Making Peace Contagious
by Leslie Sann
Peace is present. Experiencing peace — that’s the goal. Whatever gets in the way of your experience of peace is yours to learn to handle. As you focus on peace, those things that are not peaceful will start dropping away. ~ John-Roger, founder of The Institute of Individual and World Peace
While waiting in line at the deli counter, I overheard the woman in front of me discussing gas prices with the butcher. She related that her husband has a monster truck which gets only seven miles to a gallon. The attendant responded that he saw an image of a gas station in LA with the price for gas at $6.50@ gallon. They were in the game called, what about this piece of bad news?
The woman decided to up the gas price discussion to the unrest in Ukraine. She was speaking as if there were an imminent airstrike over her house. Apparently that wasn’t as frightening to her as was having the internet shut down. “We are not ready for that — and we will be doomed if it happens.” Then she stated, “It is coming.”
I’m listening to this in amazement. This women is speaking as if she knows the future. As if she is right. As if it is useful to speak aloud about that which is yet unknown.
I have a different point of view. Not right or wrong or good or bad, just the way I see things. As stated in my last newsletter I am an advocate for peace. I know through experience that projecting the vibration of peace and upliftment is a contribution to something greater than we can imagine.
At the beginning of a symphony, the first violinist stands up and sounds the A note. The rest of the orchestra tunes their instrument in resonance with the first violin. On the way to an attunement the orchestra doesn’t sound very pleasant. It is in discord, disharmony.
Let’s pretend you are (I am) the first violin and the sound of A is the vibration of peace. What if as more of us played our note, the more peace was expressed? What if we kept allowing our expression of peace to sing its sound into the world? Might the other instruments come into harmony? What if we held steady until that happened? What if the current disturbance in the world is the orchestra tuning up? Only if there is an A note to reference will our world come into harmonious accord.
Are you willing to be the sound of peace?
The woman at the grocery wasn’t. I’m guessing that she was raised, as many of us were, to understand that what grown-ups often do is create conversation by sharing all about the evils of the world. It’s another version of gossip. Before there was the kind of media we have now, you might wander into the local grocer and hear all about how the vicar’s cat was stuck in the tree over the cemetery for hours. Or how Farmer Pete’s best cow broke its leg in a ditch. And by the way, not everything spoken was true.
She’s not wrong. She is doing her best. The situation is frightening to her. I get it. The question is now what? Where we focus our our attention is what moves us into action.
Remember riding a bicycle? Turn your head to the right and that is where the bike goes. Turn to the left and you move in that direction.
We can make a difference by how we contribute to the energy on our planet. We can be peace. Or would you prefer to sit and fret about bad things coming when the future has yet to arrive? I’m moving my attention in the direction of peace.
When you choose peace you make a positive difference. First in the life you are living. You get to live in peace and well-being. Next, you contribute an A, a resonance of peace to the rest of the world.
Back to the grocery store. By now a second attendant had arrived to wait on me. I now had a choice. I could pick up that woman’s conversation and start it with the man waiting on me. Don’t we do that? Pick up someone else’s disturbance and pass it along? I imagine the man waiting on that woman wasn’t feeling very uplifted when she took her goods and left.
Instead I chose to be peace. I asked George (the name on his apron), “If more of us choose to be peace, do you imagine that might make a difference?” I was shifting my focus, and his, to the possibility of peace, rather than engaging in a story of war. I then moved into playfulness as I was mask-free and he still had his on. Seems the company he works for mandates masks for the employees. Yet, he let me take a peek at his smile and we passed a pleasant exchange while he was taking care of me.
Choose peace. It is way more fun, pleasant, uplifting, engaging, kind, caring and … dare I say, a bodaciously powerful way to live.
May Peace Prevail,
We have a statement we say, “Peace is present.” And there’s not a qualifier on there. We’re not saying, “Peace is present when there’s no violence” or “Peace is present when peace is present.” We’re saying, “Peace is present.” – John-Roger, founder of The Institute of Individual and World Peace