Monday, December 12, 2011

Peace of Mind

For my next few posts, I would like to share some quotes from others about peace. It is important to look at other people's views, good and bad. We must do so in order to really determine how we, ourselves, feel about the issue. If you have a quote you would like to share, or would like to share your reactions and opinions about peace, please feel free to do so!! 
Today's topic is War.

The real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson


Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. ~attributed to Benjamin Franklin


I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?" ~Eve Merriam


There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people. ~Howard Zinn


Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people's brains and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead. ~Arundhati Roy


Nonviolence doesn't always work-but violence never does. ~Madge Micheels-Cyrus


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would also like to wish everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas, New Year, and Holiday Season!! Let there be Peace on Earth!! It begins with us...

Monday, December 5, 2011

Stand Up For Peace

Having ideas and opinions that not everyone else agrees with can be very difficult. You have to truly believe in the possibilities, and also in yourself. I have struggled with this in my life, being strongly devoted to the fight for peace. Other people just don't seem to understand why peace is so important, and how much good it could do in our world. When others confront you about your different beliefs, and they will, do not back down. You must stand proud, and let them know what you believe in and why you believe. If they disagree and start to argue, do not become angered. Listen to what they have to say, and take it into consideration. Even if the other person isn't respectful of your opinions, you must try to be the "better" person. Remember learning the Golden Rule in elementary school? Respect the other person, and hopefully in time, they will return the favor. In order for the world to change its ways, we must be living examples of peace.



Thursday, December 1, 2011

Taking The First Step

Peace takes much time and effort to reach, like any goal that we may set for ourselves. We must think about what we want to achieve, and what sort of bad habits we need to give up in the process. First, step back and take a look at yourself, your actions, and your thoughts. Look at the life that you have lived, up until now. Did any of your actions affect others in a negative way? How do you think they made others feel? How did you feel? Was the outcome really worth it? Think about these questions, and all the times that you may have prevented peace from existing. Think about what you could've done, or not done, to help lower the amount of hatred and negativity surrounding your daily life.


I believe we all need to do some self-analyzation and self-reform, because the problem in this world is not society as a whole, but rather each individual who has helped create it. Power and corruption. Greed and selfishness. This is what our world consists of: the love of things which can hurt others, only to benefit ourselves. We live in a sadistic society, and I find it to be downright disgusting. People inflict pain -mental and physical- on others to make themselves look better or stronger. But in the end, it is only making them weaker. They are only hiding behind what they don't have: respect for themselves. There is no peace in a sadistic world. No respect. No love. No progress. By hurting others, instead of trying to help them and improve our society, and ourselves, we are only stopping any progress from being made. We are bringing ourselves down, because we are not taking advantage of the opportunities available to move forward. We do have the ability to reach new goals, develop new ideas, and create a land where everyone can prosper. However, we will only remain at the same, poor level until we change how we treat each other.
~Respect others. Respect yourself. Save the world, because you can't just save yourself...



Thursday, November 17, 2011

Peace & Reality

Peace is something that is very difficult to achieve. I have asked many people whether or not they think it is possible. 99.9% of the time, the answer is "No." Although Peace is something that I desperately want, and would do anything to try to reach it, I would have to agree with them. I believe that Peace, in its entirety, is not possible. However, I do believe that parts of it are possible. Less conflict, responsibility, respect for one another, love, kindness, freedom to express ourselves and the rights we have as human beings. If any one of these or any other can be achieved, we are one step closer to Peace and making the world a better place. Of course, the love of things like power and money will still exist, making it ever more difficult to reach a stable Peace. However, this journey does not begin with trying to change others. We must first look at ourselves, uncover our potential, recognize our faults and strengths, change our way of thinking, and develop into makers of change. We must find ourselves and create Peace on the inside before we can express it and share it with the rest of the world. Now, listen to what others view as "Peace."


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Possibilities

Peace: a calm and quiet state; serenity; freedom from conflict or disagreement among people.

Can you imagine a world at peace? No war. No murders. No bullies. No reason to worry or be afraid.
Can you imagine a clean Earth? Blue skies. Green grass. Clear water. A world full of responsible people.
Can you imagine everyone being equal? No hunger. No greed. No power. Respect for everyone.


This may not all seem possible, but a lot of it is. You just have to imagine and believe. Peace starts in the mind. One thought, one dream, one trace of hope is all it takes to start to change. Every step counts, no matter how small, or how long it may take.

If we all try a little bit harder each day to be kind to others, treat people fairly, give to those in need, and be responsible for our actions, peace can become a reality, and not just an idea.

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." -John Lennon, Imagine


Peaceful view from my window...