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create peace by being at peace
January 2007 
'Thank You' as a spiritual practice for peaceful warriors?
Posted on Jan 10th, 2007
by 
Ramona
Ramona
A woman I was working with lately mentioned that she prays for peace everyday. As she said this, there was anguish in her face. Like many of us, she is deeply concerned about the conflicts and suffering in the world. This 'praying for peace' is something many people do on a regular basis. However, one thing that strikes me about this is that by 'praying for peace' we may actually be focusing on the lack of peace in the world, and by focusing on that, we can then feel a lack of peace within ourselves. I know that focusing on this certainly creates anxiety and a lack of peace within me.
Perhaps peace is something that we can create in the world by bringing ourselves into a state of peace. The more 'at peace' we are, the more we may generate the consciousness of peace around us, and the more peace can be generated on a larger scale. It is difficult to generate world peace when we have so few people on the planet who are 'at peace' within themselves in a consistent way. When we say 'Lord, bring us peace' or even 'Let there be peace in the world,' this is actually a plea to provide that which we do not have, so in this way we are reflectively focusing backward, onto the 'lack of peace' which initiated our plea in the first place.
From the perspective of the Spiritual Law of Attraction, which is, simply stated, that you create more of that which you are focused upon, I wonder if it might not be more effective if we were to 'pray' from the perspective of gratitude rather than suplication? I wonder if we might not find peace within by giving thanks for our peace? And, I wonder if experiencing peace within might not generate more peace on a larger scale? I know for myself, as I have been repeating this 'thank you for my peace' quite often over the course of the last few days, that I do feel more at peace within myself.
I am wondering if anyone else would be interested in just trying this way of 'praying' for peace, as a gratitude practice. No matter what is going on in my life, I find that just stopping a moment and saying 'thank you for my peace,' I automatically feel better. I believe that it is possible that WE (the big collective WE of the world) will only find peace when we (the you and I individuals of the world) find and know our own inner peace.
God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~William A. Ward
Perhaps peace is something that we can create in the world by bringing ourselves into a state of peace. The more 'at peace' we are, the more we may generate the consciousness of peace around us, and the more peace can be generated on a larger scale. It is difficult to generate world peace when we have so few people on the planet who are 'at peace' within themselves in a consistent way. When we say 'Lord, bring us peace' or even 'Let there be peace in the world,' this is actually a plea to provide that which we do not have, so in this way we are reflectively focusing backward, onto the 'lack of peace' which initiated our plea in the first place.
From the perspective of the Spiritual Law of Attraction, which is, simply stated, that you create more of that which you are focused upon, I wonder if it might not be more effective if we were to 'pray' from the perspective of gratitude rather than suplication? I wonder if we might not find peace within by giving thanks for our peace? And, I wonder if experiencing peace within might not generate more peace on a larger scale? I know for myself, as I have been repeating this 'thank you for my peace' quite often over the course of the last few days, that I do feel more at peace within myself.
I am wondering if anyone else would be interested in just trying this way of 'praying' for peace, as a gratitude practice. No matter what is going on in my life, I find that just stopping a moment and saying 'thank you for my peace,' I automatically feel better. I believe that it is possible that WE (the big collective WE of the world) will only find peace when we (the you and I individuals of the world) find and know our own inner peace.
God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~William A. Ward
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