong>: living, love, learning, and leaving a legacy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The peace that comes from developing your four human endowments<\/a><\/strong>: self-awareness, conscience, independent will, and imagination.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The peace that comes from cooperating<\/strong> with others instead of competing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. The peace that comes from living according to your conscience.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Obstacles to Peace<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    There are several roadblocks to peace to be aware of: unrealistic expectations, lack of courage, and pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Unrealistic Expectations<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Unmet expectations are one of the greatest sources of frustration in day-to-day life.<\/strong> When you have the expectation that you\u2019ll check every task off your to-do list<\/a>, that you won\u2019t run into difficulties, or that everyone will agree with your ideas, <\/strong>unexpected issues or interruptions cause frustration. You see the people around you as problems. Conversely, when you see your daily plan as a roadmap rather than a checklist, you see problems as opportunities to create better systems and empower others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you want to find peace, you need to mitigate frustration by changing your expectations.<\/strong> If you work with others toward a shared vision and live a principle-centered life, your expectations will become more realistic. You can also examine particular frustrations to identify the unrealistic expectations at their source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Lack of Courage<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    When you lack courage, you keep doing things the way you\u2019ve always done them, basing decisions on society\u2019s priorities rather than your own, or not basing decisions on priorities at all. On the other hand, courage allows you to listen to your conscience<\/a> and make decisions based on your principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can develop courage<\/a> by achieving your goals<\/a>, no matter how small.<\/strong> For instance, your goal could be to get out of bed the first time the alarm goes off. Each time you set a goal and meet it, or keep a promise, you build your confidence. This confidence develops into courage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Pride<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Pride, in the sense of having too large of an egol, is the biggest hindrance to leading a principle-centered life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you have too much pride, you: <\/p>\n\n\n\n