The conversation of creating world peace comes up often in the groups of people I hang out with. Last year, a group of us met to discuss our ideas of world peace. We came to the conclusion that our endeavors as a human kind have been too big: to create world peace we need to start with our own hearts, our own inner circles, our own family and friends.
If I have peace in my heart, and I come into contact with you, who is suffering from anxiety or feeling some form of tension in your life, my talking with you will start to calm you. Or, in my case, coming to a yoga class might have the same effect. And then you take that calmness into your own home, where perhaps your husband was having a bad day and needs someone to talk calmly with him. And then your child comes home from school after receiving a bad grade, and she is in need of calming as well. Your husband cuddles with her, letting her know how smart she is. It’s the “pay it forward” concept.
In other words, peace begins in our own heart. I came across this wonderful verse that expresses the concept so well today:
“Wanting to reform the world without discovering one’s true self is like trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear shoes.”
Hindu Sage Ramana Maharshi
Let’s put on our shoes and go about the work of creating peace in our world today.