Peace is an inner choice

Quote :

dailyom.com

Peace

April 2, 2014 An Inner Choice - Peace by Madisyn Taylor

Peace starts within us- we cannot bring to the world what we do not have to offer.

Often we look at the outside world and find it in a state of seeming chaos or disorder. We feel compelled to transform the situation from one of turmoil into one of peace, yet we are often disappointed in our best attempts to do so. One reason for this is that we cannot bring to the world what we do not have to offer. Peace starts in our own minds and hearts, not outside of ourselves, and until its roots are firmly entrenched in our own selves, we cannot manifest it externally Once we have found it within, we can share it with our family, our community, and the whole wide world. Some of us may already be doing just that, but for most of us, the first step is looking within and honestly evaluating the state of our own relationship to peacefulness.

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When we find that we are able to locate ourselves more and more in the deeper waters and less on the tumultuous surface of our being, we have discovered a lasting relationship with peace that will enable us to inspire peace beyond ourselves. Until then, we help the world most by practicing the art of choosing peace within.

http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2014/42848.html

Peace, Ann.

You control your own destiny.

Mostly, but even when we don't, we can control our response to it.

I do not control my destiny.  I don't even control my response.  I am a composite of feelings, ideas, emotions, reactions, habits, thoughts, etc. that guide my choices.  The "guides" don't always lead in a direction that provides a positive outcome. 

I associate in a world that is full of impediments.  Those impediments get in the way regardless of my will to move forward.  It is painful to smash into brick walls, - continuously.  I can tell myself that a smashed head doesn't hurt - but it does.

I have a nature.  I am always striving to improve and falling short.  That nature comes from my past upbringing and the patterns of thinking that it put in place.  Some of these ingrained patterns require more work to break than is possible.

Possibility thinking is a trademark of the church I attend.  Some people in my church walk around talking "Pollyanna" so much I sometimes think I need another church.  However, some of it does rub off and better positive outlooks than dire ones.

A preponderance of positive energy does have its impact - but so does negatives.  Sometimes swimming in a hateful sea makes reaching for the positive shore a challenge beyond capacity at that moment.

DK wrote:

A preponderance of positive energy does have its impact - but so does negatives. Sometimes swimming in a hateful sea makes reaching for the positive shore a challenge beyond capacity at that moment

Yes, some circumstances are like that. There are negatives out there, and we cannot avoid them. That's one of the reasons I take time out every day to meditate. I think that is what inner peace is about. It helps me to keep a positive outlook, even when I'm in the middle of that "hateful sea."

What works for one, though, doesn't necessarily work for all, and there are days when the negative emotions need to be addressed and worked through. I always feel better after a rant or a cry. It gets then out of my system. Over time, I have learned to have them while I am alone as often as possible.

dkchristi wrote:

I do not control my destiny.  I don't even control my response.  I am a composite of feelings, ideas, emotions, reactions, habits, thoughts, etc. that guide my choices.  The "guides" don't always lead in a direction that provides a positive outcome. 

I associate in a world that is full of impediments.  Those impediments get in the way regardless of my will to move forward.  It is painful to smash into brick walls, - continuously.  I can tell myself that a smashed head doesn't hurt - but it does.

I have a nature.  I am always striving to improve and falling short.  That nature comes from my past upbringing and the patterns of thinking that it put in place.  Some of these ingrained patterns require more work to break than is possible.

Possibility thinking is a trademark of the church I attend.  Some people in my church walk around talking "Pollyanna" so much I sometimes think I need another church.  However, some of it does rub off and better positive outlooks than dire ones.

A preponderance of positive energy does have its impact - but so does negatives.  Sometimes swimming in a hateful sea makes reaching for the positive shore a challenge beyond capacity at that moment.

Good post DK,

Those who feel peace have never stopped man from making war, murder, famine, sickness, homelessness , hunger. If we controlled our destiny, bad things would never happen to us. We could win the lotto, become great movie stars, not need medical help, become what we want, when we want, an overcome death.
If we could control our destiny, I’m sure it would impose on the destiny of others.
If people are at peace with all the hurt in the world, they are callus to the hurt and situation of others.

What Ms. Taylor was saying, I believe, is that wars and hatred begin within individuals.  There is not much we can do to control others.  We can't even always control ourselves, but we can begin there.  As long as we harbor fear, resentment, and hate within ourselves, we will project those feelings onto others.  And then we judge them, based on the feelings we are trying to deny in ourselves.  

