Peace is on My Doorstep

Yesterday I had a visit from Jehovah's Witnesses.  I think I converted them.

Just kidding!  What really happened was 3 - 4 minutes of peaceful debate, during which time we found several points of agreement and several points of disagreement. 

AND we all walked away smiling.

Healthy debate is NOT dead. It is the gateway to peaceful conflict resolution.  It was and always is, us against the issue, not us against each other.

So when I wrote the mantra 'Peace is on my doorstep' I meant it literally AND figuratively. 

The new paradigm starts right here.

WAR is an unfortunate hangover from the old, dying paradigm.  I hate it and oftentimes I get drawn into the drama of who is right, coupled with feelings of despair, sadness and disgust, but I remind myself that - this is the WAR being featured right now in the media. There are sadly countless other atrocities happening right now all over the show, and have been for as long as I can remember.

Unfortunately, war is like a giant enterprise octopus with its tentacles in multiple places and supported by MANY players in the political and capitalist landscape (have you checked your investments?).  Some of them actually LIKE and benefit greatly from war.

But it's obvious to me that it's the old paradigm.  So many of us do not support operating in this way anymore, and we want change.  

We can all manifest and work towards a future of peace.  Maybe I'm dreaming?, but surely sooner or later, the old men in charge will die out and be replaced by a new generation of humans with (hopefully) more peace in their hearts - if we keep spreading it.  

Maybe I'm dreaming?, but surely sooner or later, the old system of disconnection from nature, destruction, war and inequity will be replaced by a regenerative model that has peace for people and planet at its core.  There are many solutions!  

I'm reminded of this beautiful and pragmatic quote by the architect, systems theorist, writer, designer, inventor, philosopher, and futurist, Buckminster Fuller:

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

Maybe I'm dreaming, but will you dream with me?  

Peace starts inside, from my peace within I can take part in peaceful conflict resolution with those around me, and then so can they and so on, and this is the ripple effect. 

Imagine a world with leaders who work this way.  Communities with humans within, whose needs are met and who feel like solutions are always just a debate or two away.  

And people who feel peace in their souls because they know they are doing their best to sow the seeds of the new paradigm.

Jasmin Amrita