PEACE IN THE MIDST OF TURMOIL?
 Look around you and you will become depressed with the turmoil –
there are killings, mishaps, wrongdoings and so much of injustice taking
place that you wonder whether there’s anything left within us as human
beings. What is happening around us depresses us and has the capacity to
question our senses. But instead of reacting to the external
environment, can we find it within us to hold our peace no matter what
goes on outside?
It is a condition that we need to train ourselves in. To hold our
peace no matter how many glasses may shatter out there, how many people
deliberately hurt others or how many lives are affected by the unfair
dealings of some. There’s very little we can do about what takes place
outside. Yet we can do so much to enable us to hold our peace within. If
you can bring yourself to that place where nothing disturbs you, you
have achieved it right.
It is not to say that when others go through tragedies and
unfortunate circumstances that it will not move you. It should. When you
hear or see the misfortune of another, your inner man should feel the
sadness and feel for that person in a sense of empathy that ultimately
enables all humans to stay wired to compassion and love. But empathizing
with another and allowing his or her grief to taint you from within,
darkening your days and affecting your outlook on life is not called
for.
Hope and joy
So many among us get carried away this way. They merely respond to
what is taking place around them. Even though it is very close to home,
you can still choose to not let it affect you. You can choose to stay
unscathed by tragedy, hopelessness and disaster. It should not be able
to rob you of your inner peace which you should always strive to
maintain.
It is lack of inner peace that drives people to desperation. It
drives people to drink, debauchery and ultimate disaster that can end in
unexpected and unbelievable circumstances. Having no inner peace can
unnerve you, no matter how rich or poor you are. It can rob you of the
joy of living everyday in hope and joy.
 We need to start living in the moment, living life in the now rather
than yesterday or tomorrow. That’s a good way to get your inner peace
flowing, no matter which religion you belong to. When we start living
the moment, we start experiencing everything and relating to everything
in a way it should ideally be done.
We can choose to hold our peace no matter how much we are affected
privately or as a group. We can choose to ignore what is being said or
done when hurtful and spiteful individuals may try to break us in the
spirit. We can always choose not to react but to hold on to our peace
within our inner man that no man can rob.
Actions and reactions
It is easy to get carried away emotionally or otherwise but when we
choose to hold our peace, we can choose not to give in to emotions or
actions that we should not to involved in. We can choose to stay calm
and collected, free from negative and toxic thoughts, actions and
reactions.
We live in tough times that call for a tough exterior. We can look
around and be depressed all day long or we can choose to keep our inner
man peaceful, no matter what happens around us. We will live longer,
healthy and happy lives and enjoy life more. We can choose to admire the
sunset or smile with a new born baby…we can choose to live the moment
and enjoy life and its most simple yet profound moments – if we choose
indeed to.
The life of inner peace, being harmonius and without stress, is the
best type of existence – Norman Vincent Peale
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