The 2016 presidential election has stirred the collective consciousness of this country.   Those on the ‘winning’ side, feel heard, emboldened, justified and sanctified. Those whose presidential choice did not prevail, myself included, feel a tremendous sense of grief, hurt, anger and disbelief.   From my own perspective, now seven days post-election, my reaction to the results are becoming tempered, which is allowing me to understand them, heal from them, and better yet, grow from them.

My meditation sessions for the past week have brought forth one central theme—peace. We humans crave peace, and the lack of peace within ourselves creates disharmony not only within us, but to those in our immediate circle and in our community. It is true what they say, ‘hurting people hurt people.’   Do you think that teenager who broke into your house is at peace? Or that guy that flipped you off in traffic? Think about the ripple effect of their peacelessness.   What is going on in their family, in their lives, that causes such action? How their actions have impacted you?

Peacelessness is not innate. Peace is. Newborns do not come into this world angry and malcontent. We are taught these negative emotions through our relationships with our parents, our classmates, our co-workers. We develop a desire to hurt those who have more than us, to get mad at those who don’t see things our way, to hate our lot in life. So we take it out on others, in ways that are difficult to fathom. The peacelessness in our country is no more evident as that demonstrated in the campaign and its’ after-effects.

Imagine what would happen if rather than teaching peacelessness, we taught peace. What if we taught our children and those around us to be content with where we are and what we have, that it’s not about how far you get, but how you get there, and that we love the community, and it’s people, in which we are a part? Can you imagine that world? Oh, I have no doubt there would still be conflict, but conflict can exist without hatred and vitriol. Conflict can be respectful, embodied in the recognition that whomever we are in conflict with is our brother or sister, not our enemy.

Peace is within us all. It has no regard for gender, race, creed, ethnicity or sexual orientation.   It is freely available for those who wish to reclaim it. Peace is necessary for the survival of this world, and for the human race. I, for one, am on a mission to infuse my life, my consciousness, my entire being with peace. I am content with where I am, and as my life continues to evolve, I am intent on living it with peace in my heart. I am hopeful that as I continue on my peace path that those around me will reap the benefits so at least, in my little corner of the world, there will be peace.