What’s all this talk about world peace?
I mean, of course I believe that everyone learning to co-exist could only bring amazing things to this world…but WORLD peace? Really? Do we understand how large of a task that is? Do we really understand how many closed-minded opinions we would have to alter in order to get everyone thinking the same peaceful thoughts?
I am not trying to be pessimistic or remotely suggest that creating peace across the world is not possible. I am a firm believer that anything is quite possible, if done with intention and persistence. Just think, we could probably eliminate hunger and homelessness too, since we would then have a world filled with human beings helping other human beings. Sure, we may not be able to eliminate people dying of horrible diseases around the world, but if we could guarantee that all human beings were operating from a heartfelt place, wanting to love and feel loved, think of all the other unbelievable changes that could also occur.
What keeps us from world peace is that most of the anger, fighting and killing comes from a place of feeling right. A feeling that the way we think is the way it really is. As if our thoughts and beliefs are factual. It’s not that I don’t understand how it feels to want to stand strongly in your beliefs. I do. I come from a long line of debaters, a family of confident people that are willing to go to bat for themselves. But even with that upbringing, I was able to comprehend that it was my opinion. Did I talk relentlessly at times, too loudly, too persistently, coming across as though there were only one side to the story…yes! But in the end, what good can come of that? You can’t actually convince someone to think like you do. You can’t force someone to do things like you do. Well, you can actually, but that isn’t what you want. What you really want is for others to not only see your side, but also value it and then take it on as theirs as well. Yet that doesn’t usually happen.
Instead, you should only hope to offer a new perspective to those that see it differently. But you can only offer. It is still their choice to do with it what they will.
Even with that knowledge, though, if we all stayed within the boundaries of the laws, making decisions based on what was for the better good of society and the human race, then couldn’t we eliminate much of what now shows up as hate and create a peaceful world?
Maybe, but only if we could work on the true problem at hand. The problem is not that the world is too large…in my opinion. The problem is that the very same people that are fighting for world peace do not have peace within themselves. Peace will not come by changing others. Peace will not come from blaming others. Peace will not come by getting revenge on those that have not done it our way. Peace has to come from within ourselves. In order to be peaceful from our core, we will need to learn to be with the silence at times, as well as the noise; we will need to learn to be still. We will need to accept that our feelings are just that: ours. They don’t make you feel any particular way. Actually, you feel how you feel, because that is how you feel! So stop the blame game. Give up on your desire to change others, and focus on the act of sharing. Be mindful with everyone you interact with that we all want the same thing: to love and be loved. And that even though you are certain that you know…you don’t always know.
We have a long way to go before we can even touch the surface on a world that is peaceful always, and until we can each find peace within ourselves, no matter what our past has given us…world peace will remain out of our reach.
Do what you have to in order to find peace. It will change your life, which in turn, will change all the lives of others around you.
