With this being a time of ever increasing change in our world, from governments and politics to climate change and human rights, many people seek to fight for one cause or another. In truth, “fighting” for anything comes from a more negative energy space that aligns with anger, fear, judgment, frustration or irritation; taking the cause of choice further away from positive change, instead of in the direction of it. When that negative energy is amplified by the masses, chaos can ensue and people begin to turn away because the negative energy drags them down; the cause gets lost in the shuffle as a result.
Taking a more enlightened perspective can make it possible to be engaged and advocate without being dragged down by or engaging with negativity. A mindful approach that is centered on discernment and not judgement, understanding and not demeaning, kindness and not hate, action oriented and not reactive; is possible with a practice of mindfulness. No matter what is occurring in our world, maintaining your own peaceful state makes the biggest impact for positive change.
It is absolutely possible to create change in our world, but the ballot box and protest march will never be as powerful as your own vibration, actions and words. Many people are passionate about a candidate or cause that advocates for a desired change. Whatever the issues, our passion can be an incredible motivator and communicator; but when that passion turns from heartfelt, positive enthusiasm to sarcasm, frustration, resentment or anger; you go from advocating for change to complaining about it. That energy only creates a negative force instead of a positive paradigm; making the very change you seek slip further and further away.
Mindfulness is understanding that true change and peace are not about any outward manifestations in our world; they can only come from within. Life is absolutely what you make it despite any external circumstances; so in truth there are in no injustices, but rather lessons that individuals need to learn or teach on their path (no matter how difficult they are for us to comprehend). Our reactions are what create the problems and take us away from the source of peace that we each truly are. Much of the media, some corporations and many political systems are in the business of fear mongering; they must make us sick so we need them to get better. Deciding to shift your focus from complaint and argument to restraint and understanding is mindfulness.
If you desire change of some sort, it will not solely come from any vote you cast; there must be action and it must be a complete reflection of that desired change. For instance, if you desire peace on Earth; choose to conduct yourself in a peaceful manner and lead by example to strive to bring calm wherever you go and to live peacefully (ahimsa). Or, if you want to promote honesty in business, conduct yourself in that manner by avoiding corruption and insincerity. To fight for peace and protest corruption only makes the focus the very things you to change. To mindfully advocate for change, it must first come from within and you simply must live it and spread it wherever you go; making yourself a walking and talking example of it and focusing your time and energy on it to create more and more of it (it’s truly a ripple effect).
Here are 5 ways mindfulness can create peace and positive change:
1. Energy mindfulness:
ENERGY IS EVERYTHING! The Law of Attraction doesn’t judge, it is constantly working for each and every person all the time. What we focus our time and energy on individually matters; you can only control your part in the bigger picture of the world. Being mindful of your energy is vital in creating what you desire, no matter the circumstance. World peace is created one person at a time, it starts with your own individual state of peace that must come from within. Create practices that help you be more peaceful and you become an example for it, inspiring others to do the same. Being angry, irritated, sad, judgmental or unkind, even if it is justified, takes you in the opposite direction.
2. Action mindfulness:
The way you behave and treat others matters. Kindness matters. Action mindfulness is how we lead by example and be the change. By embodying your beliefs, you show people the way and create more of it. You cannot on the one hand speak against discrimination and unfairness and than turn around and make assumptions about people; categorizing them by superficial and stereotypical speculations. Act with discernment, not judgment.
3. Discernment mindfulness:
Discernment is about making choices that align with positive, heart-centered beliefs and feelings. It is not about judging other people for how they choose to live, or even what they believe. We can never truly understand the path (or history) of another and what creates their beliefs, we can only control our reactions and our choices. When you react negatively to the toxic or hurtful behavior of others, you add more negative energy into the world. Use discernment mindfulness to focus on aligning with your positive beliefs, without engaging in low vibrating energy by reacting with negativity.
4. Understanding mindfulness:
Understanding is defined as a state of cooperative or mutually tolerant relations between people. The truth is, we do not have to agree to be kind or to be understanding or to simply accept that the beliefs of others do not have to affect our purpose (unless we choose to let them). Anger will never bring about positive change, because in anger we become part of the problem and move further away from being part of the solution or leading others. Understanding is about behaving in alignment with your beliefs while mindfully advocating for them.
5. Mindful advocation:
Our world is currently filled with many frustrated people over government, corporations, treatment of our planet and the sheer inhumanity that can exist. Many see their role as being an agent for change by criticizing what they do not like or want; taking it to the streets, asking for laws to ensure things change or organizing ways to harm those they view as the cause of injustice. While some of these methods might bring about a temporary fix, lasting results of a desired outcome are better in the form of the change you seek. Gandhi did not say we should talk, yell, argue or force the change we want to see in the world; he said to BE THE CHANGE. Anything other than that simply perpetuates that for which you supposedly fight against. Fighting is a negative force, it never leads to positivity (and certainly not to peace). Be mindful in your advocation. Seek not to convert nor condemn; rather merely to convey by being the example of what you desire in the world. As more and more and more of us turn inward for peace and express it outward with our actions, words and deeds, we will be able to have truly lasting transformation. That is the kind of change that can shift souls and create an awakening. Anything else is divisiveness in disguise; no matter how right or just the cause may seem.
If you seek to promote positive change of any kind; your must first seek it within and then extend it without. The world becomes a better place every time one person decides to become a better version of his or her self; sharing that goodness with others without forcing opinions or passing judgment for not being or thinking the same. We are truly one, each connected; do you want to be connected to anger or peace? Once you are the reflection of your desires, you can only be surrounded by them; that is how mindfulness changes the world, one person at a time, with a powerful ripple effect of love and peace.
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