Peace, Let It Begin With Me
Courage To Change – December 2, 2019
Peace is a hard thing to define. Where to start and what to do to attain peace. Peace of mind? Peace of Spirit? Peace of soul and body? What exactly are we looking for? Ultimately, the pursuit of peace is the same as the pursuit of happiness, maybe it’s not the pursuit of peace but the acceptance of such when it has become manifest. Most importantly, I shall let peace begin with me.
Quick and Simple Disclaimer: The readings in this post are literally taken wholesale out of the book entitled Courage to Change. You can find it at Amazon, Here. The portion entitled Alleged Insight, well that mess is all me.
If you’re an introvert, go buy the book, if you’re a broke introvert, the text from many good books can be found HERE , if you’re in dire straits however, go find an Al-Anon Meeting, it saved me. *None of these links are affiliate links,
Today’s Reading
Quoted from Page 337 in “Courage to Change”
I can easily itemize my loved one’s limitations. Hours pass while I list the ways in which [s]he could stand to change.
But not one thing has ever improved as a result of this mental criticism. All it does is keep my mind on someone other than me. Instead of admitting my powerlessness over another person’s choices and attitudes, I flirt with illusions of power. In the end I am a little more bitter, more hopeless, and more frustrated. And nothing about my situation, or the other person, has changed.
What would happen if I took my list of criticisms and applied it, gently, to myself? I may complain about my loved one’s verbal abuse – after all, I don’t speak to him that way. But at the level of thought, I am just as abusive. The same attitude exists in both of us; we just manifest it differently.
Today’s reminder
Al-Anon says, “Let it begin with me.” When I identify something I dislike in another, I can look for similar traits withing myself and begin to change them. By changing myself, I truly can change the world.
Quote
“Peace of mind depends on recognizing our own shortcomings. An honest personal inventory helps us recognize the faults that so often increase confusion and despair.”
This is Al-Anon
Alleged Insight:
And so I begin with a skip, then a double up. Yesterday’s post was earlier today, and now this one. But admitting our shortcomings, accepting issues and moving forward is just a part of life, now isn’t it?
Took me a bit to recover from the literal sickness that took hold of our house yesterday, thus, I’m alive just a couple of hours late on things. But on a good note I spent more quality time with my kids yesterday than I usually manage. Anyhow, about today’s reading, I wish I could give some deep insight, some sage connotations but the truth is that all I’m getting when I read this reading is the song chorus continually running through my head. “Let there be peace on Earth, and Let it begin with me…”
These day’s peace of mind and peace of heart are two very dear and precious commodities in our turbulent world; personally or in the larger picture. Of late we’re fussing back and forth over boundaries and life choices while gearing up for the manic Christmas season that comes with public schooling.
Closing thoughts:
I guess the point to make from all this is that peace starts not with external stimuli, but it starts inside us. You, me, them, we all have this chaos and serenity built into our very essence, and it’s about time to settle the manic and let peace have a chance to shine.
Duke.