Living in a fast-paced world, often in a tizzy over one thing or another, conspires against inner peace. The intense pace and stress of our daily lives can put our peace, joy, urbanity and health at risk. Choose to be at peace. It's a state of inner calmness, tranquility and serenity, which brings forth happiness, tolerance and self-control. Here are my best tips to live peacefully.

Develop a loving relationship, a warm friendship with yourself. Be your own best friend. Out of that friendship all your other relationships form. Stop being so critical and unforgiving of yourself. One of the best ways to show yourself kindness is to take good care of yourself. Get enough sleep, eat fruits and vegetables, get some form of daily exercise and cultivate gratitude for life.

You can spend thousands of dollars changing your physical features, but that will do little good until you cultivate a positive relationship with yourself. Gratitude can really influence your attitude. Take a minute to think of everything for which you are really thankful or grateful. If you are mindful of the positives in your life, you'll create more postive thoughts and energy.

The thing that people wrestle with most in their own lives is low self-esteem. When you embrace high self-esteem, and keep your word with yourself and others, happiness and success will come your way. "Your word is your honor," says Joyce Meyer. "If you say you're going to do something, then you need to do it." Making your word count adds to your integrity and confidence.

Living a stress-free life is not a reasonable goal. The real goal is to learn to deal with stress effectively. Although that’s easier for some people than others, studies suggest that anyone can learn to cope better. Here are some of my best pragmatic tips to assuage all kinds of stress, and you'll see that they are all cost-free, easy-to-do and will bolster your joy and self-confidence.

Don’t give up. Falling off your healthy eating program once or twice does not mean the effort is hopeless. Simply acknowledge that you didn’t eat wisely and get back on the program. Important tip: It's difficult to eat healthfully if you're surrounded by junk foods. If other family members want these foods around, try keeping them hidden rather than on countertops in plain sight.

Make sure to start the day with a healthy breakfast. Embracing each day with a strong, positive start makes it easier to make healthier choices throughout the day and also stokes your metabolism. As the name suggests, breakfast breaks the overnight fasting period. It replenishes your supply of glucose to boost your energy levels and alertness while providing other nutrients.

Start strong. Pick a day to begin your new health program and make the start date a special date. If you’re near the end of the month, wait until the beginning of the next month or the beginning of the next week.

The determinant of what we eat should be our body’s needs, not merely the appeal of the senses. Meditating/praying briefly before a meal is a powerful tool to foster choosing foods that promote health and vitality.

Stop eating just before you feel really full. In this way you reprogram your subconscious and take control rather than letting your habits control you. Stopping short of satiety helps you to be in charge of your choices.