‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God’
-Matthew 5:9
Most of us want to live ‘in peace’. Isn’t it ironic that even military personnel prefer peaceful times? And what is ‘peace’?
Peace is defined as ‘an absence of hostility, a nonviolent way of living’. It includes lack of agitation or disturbance. It can also be described as a relationship between people involving mutual respect, justice and goodwill. Peace leads to calmness, serenity and sometimes even silence.
Ask any single person what they want to do when they retire. They will all answer, in one way or another, ‘be at peace’.
Like love, peace is sought by the masses. It is more desired than gold and more precious than a perfect diamond. It’s curious that sometimes we fight or argue in order to achieve peace.
And why is this so? Because we want to be strong, we want to ‘appear’ strong. In the end, it’s all about appearances, some may think.
Let me tell you, you are the weakest when you want to LOOK strong. By the same token you are strong when you decide TO BE strong. We must learn to yield. When you yield you are not weaker, you are being wiser.
The main reason why we are unable to achieve peace with others is because we are not at peace with ourselves. That alone is reflected when we sometimes feel a little jealous when seeing someone with a peaceful aura entering a room. People gather around the peacemakers like flies. They all want what that person has, even when they themselves don’t know what that is.
Do you want peace? Then start by living in peace.
Lesson learned: There are no enemies; there are people who think different.
-Matthew 5:9
Most of us want to live ‘in peace’. Isn’t it ironic that even military personnel prefer peaceful times? And what is ‘peace’?
Peace is defined as ‘an absence of hostility, a nonviolent way of living’. It includes lack of agitation or disturbance. It can also be described as a relationship between people involving mutual respect, justice and goodwill. Peace leads to calmness, serenity and sometimes even silence.
Ask any single person what they want to do when they retire. They will all answer, in one way or another, ‘be at peace’.
Like love, peace is sought by the masses. It is more desired than gold and more precious than a perfect diamond. It’s curious that sometimes we fight or argue in order to achieve peace.
And why is this so? Because we want to be strong, we want to ‘appear’ strong. In the end, it’s all about appearances, some may think.
Let me tell you, you are the weakest when you want to LOOK strong. By the same token you are strong when you decide TO BE strong. We must learn to yield. When you yield you are not weaker, you are being wiser.
The main reason why we are unable to achieve peace with others is because we are not at peace with ourselves. That alone is reflected when we sometimes feel a little jealous when seeing someone with a peaceful aura entering a room. People gather around the peacemakers like flies. They all want what that person has, even when they themselves don’t know what that is.
Do you want peace? Then start by living in peace.
Lesson learned: There are no enemies; there are people who think different.
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1 comment:
So many brilliant lines in this blog.
Many of us say we want peace, but our lifestyles betray us. We thrive on scandals, controversy, drama, conflict -- that's when our eyes open wide and feel the rush of adrenaline that jolts us out of an otherwise "boring" day.
But to brand a peaceful existance as boring is to not grasp the scope of peace. While peace can definitely include silence and calmness, it doesn't need them.
Whether you're in a dance club, on a jet ski, on a construction site, in a war zone or in a disagreement, you can be fully immersed in your inner peace. The outer circumstances don't matter.
Some pratical steps toward peace:
1. Practice the thought that we are all part of the same whole, different expressions of the same source. The divisive "us" against "them" mentality sets us up for pride, prejudice and other nasties.
2. Dig down to the root causes of negative emotions when you experience them. Do you really hate that person, or do they remind you of an unpleasant aspect of yourself? Are you really better than someone, or simply in a different place in life?
3. Be grateful, often. Obsessing about the negative breeds worry, envy, pessimism, etc., and helps to materialize what you don't want. Actively enjoying and being thankful for your many assets/blessings helps you to live more fully in joy, love and ... peace.
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