Seeking Peace

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By Susan deCaussin

“Peace begins with a smile. Smile five times a day at someone you really don’t want to smile at; do it for peace” – Mother Teresa

These days, thanks to communication technology and the many forms of social media, we are continuously bombarded with a landslide of information and images from around the world, every minute of every day. And, since sensationalism grabs our attention, commercial broadcasting and news agencies have a vested interest in amping things up to increase their market share. While this may attract more attention, it’s also overwhelming us with conditions that are ultimately outside of our reach, leaving us feeling helpless. It can sometimes feel like a rock rolling downhill, continuously gaining momentum when you look at the conflict in our world today.

First of all, simply knowing about a situation isn’t affecting any change with IT. However, it’s affecting a change on YOU! And not a good one! Since the beginning of time, there has always been some level of turbulence and unrest on this planet. I once heard Dr. Wayne Dyer say that the human mind is only capable of a village worth of bad news. He spoke about how, before worldwide communication was even possible, we were only aware of those things that happened in our own communities. But these days, we are all inundated with news from around the globe, all day, every day. This exposure, when not tempered, can bring about feelings of hopelessness and depression. We can feel like our lives are totally out of control. So, when determining how much information you choose to take in each day, you really have to ask yourself…is feeling bad about any situation going to contribute to making it better?

Knowing that we are empathetic beings, naturally drawn to help and heal, the thought of distancing oneself from the issues in the world can feel irresponsible and selfish. But there are better ways to contribute towards a solution without placing yourself in a danger of becoming overwhelmed and overloaded.

Have you heard the phrase, “Peace begins with me”? Just for a moment, instead of looking at the outside world, I want you to look deep inside of yourself. Every person has someone in their life, present or past, who they hold negative feelings toward. Someone who either said or did something that hurt, upset, or angered them. Perhaps it’s someone who you’ve decided to physically distance yourself from, or maybe it’s someone you still interact with within your life.

While it’s much easier to scrutinize the actions of people in power, such as politicians, for the choices they’ve made and the positions they’ve taken, it can be tough to shine that light inward. Disharmony and discord – anger and unforgiveness – are the same at all levels, whether between people, countries, or different religious groups. This reminds me of when Jesus said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” Why would we even consider condemning them without holding ourselves to the same level of forgiveness and understanding when it comes to the people in our lives?

If you can’t find forgiveness in your heart and reach peaceful resolutions to the disputes in your life, how can you hold those expectations of others? Long-held disputes between countries and religious groups are no different from those personal disputes you won’t let go of and work to resolve and release. You see, peace does begin with you. When you feel helpless in creating change in the world, realize that energy is cumulative, and every action is a move in one direction or the other – toward further conflict or peaceful resolutions. Namaste’

Susan deCaussin CHt

Healing Methods LLC

248-759-6486

Clinical Hypnotherapist, Reiki Master/Teacher, 

Siwa Murti (Balinese Healing) Practitioner/Teacher, 

Spiritual Advisor

www.HealingMethods.org

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