January/February 2007 Editor's Viewpoint
Making 2007 a Year of Peace

Sometimes you have to stand up for peace by noticing its presence in your heart and in the world. In 2007, look for peace in New Connexion as we make its power known through articles on peacemakers, as well as ideas for aligning with peace.

Here are five steps for letting peace flow:

  1. Let go of past hurts inhibiting compassion.

    How you hold on to painful events determines your level of inner peace. If the conflict haunts you with regret, anger or fear, you shut down your natural compassion and empathy. Instead of finding common ground with others, you react defensively to avoid getting hurt.

    When you're living in the past, consciously choose to reorient yourself in the present by saying, I willingly release this pain. I choose not to hold it as my own.

  2. Disconnect from conventional wisdom and follow your heart.

    Conventional wisdom can supercede our inner wisdom, making us miserable in the pursuit to fit into society.

    A Midwest newspaper reported a story about a preschooler who followed his dog out of the house and disappeared. Search parties frantically looked for him, and his sisters kept watch on their morning school bus ride. The girls saw their brother and yelled for the driver to stop, but the driver refused because it was against transportation rules. That choice delayed the boy's safe return home by two hours.

    Our hearts often know better, and it takes courage to follow a different code of behavior. Affirm your inner code of the heart by saying, I willingly pull from my well of peace to guide my actions.

  3. Connect with universal energy.

    We are part of an interconnected universe of energy, which provides us with inspiration and creative juice. Like boats riding swiftly with the current, our greatest accomplishments are achieved when we flow with this universal energy. Artists and musicians use this energy as their muse.

    Align with power to support your peace work by saying, I recognize and access the powerful world of energy around and within me.

  4. Discover your higher purpose.

    You have a higher purpose beyond business and family roles. A coffee barista's higher purpose may not be to mix a smooth latte, but to touch people with genuine acceptance. A stock broker's higher purpose may not be to make people rich, but to manifest abundance in many forms. A garbage collector's higher purpose may not be to process refuse, but to remove blocks from seeing the sweetness of life.

    A higher purpose guides your exploration of life issues, leading you to perform certain roles. To find your purpose, look at the jobs you have held and the underlying ideals that drove you. A secretary may support everyone around her, at work and at home. Her underlying driving ideal may be loving others in all circumstances. She can explore and perform her higher purpose in every situation she encounters. Affirm your higher purpose by saying, I feel great joy in exploring and performing my higher purpose.

  5. Live life like a master teacher.

    Great master teachers remind us to use compassion, forgiveness and personal responsibility to guide our choices. You can forgive others by accessing compassion, which helps you to take personal responsibility for your actions. Master teachers use each experience as an opportunity to connect with others.

    Affirm this link by saying, I honor the sacred within all beings.

    Peace is within our reach - it is within us.

-- Vicky Thompson