1. To grow the fruit of love, you must sow the seed of discipline.

2. To grow the fruit of joy, you must sow the seed of gratitude.

3. To grow in the fruit of peace, you must sow the seed of faith.

• Don't let your heart be troubled...you've been given the gift of peace.

• Have faith beyond your unmet expectations...search for peace.

• Put more faith in what God says than what man says.

• Be a peace-maker.

Contributors to Peace of Mind

Duke University did a study on “peace of mind.” Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability are:

1. The absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness.
2. Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.
3. Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.
4. Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.
5. Refuse to indulge in self-pitywhen life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.
6. Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues—love, humor, compassion and loyalty.
7. Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.
8. Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest on any test for measuring happiness.