International Day of Peace

Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. ~ Unknown

Today is the International Day of Peace. It's a day that the United Nations calls for all warring parties to put down their weapons and have a cease fire. There are two different meanings to peace. One is the freedom from or cessation of war; the other being freedom from disturbance, it is tranquility and calm. For me, peace encompasses the second definition and looks within.

When we feel peace, we also radiate peace. And isn’t that a wonderful thing? To feel that sense of peace that seems to allude us so much of the time and to enable others to feel it merely by our presence. It’s a gift. How do we get there though?

One way, of course, is through meditation. Meditating allows us to calm the mind and let go of the chaos we might be feeling, even if only for a short time. When we practice meditation over and over, it becomes more easy to bring this about in our day to day lives - even amidst the chaos.

Mindfulness is another way. I think we often think of mindfulness as the same as meditation, however they are distinct. Mindfulness supports our meditative practice and vice versa. When we are mindful we accept what is at the moment. Sometimes having a phrase can help such as “right now, this is how it is”. When we’re able to say that in our mind with calmness, we are mindful.

Today, I hope that you have peace on your mind and in your heart, both for your own sake and the sake of the world.