7 Inner Peace Quotes to Protect Your Peace & Embrace Slow Living

Inner peace is probably the greatest wealth a person can possess. Every part of our life ties to it and no amount of money or success can make us truly happy if we don’t feel calm and and at ease within.

Whatever it is that you dream of - be it money, love or starting a business - imagine achieving it but not feeling mentally calm and secure… that’s not it, is it? A big part of our ambitions, dreams and goals is that they’re meant to bring us inner peace, even if we don’t always realise it.  Financial freedom eases the burden of bills, starting a business frees you from the constant pressure of managers, and so on. The deeper reason behind many of our aspirations is to find peace within ourselves.

Unfortunately, this is a two-way street. Many of us don’t feel at peace because we haven’t reached our goals yet. Have you ever thought “I will be happy when…”? When you lose weight, find love, climb higher on the corpo ladder, buy a house? I've been there myself many times over the course of my life.

The good news is that now that you see this connection, you can separate the two and start feeling at peace now, while still working toward your goals. (Because slow living doesn’t mean you’re not meant to have ambitions - it just means spending your precious time on things that truly matter.)

Below, I share some inner peace quotes to inspire you to protect your peace in everyday life and make it part of your slow living habits.

1. "Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without"

This quote is often attributed to Buddha, though there’s no real evidence that he actually said it. Either way, the message is worth remembering. Inner peace starts within. Even with things we can’t control, we always have control over how we feel about them and how much we let them affect us.

2. "Do not let the behaviour of others destroy your inner peace" — Dalai Lama

Life happens - the good, the bad and the ugly. Slow living doesn’t mean daily annoyances disappear -  it just means they don’t get to you anymore. Traffic, rude colleagues, an unfair boss - none of these things should have the power to ruin your day.

How people treat you is a reflection of them, not you. It usually reveals their own insecurities or struggles. Someone gossiping about you at work might just be looking for validation in the only (and very bad) way they know.

3. "Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune." — William James

Acceptance is one of the best things you can teach yourself in adult life. Some things are simply out of our control and no matter how unfair or frustrating they feel, accepting them is often the best thing we can do.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t fight for what’s worth fighting for - it just means knowing when your time and energy are better spent elsewhere. Choosing inner peace is not giving up.

4. "Serenity is not the absence of conflict but the ability to cope with it."

Nobody lives in a perfect bubble. By now, I think we all know that social media shows only the highlights. Everyone has worries and stress, but some people have learned to deal with them in a way that keeps them calm.

How? Focus on what you can change, and let go of what you can’t.

5. "The more you try to control something, the more it controls you."

This one hits home! Sometimes we try so hard to make things perfect - whether it’s a project, a relationship or a goal - that we lose sight of the bigger picture. The need for control can end up controlling you, draining the joy out of what was once exciting.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is let things be. Let them unfold naturally. Don’t let the need for perfection steal your peace.

6. "Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be."

Spending too much energy on how things should be is exhausting. It keeps you stuck in a cycle of frustration and feeling like a victim. Instead, retraining your mind to accept life as it is opens the door to real peace and growth.

7. "If protecting your peace is selfish, so be it."

Sometimes, people will call you selfish for setting boundaries - especially if they were used to having unlimited access to you. But protecting your peace isn’t selfish; it’s necessary.

Say no when you need to. Don’t go to events that feel like a chore. Don’t engage with people who bring nothing good into your life. Protecting your energy is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

A Few Closing Words

There’s no price that can be put on inner peace and thankfully, it’s a kind of wealth that’s available to all of us. The old saying accept what you can’t change and change what you can has stuck around for centuries because it’s true.

Slow living isn’t about doing nothing—it’s about mindfully choosing where your time and energy go. Engaging with situations or people that drain your inner peace feels like such a waste when you could be using that energy for what really matters: family, spending more time outdoors, hobbies.

None of these things will bring real joy if you don’t feel at peace inside. So next time something or someone tries to disturb you, just remember - you are in control of your own peace.

Thank you for reading,
Adriana x