One of my first “real” jobs was at a non-profit called the Institute for Peace & International Security. It just so happened that my time there overlapped with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Since the organization was founded to end nuclear proliferation, that was considered a pivotal event!
I was the assistant to the assistant (if you can imagine that!) doing lots of data entry and other tedious office tasks. One morning my boss came to work ranting about the idiocy of Boston drivers, and people in general. She was fuming mad, and I could palpably feel her fury. While experiencing her in that state, I had a curious thought - that on a professional level she was working to end war and violence, but on a personal level was filled with rage.
Obviously, she is not alone. We all feel like that from time to time. Even when we want global peace!
And as one lone person trying to solve the world’s problems, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
But there is something powerful you can do.
Foster peace within yourself and offer it to every single person you meet.
In other words, embody peace in your everyday life. See it as conducting that same peace you want globally, but with every interaction you have throughout the day.
It’s like that slogan, think globally, act locally. We’re just applying it to peace.
So how to start?
Why not begin with an intention?
An intention to be peaceful today. That regardless of what comes at you, you will remember that peace is your inherent nature, that peace resides within you, and is accessible to you at all times.
Peace can be your tether, your anchor.
It can be what you return to again and again even when you feel aggravated by a driver, your partner, a news headline, colleague or fellow grocery shopper.
I choose peace today.
Peace abides with me today.
Regardless of what my mind says, I know that peace is my divine right.
At the close of my friend’s church services, they always played a beautiful song. “Let there be peace on earth.” I found myself singing it earlier and thought I’d share it with you. Here’s a YouTube clip of the song.
By embodying peace, you are energetically spreading it across the world. If all of us did this, imagine what a difference it would make! A network of peace workers spanning the globe.
Thank you for being willing to stand for peace and embodying peace. I’m right here with you.