{"id":9076,"date":"2017-09-21T14:35:09","date_gmt":"2017-09-21T18:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/?p=9076"},"modified":"2017-09-21T14:36:35","modified_gmt":"2017-09-21T18:36:35","slug":"peace-please","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/2017\/09\/peace-please.html","title":{"rendered":"Peace Please"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"internationaldayofpeacedove\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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Today (September 21st) is International Day of Peace<\/a>, as was established by the United Nations \u00a0General Assembly in 1981 as a\u00a0way of bringing people of all cultures together. In these tumultuous times, peace is not merely a concept, but a necessary tool and a means of sustaining life on the planet. \u00a0We no longer have the luxury of denial that each of us has a responsibility to ourselves and the next generations to think, feel and act in peaceful ways. One need not be a tree-hugging, crunchy granola eating hippie like I am to also be a peacemonger.<\/a>\u00a0A few years ago, I had an encounter with someone whose values and political affiliation was across the aisle from my own. It took a great deal of soul searching to see this man’s worldview as being as valid to him as mine is to me. Doesn’t mean I need to agree with it, but that I needed not to pick up arms and go head to head. Instead, I decided to go heart to heart.<\/p>\n

On any given day, events occur and people cross our paths in ways that trigger anger and frustration; both aspects of disappointment when our desires are not fulfilled. We are habitual creatures and may have no initial control over the catalyst for our emotions. It is when we make a conscious choice about whether to sustain that state of being, that we experience freedom and a sense of serenity. Many’s the time when I had to be mindful of what energy I was putting into the collective soup pot before stirring.<\/p>\n

On a day that highlights the importance of unity, I invite you to take a moment to consider ways to embody peace. For me, it looks like breathing consciously, slowing down when I am tempted to speed up. It means deciding whether each action I take is of benefit to the world and not just me. It calls for bringing people together instead of splitting them apart and helping others find harmonious solutions.<\/p>\n

I see my intentional, consensual, nurturing touch<\/a> work as a Hugmobster Armed With \u00a0Love as part of my peaceful purpose. \u00a0What is yours?<\/p>\n