The Road Of Peace Is Ours In One Step
THE ROAD OF PEACE IS OURS IN ONE STEP ~ ISSUE 200 ~ NOVEMBER 24, 2015
By Diane Gold
The road of peace is an ongoing mindset always to be acting, thinking, being peaceful and at peace. There are all kinds of strategies that cross our minds, our books and our conference tables. We are taught at a very young age not to be pushed around, to fight back, to go even the score.
We are taught that we can go to a one-time peace rally and smile or that we must do something violent to save face. Both of these actions side-step the road of peace. One is on the road to peace, a forward looking approach where peace is not achieved but is pondered. The other is an egomaniacal approach to life.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Just a note. The road of peace is now, present. The road to peace is a future state. I am of peace and at peace now.
OUR FOCUS
How can we focus on vengeance and believe it is justice? Why is every cops and robbers/hackers TV show about getting the perpetrator for purposes of seeing justice serviced, which is usually a disguise for getting revenge. Why do we not create entertainment that changes society’s vengeful side by displaying and embellishing stories whose main sentiment is forgiveness and understanding? Why don’t the greatest minds in entertainment come up with creative ways to show conflict resolution in comedic and dramatic properties? We learn much from entertainment and art. Let’s step it up.
Why are we not looking at peaceful solutions to political, religious and national turmoil, instead of war? Why are we always in the conference room with our finger on the trigger?
The answer to that is that we want to be alive in case someone else pushes the red button of war first. But, we can set up our systems to warn against that and think on the road of peace. We know war brings hardship to all, temporary glory to some and a new cycle to come, which, so far, has always repeated itself. We all lose if we do not further the cause of humanity by coming up with a sustainable solution that requires being peaceful now.
The New York Times Editorial Board wrote an article about the price of fear. I quote,
“In the reaction and overreaction to terrorism comes the risk that society will lose its way.”
THE REACTION TO VIOLENCE – REPEATING THE CYCLE – OR NOT
I say, often times, we have tunnel vision. Person A, from Tribe A, steps on your land, so you, from Tribe B, shoot her. Person A’s daughter shoots you to honor her mother whom you have shot.
What if Person A had taught her children not to kill in retribution but to negotiate a peace to sustain the future so that Tribes A and B could live together? What if Person A were the first generation to begin teaching this method of reaction? And the next 10 generations of that family taught the way, no matter how many times Tribe B became violent? Very hard to do since our lives would be at risk. But, as one French person answered his son who said they had to move after the Paris bombings of November, 2015; he said that they didn’t have to move, there are bad guys everywhere, and, when his son mentioned guns, the father replied,
“It’s OK. They might have guns, but we have flowers.”
When the son said that flowers don’t do anything, what he repeated after his dad replied to him was,
“The flowers and the candles are here to protect us,”
and then he said that now he felt safe.
At some point, others would mimic the same pattern. At a further point, this method would rub off on others from other tribes. At some further point, TV shows would reflect this theme, and comedic and dramatic shows would use the theme to teach future generations.
THE TRICK
Someone has to be brave enough not to kill killers. Someone has to be balanced enough to be at peace first. This starts with each of us.
The next time each of us decides to have a social experience, we can go dancing, rather than join some angry crowd calling for vengeance. The next time each of us decides to act to make ourselves feel bigger, let us choose a different behavior.
ACTION STEP – CHANGING OUR REACTION HABITS
Let’s say we want to become more refined, constantly more elevated beings who surpass our animalistic tendencies that have come from the combination of our innate survival instincts and habits developed through repetition of action. This same habit formation that is part of us from early on can be used to replace the habits we have created, to re-develop the habit of peaceful behavior. Just by planning to do so in advance.
Let’s say we are always working on sustainable solutions on the road of peace. This means we are willing to put our insecurities, our anger and our well ingrained habits aside.
HOW TO BE ON THE ROAD OF PEACE
1) THE PLAN
In advance, plan a behavior to do within 2-5 seconds of feeling angry, vengeful, toxic feelings that show themselves or give you a warning that they are about to show themselves.
2) THE BEHAVIOR
Physically leave the location where you are, even if it’s a small adjustment. If possible, run around the block one time or your corporate building or your school campus. This will change the mind because you are involving a physical act which will change the biology from many angles.
3) REPETITION
Repeat the behavior the next time angry, vengeful, prejudicial, toxic feelings show themselves or give you a warning that they are about to show themselves.
4) MORE REPETITION
And the next 100 times.
5) CONTINUING TO TAKE THAT ONE STEP, A HABIT IS BORN OR REPLACED, ON THE ROAD OF PEACE
All habits remain. Whether they are dormant or active, that is the question. For us to be peaceful, we must be peaceful. If we get in our own way, we can get out of our own way. If we act in peace, we will contribute to peace, the peace within and without.
CONCLUSION
The road of peace is a fertile road. We are on it if we decide to read the road sign.
It is not necessary to believe this will work.
It is not necessary to believe in ourselves.
It is not necessary to think happy thoughts.
These three things may come to us in time if we commit to follow the action step. Action is the key. New action that is not the vengeful action of our foreparents is the way. Most of us are not genocidists. We are not in need of annihilating others. Or, if we are, we take the one action step I propose to replace that need.
We are here to be kind and better our species, in creativity, productivity, to spread our message peacefully, to improve the way we gather our food and water, to be more educated about the way we enhance our health, to show love to each other, to care for the planet.
Being peaceful is the way and the road of peace. Becoming peaceful only takes one step.
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DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR
Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying peaceful conflict resolution, habit replacement and certified in plant-based nutrition.
She believes that we can be on the road of peace in one step.
She says,
“We are developing habits all day long. Every day. Every time we repeat an action, we are one step closer to having an automatic habit. This means we are replacing habits, too. When we do something new in place of what we used to do to achieve the satisfaction of what made us act in the first place, we let go of some habits and let others shine through. Truthfully, we don’t really get rid of any habits. They stay with us forever. Some go dormant. Others stay at the forefront.
“To tie this in with peace, we develop habits when we feel certain things. When we itch, we scratch. What if we swam instead? We might replace scratching with swimming. The point is we can replace our habits of anger and vengeance which come from insecurity with those of being peaceful. In one step. We just have to plan the behavior we will do when we get the old feeling to become angry or vengeful.
“We don’t have to be ready, strong, a Democrat, believing it will work. None of that is even important. All we have to do is do a new action, and we will develop a new habit. It has worked with every human who is of sound mind so far.
“Do it. You will love it, and the world will thrive because of you and me.
“And, finally, let’s take overall good care of ourselves because we are so worth it.”
