Inner Peace

At Christmas time we sing about peace on earth, goodwill towards men and hope for peaceful holidays, dream of peaceful evenings with family and friends, but somehow we forget about peace within.
Back in September I wrote about inner peace and re-read it tonight after I was thinking about someone in need. Inner peace seems to some a "new age" phrase , so they toss it aside, run from it, never give it any serious thought, but it's not new, its as old as mankind.
I am going to re- post what I wrote in September, hoping it will make me more committed to seeking after this deep and abiding peace that transforms us from being petty and critical creatures and turns our hearts towards compassionate thoughts and acts.
On the side of my blog was a small button that says, "Peace in oneself, peace in the world" a simple saying, but one of sheer "profundity". Mother Teresa has said of peace, "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." Peace isn't just about quiet afternoons, long leisurely mornings or hours of meditation on a hillside alone. Peace is about finding that place in our hearts where we understand that everyone matters. It is about letting go of the junk that bogs us down emotionally. Peace within is about not stepping out of life, but actually its about walking in life with balance and compassion for others. The Dalai Lama says, "The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion". Think about the times in your own life when inner peace is the most distant. Its when you are angry at someone, or suspicious of someones motives or actions. We feel stressed when we are filled with fear or don't want to let go of something, when the time has come to let go of it. Inner peace, when gained, is not something that can be taken from us. We can choose to give it away to another persons keeping, but real inner peace is ours, our thoughts are ours. Inner peace can be part of our life in the midst of turmoil, in the center of chaos, in the depths of difficult situations. A lesson learned through time and being aware of my own thoughts and feelings.