Peace Begins With Me

One of my favorite mantras

I often stay up at night worrying about the state of our world. I wish there were so many things I could fix. I’d love to find a way to unite everyone peacefully and end all conflict. It feels like an uphill battle when there is so much unrest and division. I think ultimately, if we could all foster inner peace, we might possibly be able to create world peace. To quote John Lennon, “Imagine all the people living life in peace.” I may be a dreamer; but when I start to feel overwhelmed or feel that I can’t do much about it all, I like to think of one of my favorite mantras: Peace Begins With Me.

It’s always so easy to point the finger at someone or something else; but it’s actually more rewarding to take ownership of ourselves. We are responsible for how we think, how we act, and how we interact. We have the choice in any given moment to respond in a peaceful manner instead of reacting in a confrontational way. It starts with the most basic interactions; how we treat our children, our friends, our neighbors and so on. This mantra has come in handy so many times when I am parenting my three young boys. It isn’t easy to stop and take a breath before doing or saying something I may regret later. When I am feeling more at peace within, I exhibit much more kindness and empathy.

I want to teach my boys how important it is to learn to communicate and to lead with love and compassion. It’s our job to figure out how to self regulate and eventually self soothe. When we feel calm on the inside we are calm on the outside. We are also human and will inevitably have conflicts; but we can hopefully learn how to work them out in a peaceful way. I was having a dinner conversation recently with a friend of mine from India and my father. Gandhi came up in our discussion. My dad said, “Gandhi’s way of uniting people through nonviolence is the best way to lead.” To me, it feels like the only way. We have more in common than we realize.

So to channel our inner Gandhi’s, we can rely on this simple mantra and repeat it as often as needed. I like to do this peaceful meditation a few times a week; or you can even do it daily. Sitting with eyes closed or open, rest your hands in your lap. Take a few deep breaths and settle in. As you tap your first finger to your thumb, repeat the word “Peace”. When you tap your middle finger to your thumb repeat “Begins”. Tap your ring finger to your thumb and say the word “With”. Finally, tap your pinky finger to your thumb and repeat “Me”. Continue with the finger tapping and mantra for a few minutes. Open your eyes (if they are closed) and take in another deep full breath.

I have taught these peaceful fingers to my sons. Kids really love the tapping aspect. Even just tapping your fingers like this throughout the day; or when you start to feel stressed or upset, can help you immediately calm down. Start to notice the snowball effect you create around you as you foster more inner peace. I hope someday everyone will join us, so the world can live as one.