Modern life is busy, hectic, and at times overwhelming. Many of us experience some form of turmoil daily. We may encounter loved ones who push our buttons, a difficult boss, a job loss, financial worries, illness, political unsettlement… The list can go on and on. Even without these big concerns, we tend to have the habit of looking for occasions that disturb us.
Today, I had a difficult moment with a family member. I reflected afterward and started to ponder how to regain my peace despite the external trigger. Who should I turn to in times of confusion, fear, or chaos?
There are many spiritual tools that can help us stay at peace. Prayer is one of them. I fell in love with the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis when I first heard it from Dr. Wayne Dyer. Even though I am not religious, I believe in God, and I love to pray to Him for inner peace and calm. So, I invite you to pray with me when you experience turbulence:
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred,
let me sow charity;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light; and Where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life.
Amen
We can all become an instrument of peace in any given moment. We can take a conscious pause before we react to outside stimuli, we can take a deep breath and be aware that we are safe at this very moment, and we can decide that we are not going to use our mind for anything other than peaceful thinking.
Our peace can’t be dependent upon others. Rather, we can pray to the God of our understanding and regain it this very moment. We can go to that quiet and serene place within us that is covered by the outer layers of our material life. Even during tumultuous times, we have the freedom to go to that place within. It’s like the core of the flame that doesn’t flicker.
Be the peace you want to see in the world. Be a provider of peace. Be an unwavering instrument of peace. Remember, we always have the choice to be peaceful.
