Be the change you want to see in the world. I LOVE this so much... Last week, I was invited to deliver a sermon at a local church about creating global peace. I decided to talk about where peace originates and what each one of us can do to create more of it here on earth. I began the sermon by asking the audience to close their eyes and listen. Then, I read the following… I’m so fat. I hate how I look. I just don’t have any discipline. And I’m lazy. I procrastinate about everything. I’m too old – no one will want me. I never do anything right. My kids can’t stand me. I’m a horrible dad. My boss is ungrateful. All he wants is more, more, more. My husband is clueless. He never listens to me. That school board member is a jerk. My son’s teacher is so full of herself. Our political system is corrupt. There’s nothing I can do to change things. The whole world is going to hell in a handbasket. When I finished, I waited several seconds before asking the audience if any of these statements sounded familiar. Heads bobbed up and down. How often have you heard yourself uttering similar words? How many times a day do you beat yourself up with thoughts like this? I used to be masterful at this kind of inner war. So much of my time and energy was spent worrying, being hard on myself, and complaining about the world. Hell, I’d even have arguments in my head with people I didn’t even know! But today things are different. Here’s what I’ve learned about contributing to a better world: World peace begins with inner peace. When our thoughts reflect self-hatred, we can’t help but bring this pain to others because our thoughts become feelings, our feelings fuel our actions, and our actions either hurt or heal. Here are a few things I’ve done to change the nature of my thinking and therefore the nature of my contribution to the planet. First, when I find myself in a particularly negative place (a hazard of being human), I love to listen to the song, “Gentle with Myself” by Karen Drucker. I think of it as giving my brain a software update – one that will dramatically improve the quality of my thoughts and the functioning of my mind. Second, I change my focus to something outside of myself that’s positive and helpful to the world. I find something wonderful to acknowledge in at least one person a day. I might comment on a salesclerk’s helpfulness, a friend’s kindness, or a colleague’s important work. There are so many good people in the world doing positive things that make a difference. Finally, I refuse to participate in negativity. There’s no greater way to see the outward evidence of our inner war than during an election. Sarcasm, debate as sport, and mean-spirited, uninformed commentaries are all examples of a communication war that deflects us from the real and deeply important issues. I don’t watch commercials, I turn off the news, and I make sure I’m well-informed by getting info from nonpartisan websites. I’m also respectful of those who share a different point of view. You can’t have a war when one side doesn’t show up. If you want to create peace in the world, start by creating peace in your own mind. When you do, this inner calm will affect your community, your country, and ultimately the planet.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 08:46:22 +0000
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