What Would Make the World More Peaceful?

Most of us long for a more peaceful world. But sadly, our world always seems rife with conflict. Wars rage. Tensions are everywhere. Those tensions mount, and inevitably flare. In fact, a lack of peace seems the constant state of human affairs. That leaves one to wonder what it would take to bring harmony to the world.

We keep trying the same ways to ensure peace. Be so strong, so powerful, so capable of crushing any opponent and no one will dare harm us. That will keep the peace, we say. But history teaches us otherwise. And the lessons history teaches tend to exact some very heavy prices. Still, we place our faith in power, might, cleverness, strategy, etc.. And when things do stay relatively calm for a while, we become deluded, thinking our formulas worked.  We don’t even question, until things heat up again.

Understanding the world and the problems it’s had finding lasting peace starts with understanding human nature. Accordingly, forging a better, more peaceful world, has to start with cultivating a better self. That’s what the concept we’ve traditionally called character is really all about. And it’s a matter I’ve made my life’s work for over 40 years.

Peace Begins in the Heart

Conflict rages in the world. It also rages within too many relationships. And all that is fundamentally because it rages within the human heart. Human beings harbor all kinds of urges, tendencies, and inclinations. Denying this is a recipe for one kind of disaster. Failing to own this reality and commit to self-mastery leads to another, more prevalent kind of disaster.

We live in times where character dysfunction of one type or another is not only more prevalent but also so “normalized” that we barely notice its insidious role in our many conflicts. We hurt, and we say we want peace, but we’ve forgotten what it really takes to acheive it. For our environment to be more peaceful, our relationships have to be so first. And for our relationships to be wholesome and as conflict-free as possible, we have to first make peace within our hearts.

Hope for the Season and Beyond

My hope for all of us this holiday season is that we know genuine peace. Not just peace in the world, but peace within our relationships and within our own hearts. I actually had that sincere wish in mind when I wrote Essentials for the Journey. Our egos have their own formulas for changing the world. But deep down we know that our pompous egos will never accomplish what only a converted heart can. And that’s why I pray we reclaim the importance of character, and a proper understanding of how to achieve it. The formula for a more peaceful world is simple, straightforward. But it’s not easy.  In fact, it’s a monumental challenge. Still, we have a roadmap: one heart at a time, beginning with our own.