Peace
Lessons from my Hiroshima trip..
The Backstory Gossip..
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Hiroshima for a spring camp with people from all four hemispheres of the world, including Rotary International Exchange students, Japanese ex-students and elderly club members.
I used the occasion to discuss and exchange opinions on global peace and related matters. This visit touched me, and I was lost brainstorming about peace : in war-associated concerns and in everyday circumstances.
What is peace?
Most people believe that being peaceful means not using weapons and not going to war.
Former president of the United States, Sir Ronald Reagan, believed that peace is not the absence of conflict but the ability to cope with conflicts by using peaceful means.
I agree with him that being peaceful does not only mean the absence of war and weapons. It also means to be a deficit of hatred, destruction, negativity, aggression, judgements, lust, ego, competition, injustice, and selfishness
I believe that a peaceful society is a society where every person is satisfied and happy.
Prosperity and positive energy flourishes.
No force is required and no one is hated, judged or discriminated against.
Everyone works with only the intention to develop the world.
Why must we take action?
I hate to say this, but achieving world peace is not an easy task. Unless you dedicate your entire life to it, you will not receive any credit for the actions you take. But, that does not mean you do not influence in doing so. As humans, we must contribute to society, regardless of the recognition we get and create a ripple effect of positivity in this world.
If not for the world, do it for self-happiness and peace of mind. Lack of mental peace has proved to be a major cause of cardiac issues, digestive problems, blood pressure problems, Alzheimer’s, dementia, head-aches, diabetes and countless others. Negativity in your everyday life leads to high levels of chronic stress, which leads to terminal problems. Living in a peaceful society and community can reduce the risks to a great extent. “Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” -Dalai Lama
Apparently, the first step towards all three- personal, communal and global peace is the same — Peace at heart, mind and soul.
“He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe” -Philosopher Marcus Aurelius.
Having a peaceful and happy society is a choice. It is a collective decision made by the members of the community. But to make peace in the world, first make peace in your heart. Cleanse and filter your heart. Be an ambassador of peace and tranquillity, only then shall you be able to see the ripple effect influencing the people around you. Can the epicentre of this ripple, your heart, be strong enough to make an impact on the world??? If you are determined, I bet it is more than enough.
How can we take action?
To change the world, we must change ourselves.
Here are a few ways I would suggest in promoting peace. Remember, these our just suggestions. Feel free to use other effective ways or amend these to use in your personal life, as long as we follow the same goal- Creating a ripple effect by keeping peace within self that leads to peace in society.
1. The thorn in your heart..
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” — Jimi Hendrix.
Holding onto anger and hatred is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Do not hate anyone. The noisy neighbour with 3 kids, the baby who spilled juice on your t-shirt, people with different histories, opinions, viewpoints, religions, beliefs, everyone. Accept them as they are, and move on.
To be honest, I know how jerky people can become. There are a lot of people I have hated, only to realise that they were my biggest teachers. Prioritising my mental health over knuckle-headed people and not spreading hatred has changed my life. If not for them, do it for your mind’s sake. Also, try finding out lessons from everyone and continue gliding. You learn more from people who are different from you. That’s a universal fact.
2. The scars beneath the cream..
Life is harsh for everyone. Certain experiences lead to certain mindsets, schools of thought and decisions. The way you respond to a specific circumstance is decided by 1. the results you have been getting by trying and testing the available options, or 2. by seeing how others have done in the past.
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For example, you might judge a girl for being too attention-seeking, but that might be because she had a past where she was ignored, so she had to constantly seek for it. You might hate a man for following a religious philosophy different from yours, but that might be because he was raised in an environment where everyone followed a certain religion. The best we can do is to non-egoistically keep evolving as humans and try to find out which strategy is the best for a specific situation. Moreover, stop labelling people as good or bad based on a single event without knowing their past experiences and reasons for certain decisions.
3. When you let go, you rise..
Too often do we dive too deep in proving to other people we are right. Do not be egoistic. It might be that you are not correct in what you say, do or believe. Your thoughts and actions might have effects that you do not know of. Always be open to constructive criticism. Your ways might have different merits than other people’s ways. No one in this world is the best. Every man has their strengths and weaknesses, every strategy has its advantages and disadvantages. Be open to all new cultures and thoughts. Do not feel bad when you are corrected.
