Just about everyone I know claims to want peace, both individual peace and world wide peace all packaged up nicely for everybuddy. If that’s what everyone really wants, then what is the problem? Why don’t we have world peace?
“Well, because of all the bad guys!”, right?
There’s truth in that, but I think there’s a few things us “good guys” need to get straight as well. These won’t bring world peace in and of themselves, but here’s three things (that’s a manageable number, right?) that we can all do a little more of to promote that peace in our own sphere of influence – ’cause you can’t really claim to want something if you’re not gonna do what it takes to get it, right?
1. Learn that different is not less than. ≠ ≠ < People are more than their differences, more than their opinions, more than their shortcomings, more than their sins. Stop focusing on what’s different. Who cares if a person is really into Yu-Gi-Oh and doesn’t quite get social interactions? So what your neighbor’s backyard is unkempt and full of rubbish? And why does it matter if Larry at work voted for another political party than you? First of all, “judging” people never changed anyone so even if you feel you are right, you’re never going to “bring them to the light” by showing your disgust of their way of life, their opinions, etc.; and secondly, it does not matter in the long run.
Be a healer and a helper, not a hater and a hinder. If you love your opinions and your prejudices more than you love your neighbor, you will never know peace.
2. Focus on the good →+← -closely related to the first. I have a friend who dropped out of high school to get her GED. Upon hearing of this many people’s first reaction was to say “Oh, that’s too bad.” What?! Too bad?! Isn’t a GED a good thing? Aren’t there billions of people in the world who would be incomprehensibly grateful to have that amount of education? Sure, she has the potential to get an education far beyond that, but A. Who says she won’t still?, and B. Which one of us has lived up to our full potential? Not everyone will be an Einstein, so where do you stop raising your expectations in order for someone to be better than “That’s too bad”? Do we all have to be nuclear physicists before we can be good enough to meet these standards that have crept into our society? (More on that later).
Now, I’m not saying we shouldn’t expect great things of those around us, but remember that expectations are meant to help us grow, not so we have a reason to be disappointed when they aren’t met. And, of course, this applies every ounce equally as much to yourself as it does to others.
So, focus on the good. Be a Positive Peter, not a Negative Nancy.
3. Be a giver. ♺ Do you remember ever wanting something really bad, maybe a toy as a child, getting it, and a month or two later you couldn’t care less about it? That’s because things don’t bring peace. Let’s be honest, what is all the money in the world really going to bring you? Stuff? Friggin crap? (Excuse my French). Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to have nice things, and there’s nothing wrong with having them. But if that is your first priority, you need a renovation. Not in a morbid way, but in reality at any given moment in time your house can burn down, someone can steal your car or your Xbox, whatever your current counterfeit happy-maker is, you could die or lose the use of your arms or legs… At the end of your life and into the next, will all your things keep you good company? No. What about all the endless hours you’ve spent watching T.V. shows you don’t even really like? None of that fills you. The only things we take with us into the next life are our relationships, and our knowledge and experiences; so I guess that kind of lays out what’s important, doesn’t it? Pretty black and white.
So, give. Give not just your things, but give yourself – your time, your love, your ears, your heart, your care, your effort, your innovation, all of it; and when you do that, only then will you start to feel the peace of fulfillment. People are good, and when you give them good, they often give good back.
And now some relevant, beautiful quotes by David O McKay and a link to another beautiful talk on the subject of judging others:
“Evil speaking injures the reviler more than the reviled.”
“Character is the aim of true education; and science, history, and literature are but means used to accomplish the desired end. Character is not the result of chance work but of continuous right thinking and right acting.”
“All good things require effort. That which is worth having will cost part of your physical being, your intellectual power and your soul power. Let us ever keep in mind that life is largely what we make it.”
“I’m going to tell you the most important secret of human life. The most critical need of the human soul is to be kind.”
“Happiness consists not of having, but of being; not of possessing, but of enjoying. It is a warm glow of the heart at peace with itself. A martyr at the stake may have happiness that a king on his throne might envy. Man is the creator of his own happiness. It is the aroma of life, lived in harmony with high ideals. For what a man has he may be dependent upon others; what he is rests with him alone.”
“Give to the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you.”
https://www.lds.org/youth/video/stop-judging-others?lang=eng
So, what’ll it be, friends?
yearethelight 