Reflections, Vol 2: How Can We find Peace In A Troubled World?

This series poses life-questions for personal reflection.

My views are offered as a thought starter.

Question: How can we find peace in a troubled world?

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Last week, Apple notified me that my daily screen time was 3 hours and 10 minutes.

A lot of that time was spent at this keyboard. You’d be surprised how long it takes me to crank out 500 words each week!

Still, I spent a good portion of it reading world news. Most of it made me feel sad and helpless! I wish things were different, but they aren’t. 

How do we find peace amidst all these troubles?

It may sound small, but our thoughts and feelings impact ourselves and the world around us. Two favorite quotes point in that direction. The first is often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson:

Watch your thoughts.  They become words.  Watch your words.  They become deeds.  Watch your deeds.  They become habits.  Watch your habits.  They become character.  Character is everything.

The second is from the ancient Indian text, The Upanishads:

You are what your deep driving desire is As your desire is, so is your will As your will is, so is your deed As your deed is, so is your destiny

Clearly, there are things each of us can do to help others in this troubled world. At the same time, we have a responsibility to ourselves to find inner peace and thereby impact what we transmit to the world.  

Buddhists say suffering arises from wanting things to be different than what they are. It’s hard to deny that! Circumstances are often disturbing, but life is a “whole meal deal!” We must learn to accept the yang along with the yin. 

For me, peace comes when I stop struggling with circumstances. This requires practice. Here’s my approach:

1. I focus on accepting the moment, letting go of the pain that sometimes accompanies it.

2. When someone asks, “How’s it going?” I reply “Never Better,” and then practice meaning it.

3. I let go of concerning thoughts that arise in my mind.

4. I look for the “we” in everything.

These practices aren’t easy, but they bring peace.

The world may never be at peace. But if we can find inner peace, perhaps in a small way, we can impact the world.  

Anyway, that’s my take on it.

How do you find peace in your life?

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