If we scream that we want peace, and we are looking for a fight in the process, then we don’t really want peace.
We want to fight. We want to struggle. We want to be right.
It’s challenging to be peaceful when it seems like the world has gone mad, violence has become random, and the world has become chaotic.
But I am pretty sure that humans have always felt this way from time to time.
The thing is, we are supposed to be more enlightened today than we were in the past.
We are supposed to have evolved to a place where we can peacefully say what we need and want, not merely rail more viciously against what we don’t want.
So before you really rip someone a new you-know-what, take a sec and notice whether or not you feel peaceful while you are doing them this little favor.
And if you don’t, try to calm yourself down.
Maybe you need a good cry.
Maybe you need to pound some pillows on the bed…until you can cry.
Maybe you need some quiet time or perhaps you wish to be with others who are also processing their emotions in healthy ways.
It’s your job to tune in to what you need and take care of your needs. The world cannot be peaceful until every one of us learns how to do this.
What we see and hear lately is too much hate, too much ego, and too much righteousness.
Certainly this does not describe everyone’s behavior, but I think we can all agree that there seems to be too much of this in the world right now.
So, check your temper, curb your ego, and get in touch with what you tend to get righteous about.
None of us are perfect. I am calm writing this right now, but all of this advice also applies to me, especially in times when I don’t feel this centered.
No one is asking you to be perfect. I doubt I will become perfect any time soon.
But we are being asked to get in touch with what we think we cannot tolerate and learn how to calmly bear it, so we can all step forward into a better world, together.
There are a lot of things I don’t like, but I like to believe that there isn’t anything I can’t handle.
That doesn’t mean I am asking for bad things to happen. It means I am accepting what is and I’m ready to move forward from here.
Let’s remind each other of this, as we calmly discuss the issues with respect for each other.
Self-respect begets respect and respect creates a ripple-effect of wider respect.
Slow down. Get a grip. Take care of you.
We can soothe this violent streak, but only if we work together.
Only if we nurture peace within first.