Taking a break for a moment from writing in my book to explore publicly the “why” I write about peace, not merely for the sake of validating the importance of my endeavor, but rather as an opportunity to challenge the culture standard that promotes happiness above all other emotions or states of being. As a self-described Inner & World Peace Advocate, I consider this my mission to not only live my life with peace but to better educate the world around me about its importance and imperative nature for the soul of our society.

Much like the attached image, imagine oneself like the ocean. The surface of the ocean water is impacted by the ever-changing weather and climate changes, at times calm while at times turbulent. From the peaceful and clear waters of a majestic Caribbean sea cove to the thrashing and unstable waters of the Southern Ocean that surrounds Antarctica, the sea surface varies tremendously. Try as it may, the ocean surface is powerless to withstand the strong winds or pull from the moon. It is at the mercy of these external factors or entities, dictating how it ebbs and flows to and from the shorelines.

Below the surface, however, a calm remains. The marine life and vegetation carry on largely unaffected by what is happening at or above the water’s surface. While the surface may be chaotic and violent, the depths below remain a consistent state seemingly unaffected and unchanged by what is happening on the surface above or beyond. No matter how explosive the pressure of the winds and moon’s pull may be, the area that exists deep below the surface remains steadfast and calm.

We as humans are much like the oceans, existing both in this world and having an existence that exists below or separate from what is happening around and to us. When I was asked recently about my writing on peace, I came up with the above analogy to better illustrate what PEACE is in contrast to other emotional states of being, in my humble opinion. While positive psychology, a trendy researched subset within the psychological community, remains a popular therapeutic modality, my concern remains with the over-emphasis on an emotion that is quite transient.

HAPPY is like the majestic Caribbean Sea. It is the warm sunshine and brilliant blue waters that gently caress the soft sandy shorelines. It is the joyful romping of the children with the floaties, or the Instagram-perfect staged photos of the most perfect beachy day. It is the best, ice-cold beverage surrounded by the most illuminating of conversation wrapped up in a calorie-free indulgent dessert.

ANGER is like the Southern Ocean off the coast of Antarctica. It’s the harsh jabs, the tossing around, and the terror of the uncertainty that feels relentless and escalating in nature. It’s the darkness. It’s the frigidity. It’s the repeated pounding and deafening decibels of sound that can be heard from miles and miles away. It’s both the void and the suffocation of the assault.

I pose this to consider…. just like the ocean, our surfaces are at the mercy of the external stimuli either intentionally or unintentionally chosen by us. Our surfaces (or fleeting emotions) are affected by what is around us, by who is around us, and how we are interpreting all of it collectively. Just like the ocean surfaces, we are powerless to and unable to bubble ourselves completely from the forces around us who may be trying to negatively impact our state of being, intentionally or unintentionally. However, just like the water that exists below the surface of whatever ocean or sea, we have the power to control the state of being held deep inside each of us. We can remain at peace, no matter what is happening around or to us.

THIS. This is why the topic of peace is so important, not just to me, but to the world around all of us.

• While I cannot control what is happening in Afghanistan, I can choose peace within me.

• While I cannot control what is happening within the debate over vaccinate vs don't vaccinate against COVID-19, I can choose peace within me.

• While I cannot control what is happening within the ever-present discussion over gun safety, I can choose peace within me.

It is within the space of peace, I can choose consciously how to respond or if I am to respond at all to the challenges around me or around the world. It is in this space I can learn the difference between reacting and responding, and in this space, growth is possible for me to do more, and be more than just at the mercy of the chaos around me. This is the work. This is intentional. It is HARD work filled with reading, meditation, prayer, writing, and intention to live my life filled with peace. It is HARD., but so is living a life filled with anger or pressured to always be happy. LIfe is hard. Choose your hard. I choose PEACE.

While PEACE may not be as popular of a search on google as HAPPINESS, I am hoping to make it as trendy and relative as the once-obscure topic of VULNERABILITY was made mainstream by the much beloved and brilliant Brene Brown.

Wishing all who read this post, all who seek peace in their lives, and all whom you may share this post with… a shelter within from the storms that may come around you.

Peace……..