Peace now

I have been thinking about writing this post for many months now. I could feel, in my heart, the energy of what I wanted to say but it has taken a while for my head to catch up and provide the words...at least, I hope my head has found the words. We will soon find out!

Like many of you, I have been often thinking of those affected by the Palestine-Israeli conflict; all those people killed, injured, traumatised, made homeless. I have witnessed the deep and genuine anguish it has provoked in those around me. I have seen, too, the heavy despair and sense of doom it has stirred up for some folks. I have observed all that and I have noticed my own reaction to it. Sadness, anger, grief, fear...lots of fear. I have sat with those feelings; felt them full and raw in my guts. I gave those feelings my full attention and let them go. And when I touched a place of peace inside, I thought about what I could do to help all those Palestinian and Israeli people.

I came up with two actions: one simple and easy, the other simple and more challenging. The easy one was to send some money to support relief efforts; food, shelter, medical supplies. So, I did that. Easy, simple, done. The second was to be the peace. Be The Peace. Here's the simple part: when every person in the world feels peace inside, then hey presto! We have world peace. Is it possible? I have met one or two people in my life who live in that state all the time, and many more who manage it a lot of the time. So, yes, possible. Is it easy? I can say from my own efforts, no, not easy, but even my fumbling attempts at it have greatly enriched my life.

It has been a major focus for me this year, being in a state of peace. I have been giving a good bit of time and energy to it because it seems to me the most important thing I can do, for my own wellness, and for the world. What I have discovered is that peace is very definitely not hippy-dippy, la-la-la, denying all the shit and pretending everything is all sunshine and rainbows. On the contrary, I have found it to be the most raw, real, and grounded practice. Here's what it looks like:

Something happens, or I read/see/hear something.

An emotion arises within me.

I feel that feeling- fully- really fully- without any outward action- just feeling- no analysis or commentary- just feeling- and I have compassion for myself feeling this feeling.

I bear witness to myself, to all that is going on in me.

I keep on feeling the feeling as it changes and flows.

The feelings may be intense but I accept them.

I accept my feelings fully and that acceptance is the beginning of peace.

I accept that I am experiencing pain/fear/anger/sadness.

I accept the feeling and witness its flow through my body.

Eventually all the feeling has been felt and I feel peaceful and well.

From this feeling of wellness and peace, I choose how I will now act.

How I act might involve telling someone their behaviour is not acceptable to me but now I will be having that conversation from a place of peace and that changes everything.

No more blindly reacting. No more lashing out. No more projecting my feelings onto someone (or something) else.

Yes, this is very simple but it is also enormously powerful. And yes, it can also be challenging; we don't always want to fully feel those tricky emotions like grief and despair and fear. It is easier to complain and blame. But it is also so rewarding- and not just because this is how we create world peace. It's personally rewarding to. I have never felt so well and so loving to myself.

And let me just take a moment to talk about complaining and blaming. That too has been part of my practice of late: to not complain and blame. I find it hard work at times, and there are plenty of times when I still whinge and bitch, but I continue to practice it and here's why: when I complain or blame, I am taking my anger/pain and pushing it outwards onto someone else. And what does that do? Well, just think of the last time someone whinged at you or blamed you. How did you feel? Not good, right? And if you then projected your own feelings about the complaining/blaming back to that person...well, you can see where that leads. Instead, I try to stay present to the anger/pain I feel until it is all felt. Then, if there is action I need to take, it is coming from a place of peace. I find that most of the time I don't need to take action because very often the anger/pain is more about something unrelated and unresolved which has been stirred up by the present event, and this currently annoying event is providing me with an opportunity to heal those old wounds. So, instead of complaining or blaming, I have a chance to bring healing to myself. The old complain/blame reflex is well ingrained though so it is definitely a work in progress for me. I find the process so interesting though and there is so much power in owning my feelings rather than that heavy, confined feeling that comes with complaining and blaming.

Is this the secret to world peace- this taking responsibility for all our feelings; honouring them, witnessing them with compassion? I think so. I feel so, in the centre of my wise heart. I think I have known it for a long time but it is really only now that I feel I have fully grasped it. No doubt...no doubt...I have much more to learn about peace but I share these words here in case it helps any fellow seeker a little along their path, and I give thanks to those who have illuminated the way.

I would love to hear your thoughts (Comment below or message me here)

May you enjoy the beautiful peace that dwells in the heart of your own being.

Love,

Karen

Some of you might like my Mediation for World Peace