UNRESOLVED ANGER AND PEACE WITHIN

“If we ourselves remain angry and then sing world peace, it has little meaning. First, our individual self must learn peace. This we can practice. Then we can teach the rest of the world.” ~ Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama

People get so angry that they some times burn and loot their own neighborhoods (Example: L.A. Riots 1965, 1992). In other cases, people get so angry; they bomb, burn, and loot other people’s neighborhoods (Example: The Greenwood District, Tulsa, OK Riots 1921). All in all, anger can be very destructive – not only to self but also to others.

Based on the words of The 14th Dalai Lama, we have to aim to be at peace within ourselves first before we can truly be a living example of peace to others. Now, being at peace does not mean we become doormats to the world. To me, being at peace with self puts a person in a position to act and respond appropriately, when necessary. Being at peace with self helps you hear the voice of your own Spirit, as Gary Zukav coined the term, the “whisper of the soul.”

The writer of the Epistle to the Corinthians implied that love and compassion, one in the same, are not selfish or conditional. It is very hard to love and respect someone that you fear, do not understand, do not care to understand, or perceive to be your inferior. Aiming to be at peace with self opens the door to love, compassion, and genuine respect (not only for others but for self).

Anger, in some instances, can be justifiable. The next step is to rise above it before it becomes toxic to self and to others. I believe a wise person said the healing of a nation begins in the home. Rising above a collective anger begins with self.

I pray these words find you well in mind, body, and spirit.

“Love is the most powerful force in the universe.” ~ Jazz Rasool