I woke up the day before yesterday to a phone message that my neighbor is being moved to hospice. I felt incredibly sad. Sad that he would not be coming home, sad that the stability he provided to our neighborhood was going to be gone.
Since I'm focusing on peace this week it occurred to me to tune in. And oddly enough, at least it was to me, although I was feeling sad I wasn't feeling un-peaceful. So what is the relationship between peace and emotions? [Jo started me thinking in a different way with her comment to my last post.]
I don't know. Feeling peaceful is that calm, centered place that I feel in my body.
And I guess for me that comes when I am at rest, in awe of a sunset or watching dragonflies zip around the edge of a pond. The opposite of peaceful then is agitation.
Merriam-Webster defines war as a state of struggle, hostility, conflict, or antagonism. If so, then peace is a state of care, appreciation, and compassion. If war is about defeating the enemy, peace is about respecting, collaborating and finding common ground.
I started out the week wondering about world peace. Then I decided to focus on seeing peace but it turned out I didn't know what it looked like. I moved to choosing to feel peaceful. More successful, I could shift my attention to a calm place inside. But now I believe there is even more.
Today, I want to be peace; choosing to appreciate, feel compassion for others and to genuinely care for the world around me.
And a special gift was given to me through these musings. Today I understand my consulting work is about developing peace as I foster respect, collaboration, finding common ground and shared intention in working with my clients.
May each of you find your own understanding and embodiment of peace!
Peace photo "paz para todos en el planeta tierra!" by Claudia Zamora from
HappyBirthdayPeace.Com