4. The price of being right..
Often, losing your mental peace is more harmful than losing a conflict. Don’t lose the diamond in search of gold. Sometimes you might be sure that you can win an argument, debate or a fight; but before taking a stance, make sure to confirm its worth. If proving your point is more important than your mental health, I will not stop you. But if you do not want to waste your mental resources, make sure not to feel defeated when you avoid arguments, or keep them light-hearted and enjoyable rather than personal. Avoid non-profitable battles and investments with no interest. It is important to balance the number of campaigns you fight, it should neither drown you nor dehydrate you.
5. Tame your mind..
Start your day with a happy thought. Burn your ego and be positive. Meditate. Be kind, grateful and free. All of these promote personal peace, resulting in communal peace. Having a conversation with a negative and stressed human makes us feel stressed. Train yourself to be more positive and better. There is a massive amount of free resources available on the internet. Just start executing!
6. The Art of Winning Without War..
Revenge is fun. Seeing the pudding-headed people burn into ashes is satisfying. But, it is often not the most profitable way out.
There are two types of revenge- destructive and constructive.
Destructive revenge is trying to terminate and weaken the opponent out of anger and resentment. It is pulling them down from where they are, in a way that your absolute position does not change. Filing a fake complaint against the pea-brain colleague who got a promotion, bullying the guy who scored more than you on the test, spreading false rumours about the lad who took your place on the soccer team and anything that pulls your opponent down from their position, is destructive revenge.
Constructive revenge, on the other hand, is pushing yourself up the ladder using competition as fuel and defeating your opponent on their own battlefield. Working hard to defeat your rival in office, studying to score more than the guy who called you dumb, practicing so strongly that you are now your soccer team's key player, and anything that raises your standard is constructive revenge.
Destructive revenge results in temporary mental satisfaction for you and dissatisfaction for the other. Constructive revenge results in permanent mental peace for both.
Raise your standards.
Ultimately, if you believe in the “I forgive people whom I do not care about and choose my battles wisely” school of thought, I would not disturb you. Sometimes, we must let things go. Not every contest is worth winning. Wisely hand-pick the kingdoms you want to win, strategise and shoot
7. Hate and ego are the simplest to manipulate..
Just because people you look up to and see as inspiring feel a certain way, does not mean you should too. Follow what profits you. Let this be clear: any campaign that spreads hate is morally wrong. Let your kindness touch people with unkindness. Do not accept harsh treatment from anyone who uses violent methods to promote their ideologies, whether you support their ideologies or not.
I would like to spotlight “administration manipulative techniques.” Anger is a quality that can be easily controlled by other people. To get in favour of a person, the quickest way is to prove that we have common enemies. Be careful of any organisation that asks you to hate someone and feel egoistic.
8. Open your window..
Many people might say, “I am rich, happy and well-to-do why should I care?” Unfortunately, many people are not. Ultimately, we are one world, irrespective of the community you belong to. The G20 summit in 2023 focused on the Vedic principle of “Vasudeva Kutumbakam,” a Sanskrit word meaning the world is one single family.
Help by donating money to people from other communities who might not be lucky enough to receive the same level of amenities as you, and karma will reward you.
9. A step towards “Global Peace”
Here is where the cool part comes in: taking action towards international peace and security. Donate and support organisations working towards international peace. Support peace advocates from all around the world and show it by sharing your opinions or by inspiring them to do more. Donate money to charities that have goals to work towards global and national security. Various organisations, like UNESCO are yearning for international donations to do good. Every push matters.
What if you do not believe in my methods?
If you agree with all that I say, promise me to be a silent warrior and keep fighting. If you disagree with any of my opinions, feel free to reach out to me and correct me.
So do you think together we can create a society where every person is satisfied and happy? Where prosperity and positive energy flourish, no force is required and no one is hated, judged or discriminated against.
Do not be afraid to use your own methods and strategies, as long as we follow the same goal- Creating a ripple effect by keeping peace within self that leads to peace in society.
Conclusion
The Hiroshima trip has left a strong impact on me and has planted strong seeds of thought in my mind. I thank all who have helped to make it possible. I long to influence other people and move towards creating a happy and peaceful society. Instead of blaming others for the wrong happening, I choose to work towards changing myself and the ones around me.
On the condition that we can work towards this goal together, we are all ambassadors of peace. Keep your intentions pure and continue gliding. Do not be afraid to make mistakes, and do not be egoistic. Do it for yourself, and for humanity.
I plead with you to share any contradicting opinions, mistakes or suggestions you might have, in my content, literary skills or anything else.
