A call for peace

A call for peace

As we celebrate another Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, let us call for and on peace. Let’s call for peace in our lives, in the lives of others and in the world. To be in peace does not mean to be in silence and in isolation from what is happening around you. In fact, it is about allowing the deepest parts of you to feel at peace despite what is happening around you and in the world. This perhaps may be an invitation to raise your awareness of your response ability. How can we as individuals and communities move more peacefully and meaningfully in the world? What small steps and commitments can we make to ourselves, each other and our communities?

Many of us idealize Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi for that matter for their tenacity and dedication to peace and nonviolence. Perhaps we should do more than idealize them and commit to ourselves and each other to adapt some of their values and life strategies they influenced the world with. Both demonstrated that a single person with strong values can spark movements and inevitably bring larger change for the good of so many.

Celebrating leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. can cause us to view leadership from an impossible lens of responsibility and sacrifice that can be overwhelming. Instead of comparing ourselves to such a leader, we should spend time finding the parts of ourselves that connect us and allow us to bring them to life in our own way. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the troubles and challenges many of us face, let’s look at how we can meaningfully contribute the gifts and talents we have right now. Whether you touch one person or many people, a positive and peaceful impact is what it is. Are you ready and willing to practice more compassion, more love, and more peace?

Peace for me also means to act in non-violent ways. Non-violent ways is simply making choices that don’t hurt yourself and others verbally, emotionally and/or physically. Non violent practices use faith, healing, courage and gratitude over fear, judgment and being right. According to Marshall Rosenberg, the founder and director of educational services for the Center for Nonviolent Communication, “Two things distinguish nonviolent actions from violent actions. First, you don’t see an enemy and second, your intentions are not to make the other side suffer.”

What will it take for each of us to be more peaceful in the world? Could you be more kind to yourself? Could you commit to an act of kindness once a month? Once a week? Everyday? Could you commit to being kind in the absence of a natural disaster and/or tragedy? Could we commit to being happier people? Living happier lives? Decide what commitment you can make for yourself, today. This is how we can honor Martin Luther King Jr. and ourselves at the same time. Let’s remember, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”- Martin Luther King Jr.