At War or Leading to Peace?

We are all looking to world leaders; political, religious, and metaphysical leaders, for the magical solution to creating world peace. We are asking these leaders to put a stop to the conflict, violence, tragic loss of life, and mass destruction. Most of us are impassioned about the ‘right’  way and the ‘wrong’ way to do such. We sit in front of televisions and listen to the radios observing these battles, conflicts and the terrible destruction and we feel completely shocked, and at the same time absolutely convinced that this conflict is outside our scope of influence and our possibility to effect positive change. And while many of us loudly voice our opinions in dinnertime conversation, protests, vigils, meditation, prayer and in the written word, most of us feel the power to stop conflict lays in the hands of others, those ‘leaders’ in a position of power.

• How does this helplessness feel inside of you?
• How frightened and anxious do you feel about the future?
• How does this frustration and anger affect you or any positive action?

Very often the more we turn out and look at the world through the lens of the media and our Leaders, the more we become overwhelmed by the ‘big picture’ they represent when these problems become grouped together. This view of these problems creates the illusion that they are too big and too difficult for us to personally solve and that these problems and conflicts are somehow separate and different to those same conflicts that exist in our own lives, in our personal;

• Relationships
• Families
• Work
• Communities that we live and work within
• Our mind and bodies

Are we not all personally struggling with issues of conflict, lack of cooperation, disease in our bodies, and the proliferation of ‘right and wrong’ and ‘black and white’ thinking? Take a moment now to STOP… and ask yourself the following questions;

• With whom or where in my life, do I feel at war?
• Who do I feel is not co-operating with the way I want things done?
• Who am I not co-operating with?
• Who or what am I making ‘wrong’?
• Where in my life now or in my past do I not feel at peace?
• Does this serve me, the other people involved and my desire for peace?

Have you thought about yourself as a leader in your world, your family, your workplace, within your relationships or as being in charge of your body? Take a moment to step back and consider your self in this role…How’s that?… After all, a leader is somebody who holds a vision for now and the future, who is willing to put action behind that vision while growing and evolving, and who is willing to be an example for others to follow.

If you imagine yourself as a leader who can affect positive change in your life and in your world, how would you answer these questions?

• What personal intentions do I hold for creating peace in my life and areas of influence?
• How can I best affect and resolve these conflicts I have in my life and my world?
• What do I need to believe about conflict and peace to implement these solutions?
• If I were to lead by example for those closest to me, what action do I need to take to demonstrate these beliefs?
• And if I lived my life this way, how would my life and relationships change?
• As I imagine myself experiencing these changes, how do I feel?

As our heart and minds naturally turn outward to those individuals and parts of the world who experience terror, violence, and the effects of war, let us also harness this energy and direct our love, compassion, and hunger for harmony to those in our own lives, and our own world where we can effect positive change. I challenge you to unleash the responsible leader in you, who can truthfully resolve conflict in your own life first and become an ambassador of co-operation and collaboration for your children, colleagues, and the future of our planet.

Imagine if each one of us on the planet committed to leading peace within our circle of influence…