The Five Elements of Lasting Inner Peace

Flickr-inner peace-h0lydevilJames C. Wilhelm, Contributor
Waking Times

Nearly 40 years ago George Harrison wrote a song titled, It’s What You Value. In the second verse George says,It’s all up to what you value, Down to where you are.”

Some of us value what we can see and hear and we often say, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Others value something beyond what they can see with their eyes and hear with their ears and they can be heard saying “I’ll see it when I believe it.” It’s not about who’s right; it’s about our personal preference and choice – it’s about what we value.

It is possible for us to experience whatever it is that we value be it lasting inner peace or anything else we may choose for ourselves. The realization of this truth inspired me to look for a practical way to realize lasting peace. I did not like the idea of living in a cave and meditating for years so it had to be a way that was simple to understand and to incorporate into my daily lifestyle.

This quest led to five years in Asia and two in Europe and exposed me to some very wise, powerful, and peaceful people – some of whom got that way by living ascetic lifestyles for many years. I absorbed the teachings and began experimenting with ways to translate what I had learned into a simple practice, one that would work for me and anyone else who chose it.

I experimented by noticing when I had an experience of something meaningful. I then looked back in time to examine my thoughts and actions preceding the experience. Through this process of reverse engineering I began to see a pattern. I identified three sequential steps that I had unconsciously followed prior to the manifestation of any particular experience. The pattern of these three steps was common to each of the experiences: 1. I made a choice; 2. I focused thought energy on it; 3. I released this energy to my higher self – the universal mind.


  • After realizing this I began consciously implementing the pattern to see if I could repeat the results. Indeed, the three step process consistently manifested even my wildest choices. This inspired me to write about this pattern in June of 1977. I gave the document to about half a dozen people who agreed to employ the pattern and report the results to me. Each of them consistently manifested her or his conscious choices. I knew that this was not a coincidence or anomaly; if it worked for this group, it was likely to work for anyone.

    I worked with this sequence of creative energies for the next twenty years, transforming the lives of my wife and children as well as my own. During this time I continued sharing this practice with people throughout the United States and in many countries around the world.

    I realized in 1997 that I had been unaware of two other elements involved in the process. I added these and began facilitating their application with hundreds of people who chose to practice them.

    This pattern of five elements assists us in harnessing universal creative energy to bring us to a place of knowing and understanding who we originally and truly are. We are more than we can see with our eyes, hear with our ears, or touch with our fingers. These Five Universal Creative Drivers help us to see the totality of our being and to experience that totality as the love and peace that we are.

    The nature of universal energy is mind stuff – it is thought. We are part of this universal field of energy and our thinking affects it all the time, whether or not we are aware of it. With this awareness we can consciously choose to focus our thought energy, which then interacts with the infinite energy around us to manifest what we have consciously chosen. This is like the energy of a pebble interacting with the body of water into which it is dropped. The energy of the pebble affects the motion of the water’s energy, resulting in waves that ripple outward from the pebble and through the water.

    Here’s an introduction to the implementation of The Five Universal Creative Drivers:

    First, look around you and see how great your life is. If you are breathing right now, life is great. Each precious moment is a perfect moment that has never before been experienced anywhere in the universe and never will be experienced again. Appreciate your life, right now and say: I appreciate all that I have, all that I am and all that I think I do not have and think I am not. Appreciation removes resistance, generating a state of internal calm that clears the space for manifestation and transformation.

    The second energy that drives creation is choice. Nothing happens in the absence of a choice. You are free to choose anything you can imagine without limit. Everything we do and achieve everyday is ultimately aimed at a few moments of peace in the evening or the peace of retirement. We can experience inner peace now if we choose it. After you make a choice, say: I choose…whatever it is…say it.

    Then, focus your thought energy on your choice. Focused energy is creative energy. Focus your thoughts and visualize the outcome of your choice for a moment or two after you announce the choice to yourself. During the day, when thoughts come in your mind that are out of alignment with the manifestation of your choice, notice that they are out of line and shift your thinking back to your choice.

    The fourth driving energy of the creative process is surrender; let it go. This means release control of the outcome, its timing, and delivery method. Release it to Higher Self. Once you have surrendered control of your choice you will begin to have thoughts about actions you can take to move you in the direction of your choice. You can expect to know one step at a time; take that action. Acting upon those inspirational thoughts will lead to the next and then the next until your are experiencing your choice here and now.

    You can practice these four creative drivers at any time, in just a few minutes. Go through these in sequence whenever you think about it. It is very powerful to reserve a few additional minutes at a particular time of day when you can completely relax and open yourself to the power that you are.

    The fifth creative element is perseverance. Never give up, never quit. You may have thoughts that tell you, “this will never happen; I may as well quit.” Observe those thoughts and then shift your thinking to align with your chosen outcome; visualize in your mind’s eye how you feel and how life looks when your choice is manifest in your living reality.

    You cannot know how close you may be to the realization of your choice. If you realize that you genuinely do not desire that choice, then change it. If you are sincere with yourself about living that choice, then persevere, no matter what. That phone call you’ve been waiting for may be only hours away. If you quit, you will never know.

    Your choices and actions are driven by your values. Think about what is most meaningful to you then make choices that support and are in alignment with your values. Unseen energies will begin to flow to you to assist you in the realization of your goals.

    About the Author

    Jim Wilhelm is an international spiritual teacher, self-development mentor, author, lecturer, philosopher, Emmy award-winning television producer, and successful entrepreneur. He has shared his experiences of practical mysticism around the world for more than 40 years.

    After many years of practice and research Jim discovered a practical aspect of mystical consciousness. When he applied this revelation to his life Jim realized that he could alter his experience of what we call physical reality.

    Jim has translated his spiritual understanding into practical knowledge that you can apply in your life. He has recently published his second book: I Am God and So Are You – Discovering the Power of Your True Self. Knowing our true and original nature connects us with the inner peace and love that we all are. Our connection with this peace opens the door to the possibility of unlimited manifestation.

    Jim works with individuals and organizations and facilitates workshops and seminars to help people discover the peace that lives within us all and to apply their innate power to manifest what they previously considered impossible.

    This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It’s okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.

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