3 Ways to Make 2020 Your Year of Peace

 

We are bombarded by images of violence and hatred everywhere we look. There is an abundance of war, conflict, division and death. How is it that in 2020 we are still a planet at war with itself and with each other? Yet, every bit of advertising/marketing urges us to find peace. As we look back at the past year and forward into the next, how can we make 2020 our year of peace?

 

 

We hear the saying “peace starts with me,” but what does that really mean? The most amazing things happen when you step away from the chaos and commit to being yourself. Through your tranquility, you create calm and peace within and around you. Peace Pilgrim, a woman who in the 1950s walked over 25,000 miles spreading a message of peace, once said, “When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.” Practicing mindfulness is one of the greatest ways to create peace for yourself. Thich Naht Hanh says, “To be mindful is to be truly alive, present and at one with those around you and with what you are doing.” Use your everyday routine to practice mindfulness and be consciously aware of the present. For 2020, commit to taking the time to be present. If you’ve already tried meditation and yoga, go for something new this year like creating a gratitude journal, doing morning pages, or coloring affirmation mandalas with your kids.

 

 

Conflict is everywhere and can be most prominent within our own families. Disagreements between siblings, partners, and between parents and children are inevitable. Being able to resolve conflicts in our own families is the second step to “waging peace.” Try implementing a Peace Treaty, a step-by-step process to work through an issue in a calm manner and create peaceful dialogue, created by Thich Naht Hanh. The goal isn’t to suppress the anger, but to take the time to breathe and find the best solutions to create peace.

 

 

 

When we find peace within ourselves and create harmony within our families, the next step is to integrate this into our communities and the world. For 2020, commit to finding and contributing to a peace organization or group. Service projects and volunteering are great options to connect with your community. Peace Literacy Director for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Paul K. Chappell created the idea of Peace Literacy after a difficult childhood and his time in the military. He realized Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is actually upside down, and believes that creating communities where people can experience purpose, meaning and belonging are more important than giving food and shelter. After much research, Mr. Chappell has written several books, and now speaks widely about the importance of “waging peace,” even creating a school curriculum for educating and training for peace.

 

For more on Mr. Chappell’s work, read his essay titled, “A New Peace Paradigm: Our Human Needs and The Tangles of Trauma,” or watch a recording of a public lecture he gave.

 

Peace is something we all want, but how can we make this ideal a reality? In 2020, take a fresh look at what peace means and how you can work toward it every day. We need to be a part of the change we wish to see. World peace doesn’t have to be a beauty pageant dream anymore. Let’s make 2020 the year of peace!

 

 

Photo credit Deposit Photos