Being proactively peaceful?
Across the country, hundreds of college students are protesting war. I remember finishing university when 9/11 happened, and wanting to do something proactive - (yet peaceful). So I:
- Visited 7 countries in the Middle East & North Africa (Kuwait, UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Israel, and Palestine) to get a first-hand understanding, beyond what I consumed through mainstream media.
- Completed a "World Peace Fellowship," and studied conflict resolution for 2 years - (in Japan, a nation my own grandfathers went to war with).
Want to know what I concluded from my travels and studies?
It's well summarized in this quote:
In other words, our outside world likely won't change until we transform our inside world - our own ignorance, our fears, our emotions, and subsequent discomfort.
- The biases we have towards others
- The rage we've felt toward our own family members
- The frustrations we've experienced at work
- The inadequacy we've endured in our relationships
- The aggression in a traffic jam!
What if we first face and manage the micro level of what we can actually control: Facing our traumas. Recognizing our feelings. Managing our reactions.
Might that affect our collective "outside world"?
Let's try . . .
and see what happens.
Disclaimer: I recognize the centuries old conflicts of this region and am not trying to ignore or oversimplify the incredibly tragic and complex state of world affairs, and loss of life, on all sides.
What do YOU think can be done, to have a positive impact?
Subscribe
To get FREE insights on living a balanced purposeful life . . .
Gain Free Insights.
Start living a balanced purposeful life!
Produced By:
Shannon O'Brien
Ed.M, M.A.
Shannon created Whole U. to encourage career seekers to live a balanced purposeful life, while pursing their life's work.
