In every community there is work to be done.
In every nation, there are wounds to heal.
In every heart there is the power to do it.
~Marianne Williamson
It's intriguing for me to watch conflict in our nations, countries, communities and neighborhoods unfold and play out. Whether it's the United States Congress or local PTA squabbles about school spirit shirts....basic common sense and kindness seem to be lacking. I know, conflict is nothing new. A brief review of history would show that the current tide of hate speech, blame games, divisiveness, quarrels and opposition is nothing we haven't experienced before. What is it they say about history repeating? That's right! Something about not learning the lessons of history and therefore being doomed to repeat them!
One of the things I have learned is that in the vast scheme of things, we're not that different. No matter where we come from, our backgrounds, our vast talents and abilities, our life experiences...everything that could potentially make us different, actually brings us together and makes us very much the same. We all long to be loved, to give love, to find happiness and to feel safe and secure.
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that the current focus is on our similarities, but rather our insecurities and fears are allowed to focus on the faults of others or our differences. I have found that the steady streaming of conflict has challenged me to look at who I am and how I am. I admit I have my failings, my bad days, and my moments of fear. However, I have also found that the steady stream of conflict also calls out a resolution inside of me to cultivate goodness, beauty, truth and wisdom.
A couple months ago, in my blog post Peace is Heroic, I said that peace is easy to project when life is naturally peaceful. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to describe the collective time we are living in. During turbulent times, peace becomes heroic. Peace becomes heroic when there's turmoil around you and when there's turmoil within you. It seems that the time to truly be heroic has presented itself to us.
Duality will always exist. There will always be both light & dark, good & bad, accountability & compassion, justice and mercy, hatred & love. I'm not interested in who is at fault. What I am interested in is who will rise above? Who will lead out? Who will reach across? You don't have to intend to hurt someone in order to hurt someone. I can be more conscientious of others when I speak or act. People shouldn't have to earn kindness. I can practice more kindness. True beauty is reflected in the soul. I can be more caring, more considerate. Humanity can be so beautiful, it can represent the good in us, the spiritual in us, the compassion in us. I can cultivate compassion. Our planet is too small for everyone to get their way. I can celebrate and embrace diversity. The world breaks everyone. I can turn my wounds into wisdom. I see so much negativity and cruelty. I can have courage to trust and believe in the goodness of others.
"Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.". JFK
What can you do?
A couple months ago, in my blog post Peace is Heroic, I said that peace is easy to project when life is naturally peaceful. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to describe the collective time we are living in. During turbulent times, peace becomes heroic. Peace becomes heroic when there's turmoil around you and when there's turmoil within you. It seems that the time to truly be heroic has presented itself to us.
Duality will always exist. There will always be both light & dark, good & bad, accountability & compassion, justice and mercy, hatred & love. I'm not interested in who is at fault. What I am interested in is who will rise above? Who will lead out? Who will reach across? You don't have to intend to hurt someone in order to hurt someone. I can be more conscientious of others when I speak or act. People shouldn't have to earn kindness. I can practice more kindness. True beauty is reflected in the soul. I can be more caring, more considerate. Humanity can be so beautiful, it can represent the good in us, the spiritual in us, the compassion in us. I can cultivate compassion. Our planet is too small for everyone to get their way. I can celebrate and embrace diversity. The world breaks everyone. I can turn my wounds into wisdom. I see so much negativity and cruelty. I can have courage to trust and believe in the goodness of others.
"Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.". JFK
What can you do?
