The Power of Peace

In the fast-paced world in which we live, we all know how easy it is to get wrapped up in the “rat race.” Goal setting, achievements, leaving a legacy- these are the topics of most personal development books out there today. Now, I’m not saying we shouldn’t have direction and purpose in life. That’s mostly what I write about. What I’m suggesting isn’t that we overhaul our external life’s goals- it’s that we should all acknowledge and pay some attention to our internal life’s goal… cultivating peace.

Let’s pause for a second and really think about this. While a few may disagree, I’d wager if we were to ask what people want most in life, it would boil down to happiness. And happiness is simply a manifestation of peace. That’s what we want. Peace. It’s the feeling we get when everything in our life seems “right.” It’s the tears that come to our eyes in moments of joy. It’s the feeling we get when we finally achieve a goal. The only problem is, when it comes from an external accomplishment or stimulus, it’s fleeting. It only lasts so long. So, we continue to strive to no end in hopes that we might experience it again.

Is this just my opinion? Not quite. Through years of studying applied kinesiology, Sir David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D., renowned psychiatrist, physician, researcher, lecturer, and spiritual teacher, and bestselling author of Power Vs. Force, developed the “Map of Consciousness.” Here, he lays out the emotions in order of frequency response in the human body. We see that peace is the highest energetic frequency we can reach, beneath enlightenment itself.

It is one of the highest callings and arguably most worthwhile goals we can aim for in this life. What can we do to develop a lasting sense of peace? There are many tips and ideas we can focus on, but they all boil down to one thing…

Learn to accept your situation

Resistance to ones’ current situation is the root of all unpleasant emotions. Think I’m wrong? Go ahead, try it out. Take any negative emotion and imagine what would happen to it were you to shift into living in acceptance. Many ancient eastern religions and philosophies use the bamboo reed as an example of acceptance. It is the tall, strong oak tree that cracks under the pressure of the storm because it stands firm and refuses to be flexible, while the bamboo reed bends with the wind and survives the storm.

Simple enough, but easier said than done. In my experience, it is in our nature to resist what is. We set expectations and when they are not met, we experience disappointment, frustration, anger, and countless other stress-inducing emotions. Is it because of evolution? Did we use those negative emotions as a survival tool at some point? Probably. But in terms of our spiritual evolution, we need those emotions to truly experience peace. For, how would we know peace if we didn’t first know unrest? This concept of duality, a rather simple yet profound topic that deserves an entire article on its own, is necessary to understand before moving on. How could we know love without hate? Courage without fear? Joy without sorrow? Understanding this is the first and possibly most important step in learning to live in acceptance. Put simply, don’t resist the “negative” emotions because they are necessary for the “positive” ones to exist.  

Coming to terms with the necessity of duality makes it possible to accept where we are at and therefore have a platform to move forward into the next step: focusing on what we can control. It sounds so obvious, yet how often do we catch ourselves worrying about things that are outside of our control? Learning to be present with a situation and put our attention on the few things we can control is a life-changing habit that will not only let us live free of stress, but will also make us more effective problem-solvers. And I say few things, because really, there are only a few things we can control. And by few, I mean two. Can we control what others say or do? Can we control the past? No. We can only influence them with the two things we can control, our attitude and our effort. I remember a quote hanging on my family fridge growing up, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” Learning to focus on the controllables allows us to move all the energy we previously wasted on unproductive worry and spend it instead on creative solutions. It’s a process, so be patient with yourself, it will likely take years. But it is worthwhile. One of my favorite affirmations you can use to remind yourself of this new focus is the Serenity Prayer: Please God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

The last tool I offer today is that of perspective. Keeping yourself rooted in the bigger picture creates a healthy playing field to practice the other concepts mentioned. Whether you use religion, philosophy, spirituality, or logic, keeping your mind open to perspective is the quickest way to bring about acceptance and peace. One of the defining concepts of the Stoic philosophy, the exercise of Memento Mori, is the practice of reflecting on one’s own mortality. Basically, reminding ourselves that we will all die one day! I know it sounds morbid, but if done correctly, this simple yet profound practice can help us reduce the clutter of our lives to their proper size. Do not confuse me with suggesting it’s all meaningless (though to a degree, that’s true), what I’m saying is, in the words of author Eckhart Tolle, “nothing matters, but everything is honored.” We are here on this Earth to experience the glory that is life, so embrace it, but remember that eventually it will all turn to dust. If you can learn to walk that fine line, you will have moved one profound step closer to peace and enlightenment.

But what to do now?

Practice. We have years of habitual resistance built up, the art of acceptance might not come easily. So, as with everything else; focus on it, practice it, mess it up, forgive yourself, and try again. It might just be the most worthwhile thing you ever do

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