The UN International Day of Peace on 21 September each year is not only about encouraging peace between nations and governments but is about you and me and
non-violence in our homes, communities and schools. So we thought it was
the perfect day to talk about making peace with ourselves, because if
we can’t do that then there will never be peace in the world, and if we
can do it then there is at least one less person suffering.
Imerging from three years in the Auschwitz concentration camp,
psychiatrist Vickor Frankl said that after his imprisonment and the
destruction of his family, he had been left with only the last of the human freedoms, to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. That is the choice that each one of us has. When we can accept and make
peace with ourselves, so society also transforms—every change that each
of us makes creates a chain reaction that benefits all. Then, instead
of focusing on the problems, we start to live the solutions.
We have found that, to help us be truly at peace, meditation is
probably the most effective method. It changes us from the inside out.
From being self-centered, we become other-centered, concerned about the
welfare of all equally, rather than being focused on just ourselves and
our problems. We become more acutely aware of how we treat each other
and seek to become a positive presence rather than a negative one. By
getting to know ourselves and connecting more deeply with our authentic
self we have the resources, strength, and wisdom to not only make
changes but to become the change we so long for. Then, as we find our
own peace, we can actively help others to also be at peace.

“Einstein said that we cannot solve the
problems of the world from the level of thinking that we were at when we
created them,” says inspirational speaker Marianne Williamson in Be The Change. “A different level of thinking means a different level of thinking. It
does not mean a different emphasis in our thinking. It does not mean a
more loving kind of thinking. It means what he said, a different level
of thinking, and to me that is what meditation brings.

“Meditation changes us, that is the
point,” Marianne continues. “The state of the world is the effect; the
state of consciousness of human beings is the cause. Mahatma Gandhi said
the problem with the world is that humanity is not in its right mind
and that is what meditation addresses. It returns us to our right mind,
and until there is this evolution in consciousness, we will stay locked
in a fear-based perspective in which we continue to see ourselves as
separate from each other.”
There are many situations in which we have no control over what
happens, no ability to affect the outcome, but no matter what occurs it
is possible to stay balanced. Such equanimity gives us strength and a
sense of being unshakable in a world that is constantly making demands
and creating challenges. We never know what is going to take place or
when—nothing is predictable, permanent, secure, controllable, or
dependable. Everything is subject to change in every moment. When we are
at peace within ourselves we can embrace such change with greater
sanity and dignity.
Related:
What Does Peace Mean to You?
10 Best Peace Songs
Where Did the Peace Sign Come From
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Can Art Bring Peace?