When we feel peace within, there is no need to project; no need to judge.

Theologian Paul Tillich wrote that in order to truly love God, and to love Creation, we first have to learn to love ourselves.  It isn't an easy task, but it is the only thing we have a degree of control over.  We cannot ever really control others, no matter how hard we try.

“The courage to be is the courage to accept oneself, in spite of being unacceptable.”
― Paul Tillich; The Courage to Be

alj wrote:

What Ms. Taylor was saying, I believe, is that wars and hatred begin within individuals.  There is not much we can do to control others.  We can't even always control orselves, but we can begin there.  As long as we harbor fear, resentment, and hate within ourselves, we will project those feelings onto others.  And then we judge them, based on the feelings we are trying to deny in ourselves.  

When we feel peace within, there is no need to project; no need to judge.

Paul Tillich wrote that in order to truly love God, and to love Creation, we first have to learn to love ourselves.  It isn't an easy task, but it is the only thing we have a degree of control over.  We cannot ever really control others, no matter how hard we try.

The truth is: We can control others. Religions, governments, companies, and many other people do control others. Husbands control their wives, women control men...people are controlling people all the time.
Who is Paul Tillich who claims to understand God better than what God says about himself? Where does he get his insight into what God says about love? Does he get it from a Bible you do not believe in? If Paul Tillich get his reasoning about love from the Bible, why would you who does not believe in the Bible listen to what he says about loving God?
Please do not take this as an attack...it is not. I am just trying to understand how you reason?

I can strive for inner peace through meditation, walks on the beach (every morning) and seeking beauty instead of ugliness in the world.  It is, however, striving.  I think that is what it is about - reaching for a higher good in spite of the pitfalls along the way.

When we lived on the sailboat it was a constant danger and struggle.  Yet, there were unequaled days when we were on a broad reach, the sails set perfectly, the sky blue with puffs of clouds - the whole world felt magnificent.

dkchristi wrote:

I can strive for inner peace through meditation, walks on the beach (every morning) and seeking beauty instead of ugliness in the world.  It is, however, striving.  I think that is what it is about - reaching for a higher good in spite of the pitfalls along the way.

When we lived on the sailboat it was a constant danger and struggle.  Yet, there were unequaled days when we were on a broad reach, the sails set perfectly, the sky blue with puffs of clouds - the whole world felt magnificent.

Yes, That's it.

Life is not always a broad reach, but we can focus on those days during the spells of doldrums or heavy seas.

I would embed this video if I knew how.  Here is the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm2hYRQEOHM

Love,
Betty

Wow! Neil Diamond and Richard Bach - what a collaboration!

Annie

Nice video in the middle of the afternoon.  Thanks.

twm wrote:

You control your own destiny.

Toro KaKa!  
Destiny by definition cannot be controlled (A predetermined course of events
considered as something beyond human power or control)
We can’t control destiny any more than we can control the weather.  We can impact it maybe.  
We can steer it in a direction we choose, but we can’t control many aspects of it.
It’s much like driving a car, we can control the speed and the direction,
but we have no control over a blown tire or getting T-boned by a drunk driver.  We
are able to control how we accept destiny, but there are many things we have no
control over.  CANCER!  MENTAL ILLNESS!  Again, we can only control how we
accept destiny.

I've been shot (twice) ,bayoneted, had most of my ribs broken and a collapsed lung from a grenade.  Two years ago I died in intensive care and had to be revived.  Trust me, I had no control over any of that.  However ever since the first time I was shot, I've gotten up every morning and said thanks to the God I pray to for another day on top of the dirt and tried my damnedest to live that day to the fullest.

IF I COULD HAVE CONTROLLED MY DESTINY, I WOULD HAVE BEEN BORN RICH AND NOT JUST GOOD LOOKING!

FOR ME = I’VE NEVER HAD A BAD DAY IN MY LIFE,                
             SOME JUST TURN OUT BETTER THAN OTHERS!

IMHO...soapbox back in the closet.

God Bless

Love it! 

Thanks Ann, I couldn't resist. Glad it brought a smile. Stay sweet.

Good post, Don.  I needed that smile.  Don't closet your soap, it may be a joy box.