Reply #29: Don't stop fighting... learn to fight a new way... [View All]

[mikelewis]

You are never going to be able to change the world with your anger. You're never going to bring peace to the world if you cannot bring peace to those around you; but before you can bring peace to those around you, you must have peace to offer... and to spare. Instead of a fire that fans the flames of dissension, be a rock that others can grab onto in this miserable sea of human despair. Replace your fury with righteous thoughts... thoughts of honor, of Justice and fairness to all. In stead of only reading of some great evil of our day, read stories about those who suffered evil and found grace. Through their stories, you can visualize their path to peace and through tales of their deeds, learn how to take the first step toward a better way of life. Don't let evil punish your soul and inflict hardship on those you love. Deny evil entrance into your home; fight it by sowing peace instead of discord. Once you're wise enough to deny evil into your home, then you can work on denying evil to your street... then your city... then your nation and then the world. This is the only path Peace can follow.

To fight against discord, you must first learn how to submit. To fight dissension, you must learn how to unite. To fight despair, you must learn how to offer hope. You can shut yourself off from the outside world and appease evil or you can embrace Man and serve Mankind. The choice is yours but each choice bears a cost. To hide from your anger does not vanquish it. To succumb to your anger only consumes you. Anger can only leave you emotionally dead and physically weak. No good deed can stem from anger and no evil deed can be born of peace. Renounce anger and choose peace; "be the change you want to see in the world".

Serving anger only spreads anger; serving peace spreads peace. To serve peace, you must be committed to it... love it.. long for it... enjoy it's company so much that nothing else matters more. Every deed you do and every word you say must serve a peaceful end; you cannot serve anger and peace at the same time. So learn how to serve peace, learn how to cultivate it, grow it, harvest it and share it to those who hunger for it. Start first in your home... bring harmony to your life... for every evil you take in, replace it with two good's. For every two good's you take in, share one with your wife. Replace the discord you've brought with the peace you've found. When your wife is filled, share some with your neighbor.

If you are waring with a neighbor, learn how to make peace despite all odds. If you have neighbors you've never spoken to in all the years you've lived in your home, meet them and sow peace among your neighbors. Become a servant of peace by serving those who have never known peace. Show someone integrity who has never experienced honesty. Show someone grace who has never experienced peace... and give without expecting any return.

When your wife is filled and your neighbors know they can come to your for an extra ration of peace, then you can start expanding out. Find a need and fill it. Offer only what you have to spare but offer all that you have to spare. If you can only devote an hour, then devote an hour and figure out a way to devote two. Volunteer for something that allows you to serve a noble end without taking away the peace you've set aside for yourself. If the first thing you find does not suit you, learn your limitations and move to the next. Try mentoring... if mentoring isn't your gift, try caring for the elderly... if caring for the elderly isn't your gift... try helping out on a little league team... find any path where you can serve others without draining your reservoir of peace or taking away from the peace owed your family.

Start small and grow slow, there is no hurry. You're not going change the world over night so learn patiences and seek grace. Allow for frequent failure and refuse the rot of despondency. Learn how to relish success and how to accept and learn from defeat.

Your path is yours to choose. You can choose to appease evil and hide under a blanket of despair or you can fight back. The cost of cowering is a cowards price and the cost of fighting is usually a broken heart. Both have equally tragic consequences for your continued happiness in the short time you have left on this earth but only one will make this world a better place. You said, "It seems nobody has the balls to do anything about any of this crap anyway." So I'm challenging you to "do something about this crap". Serve peace and fight with the tools of peace or choose the slow suffocating death of despair. The choice is yours but for the sake of the world, I hope you choose peace.