Ahimsa in Action: Small Steps Toward a Kinder World
Storms rage around me; I send peace to the world.
In order to send peace, to see peace, to accept peace, we must find peace within.
You ever been in the middle of an argument with someone immature? You’re trying to find peace, a solution, an agreement to agree to disagree, yet they are causing a scene. Continuing the discussion. One could say they have not found a state of internal peace therefore unable to spread that peace to the world.
The rage around us consumes them, and they continue the stir. That rage can look like many things, but for the purpose of this pov piece, we will describe it as violence.
We are largely used to violence such as killing, physical harm, and stealing; they are apparent and tangible. We generally do not describe the disturbance of peace, feeling rushed, imbalances, powerlessness, or fear - as violence, yet these intangible, energetic feelings often cause us mental violence, turmoil, and pain.
How can we see non-violence in action? How can this principle be enacted and result in a Kinder World? It starts with you.
Below are 5 small steps to take toward a kinder world - hint, it takes introspection and list.
Make a list of your fears.
This will help you realize your key motivators and what you may need to lean into to broaden your perspective.
Make a list of what puts you in a state of imbalance.
Being in dis-ease leads to a compulsion to express yourself. Something as small as not eating when you’re hungry, filling your calendar to the brim, or that sneaky link you keep stringing along.
Make a list of who you need to forgive.
This could be you for starters; for spending too much money, for eating when you’re not hungry, for not investing when you knew you should have. Forgiveness releases a bind on our heart that prevents love.
List things you like to daydream about.
This gives your mind another space to venture off to that you know brings you joy. In times of worry (fear that hasn’t matured) go to one of these imagination safe spaces that help you connect yourself to the greater.
When you feel like it, flash a smile.
Preface: I am not a proponent of telling anyone what to do with their face. However, those days you feel pleasantly positive, spread it. Each person has fought a battle you couldn’t imagine. You’d be surprised by the response to spreading a little joy in the world. You may walk out of Target with free Nespresso pods (true story!).
Did you think this would be a blog about reducing waste or mindful eating?
Maybe another time. Emphasizing multiple levels of influence, I believe that change starts just as the Social Ecological Model says it does, with the individual,
