Today is the Sunday of Peace in Advent. When thinking about peace it is hard to miss that the world has its usual share of violence, discord and unrest.
Without getting too political, most of the violence, discord, and unrest in this world tends to be macro in nature. The causes and solutions are typically bigger than any one person. The solutions also tend to have complicated and compound consequences. One solution may cause other problems.
Furthermore, as a mental health professional, I think that I have met a number of patients and colleagues who will never achieve peace. They are incapable of achieving it and would not know it if it bit them on the posterior.
What this means is that the peace that we can achieve typically is within ourselves versus outside of ourselves. Peace is tranquility, calmness, the absence of turmoil. Peace within ourselves is our responsibility.
I am inclined to think that inner peace is a pursuit because there will always be something to challenge it. There will be new aggressors and haters whose paths we will cross. There will be new situations that provoke some level of anxiety from earth-shaking to mere inconveniences.
The methods and and practices we use to practice peace may not always work or work as well as we think they should. We may have to identify something new.
This week, I plan to reflect on peace in a number of ways. I think that the average person wants it, but some have problems identifying and doing what it takes to get it.
For now, I wish you peace and I hope you find it if you do not have it.
Without getting too political, most of the violence, discord, and unrest in this world tends to be macro in nature. The causes and solutions are typically bigger than any one person. The solutions also tend to have complicated and compound consequences. One solution may cause other problems.
Furthermore, as a mental health professional, I think that I have met a number of patients and colleagues who will never achieve peace. They are incapable of achieving it and would not know it if it bit them on the posterior.
What this means is that the peace that we can achieve typically is within ourselves versus outside of ourselves. Peace is tranquility, calmness, the absence of turmoil. Peace within ourselves is our responsibility.
I am inclined to think that inner peace is a pursuit because there will always be something to challenge it. There will be new aggressors and haters whose paths we will cross. There will be new situations that provoke some level of anxiety from earth-shaking to mere inconveniences.
The methods and and practices we use to practice peace may not always work or work as well as we think they should. We may have to identify something new.
This week, I plan to reflect on peace in a number of ways. I think that the average person wants it, but some have problems identifying and doing what it takes to get it.
For now, I wish you peace and I hope you find it if you do not have it.
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