A peaceful thought

With the month of celebrating peace that just ended, this article is dedicated to peace. And I want to touch the following questions:

1. What is peace?

2. What actions should we take to get to the long-lasting peace?

3. Can peace be achieved in this present?

1. What is peace?

In my opinion peace starts with acceptance, acceptance of your self and others, acceptance of the present moment, the past and the fact the future is unwritten. Another prerequisite for peace I believe is a mind guided towards health, health for your self, for others and the environment.

Accepting your self comes also with the acceptance of your bad sides, however through this acceptance these bad sides will transform. They will still remain as a part of your self, but they will be there to help you, to remind you - you are still human, just like everyone else; they will remind you of needs you have neglected; we all make mistakes otherwise we could not make use of forgivens. Also the shadow part is always there to show us something, to make us aware of things, in others and our self. The shadow part is not necessarily bad, it is there for balance. And when you come to balance that is when peace is achieved. And when we will all be in balance inner and outer, that is when peace will settle.

Also, peace is not necessarily tedious, peace is meant to be fun, joyful, happy, still innocent in a way. Peace does not mean no more ups and downs, it means just that you will know how to handle each moment without losing your balance.

So peace starts from within, then it spreads outward - to the people next to you and also to the earth and environment.

2. What actions should we take to get to the long-lasting peace?

So as peace starts from within, the first actions we should take is in our selves:

- Meditate - try to empty your mind of any thought and just be like that for a few minutes. Then easily start meditating on a specific situation, try to find healthy answers for it, while at the same time remain aware we don't have yet the capability of being aware of everything, there is a flow in the universe that knows better than us. So never hold on, release and let it be. Just pay attention to the signs and act accordingly. In the back of your mind always have the fact that harmony needs to be achieved, so that your actions will always be in the right direction.

- Exercise also your body - I believe yoga is the best practice, but you can also try dancing or other sports. However try to also do a small yoga practice as this will help you calm your mind while exercising the body, making your body, mind and spirit become one.

- Be happy - happiness is a choice you make every morning when you wake up, every moment of the day.

- Read books and things that enlighten you, that free your mind

- Do activities that make you happy, that bring you peace and calmness

- Try going out in nature and away of urban noise as much as possible - appreciate the nature, enjoy a sunrise or a sunset or just a great natural view, hug trees, go barefoot on the grass

Once you feel the balance inwards, you start looking outside:

- Go towards people, listen, understand them, try to help. But be detached, don't take upon your self their burden. Always remember you can only help others if you are ok first. So don't feel selfish when you take time for your self from time to time, that only means being selfless in the end.

- Let love be your guide - forgive others that might say to you bad things or take ill actions towards you. Be kind instead, but move away. That only means their path is different. With no resentment, only love, let them be. Accept others and their differences, being cultural, religious or just inner values differences. With no judgement, always give space for others to be. Move away from something that is affecting your space. Give freedom so that you receive freedom.

- Contribute to maintaining a good environment - plant trees, take care and show affection and love to animals, be conscious of how you recycle, use candle light instead of electricity whenever possible

- Be concern about political, economical, social and financial issues. Stay informed.

3. Can peace be achieved in this present?

Inner peace for sure can be achieved in this present, because as I said peace does not mean no more ups and downs, peace means inner balance.

Global peace - I don't want to say yes or no - I am sure we will get there some day once everyone will achieve the inner peace and we will learn how to live harmoniously with each other and the environment.

Be balanced! Show love! Be love! Receive love! Keep some boundaries for your self.

Give freedom! Receive freedom!

We are all ONE!