World Peace seems like the impossible dream. It doesn’t seem to matter who is driving the cause or how much money is put behind it, attempts at world peace all seem to fail somewhere along the line. That’s not to say that all efforts are in vain. Certainly I’m a big proponent of being friendly and getting along with people where possible.
The interesting thing about the concept of “world peace” is that for there to be peace in the world, there has to also be peace at home. If two brothers can’t get along, then how can we expect people of different races, religions and various backgrounds to cooperate?
I believe that if we can solve the problems at home, we can solve the problems of the world, and the reason is simple. The same reason why two family members don’t see eye to eye is the same reason two countries don’t see eye to eye.
It sounds simplistic, and perhaps it is, but that’s the beauty of it all. There are a couple of principles that if followed would go a long way to eliminating turmoil and wars.
The first is communication -open and honest communication. As I watch my two year old daughter as she’s learning to speak, form sentences and grow her vocabulary, I see how excited she is. Every day she learns something new and she’s just itching to practice. What happens between that age and becoming a teenager when it seems the lines of communication shut down and no one wants to talk any more?
Marriages break down and countries go into war against each other because they fail to remain in consistent communication and let their assumptions take over.
When communication is done well it becomes the strength in a relationship or in an organization, but when it is done poorly it can be single most destructive force. I’ve worked in places that have such poor communication that everything was learned “on the grapevine” or at the water cooler. There was constant gossiping and a lot of ill-feeling, simply because there was a lack of healthy communication from managers and between colleagues.
The second is to try and see things from the other person’s point of view. Most of the arguments (and these very big arguments become wars) that happen are a result of people not putting themselves in the other person’s shoes and making a real attempt to see it from their point of view. Sometimes that means to physically put yourself there – sit in their chair, put on their clothes, spend a day shadowing them. Ask questions why. Be genuinely interested in their life and find out what makes them tick, and why! When you begin asking people questions about their life you will be amazed at how interesting they are. Below the surface there are so many hidden treasures and experiences, it seems a shame that there are very few outlets that will allow them to come forth, and also our reluctance to talk about them.
When you truly understand why someone does something and you can put yourself in their position, you may still not agree with their point of view, but it’s much more difficult to get angry about it.
Often we look to other places to try and solve problems. It’s easier than dealing with our own issues. We complain about the world and we become victims of our environment. If we turned that energy into making the best of our own lives, the one by one we could save the world. World Peace is achievable, one household at a time.
I realise what an awesome gift I was able to give them and their son, because there will be years of enjoyment that they will get from the mural. It's amazing how a gift that took nine hours to give can create such a lasting enjoyment.
Those are the gifts that have tremendous value. What's interesting is that is cost me nothing, yet it has a lot more value than any gift we have given them or their son.
