It is Sunday Night and I am writing and posting my blog for tomorrow due to a busy morning. Monday is International Peace Day. This day is a reminder of what is possible. Isn’t it time we humans figure out how to bring peace to our planet. We have been warring for too long and all it had done is put many men and women prematurely into their graves. These wars have always been about power, greed and fanatical ideas all driven by the human ego. Let’s alter the course of this sad history once and for all. It is time for world peace and it can begin within you. Here are three steps to peace you can start today.
1. Peace begins when you can find your own way to having peace in your thoughts and your heart. Your mind greatly influences your experience of the world. If your mind is compassionate, supportive and encouraging of yourself then inner peace is possible. If your heart is open and loving than you can feel at peace. Both mind and heart are yours to program.
Where do you battle inside? Do you make unkind and harsh comments to yourself? Are you not ok with the person you are? If there is any self-struggle it is time to leave that behind. Try something very simple but radical to the thoughts most of us were raised with: try accepting yourself fully and completely as you are. End the judgmental mind and quiet the self-critic. You are an amazing human being in the process of self-discovery.
2. The next peaceful action you can take is to bring peace to all your relationships. This is totally possible if you do two things well. First, you listen and be caring to all those you interact with. This means listening with patience and empathy. Listening in this way is always a peaceful act. Second, you pay attention to your own feelings and thoughts and express them is healthy ways. This means you learn to say what matters to you in ways others can hear them. Unexpressed emotions become resentments and that pushes peace away. When you bring peaceful interactions into your circle of influence the world begins to transform towards peace.
3. After you get the inner peace going and the peaceful interactions happening, the next thing you can do is to get involved in action that is meant to make the world a better place. Peaceful action can come in many forms: becoming a mediator, advocate for the less fortunate, caring for those who need help, support food banks, work for greater human understanding, help develop tolerance for different beliefs, spread consciousness, explore with others the connections and commonalities we all share, teach children about being peaceful, and so many other worthwhile and purposeful activities.
You can make a difference starting today. Imagine one year from now when together you and I and many more have taken these three steps. The momentum for peace will be unstoppable.
War is an invention of the human mind. The human mind can invent peace with justice.
Norman Cousins
While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.
St. Francis of Assisi
If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.
Thich Nhat Hanh
PS. Please checkout the peace shirts my wife and I designed at Peace Together and take a stand for peace.