Seeking Peace
by
Christina Grant, Ph.D.
Most everyone I know
feels drawn to the idea of peace – inner peace, a peaceful home, a
peaceful country, a peaceful world. But what does it take to have it? As
we all know, peace isn’t an easy goal. Wars and invasions have prevailed
in the world throughout history. This has been a warring planet in an
ongoing way. I believe that in order for this to be the case, the
majority of people who live on the planet have to be at war within
themselves. I don’t think it could be any other way.
We each
have little wars happening within us. What we do about them is important
if we want to be successful peacemakers. And if you believe, like I do,
that our own inner conflicts ultimately create wars in the world then
doing our own inner housekeeping is the most powerful way we can
contribute to planetary peace.
The
noble goal of seeking a more peaceful environment includes fostering
serenity and harmony in our innermost selves. If each of us maintained
our own serenity, we would never consider invading or harming another
person or “tribe.” It wouldn’t even occur to us.
Harboring
hostilities, even the tiny ones we pretend we don’t have, creates an
ideal environment for conflict. Even the annoyances we feel toward
others – their attitudes or opposing beliefs, their mannerisms and
expressions, the things they might say or do, even the way they drive –
have the opposite effect of what most of us really want, which is peace.
So what
would it look like to cultivate an inner sense of peace in a way that
promotes external peace? I think each of us would take responsibility
for our own feelings. We are a society addicted to blaming others for
our own unwanted circumstances. We wouldn’t do this anymore. Instead, we
would work through disturbing thoughts and emotions and refuse to fling
them out into the world the way we sometimes do. Instead of taking
opportunities to express our hostilities toward others, we would express
them constructively (exercise, journaling, singing, dancing, releasing
the sounds of hostility in healing ways). And we might even think about
cultivating compassion and understanding for our own suffering.
“If
we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each
man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”
I really
like this quote by Henry Wordsworth Longfellow. Its insight reveals our
lack of awareness that each person’s pain is not unlike our own pain.
When we can see that the person who just drove past us like a maniac is
actually in some sort of pain (otherwise there wouldn’t be the
aggression) then we can begin to understand, “Ah, that person is
suffering. It is not about me. Perhaps the best thing I can do in this
moment is offer them compassion, for their suffering is not unlike my
own.” What we need most of all is compassion for our ignorance and the
way we inadvertently hurt others.
So maybe
you will join me on a quest for peace, but let’s not just talk about it
or wonder why it hasn’t happened yet. Let’s actually cultivate it within
ourselves. In this way no matter what happens in our world we can know
our own role has been to actively promote peace.
About the Author:
Holistic healer and counselor Dr. Christina
Grant is a guide on the quest for wellness in body, mind, and spirit.
She helps people create balance, harmony, and wisdom in their emotions
and mind, gain clarity in their life’s issues, and feel happy more
often. She writes frequently and has a monthly e-newsletter. Contact her
through
www.christinagrant.com
or call
831-236-1171.
