Some thoughts on Peace at this time of year 1

Mahatma Gandhi is a renowned figure in world history. His dedication to the principles of peacefulness is legendary and he was able to accomplish many great things in his life. He is the man who led his Indian people to gain their independence from British rule in 1947, and the philosophy of the man lives on in the hearts of many to this day. Gandhi’s ideas were simple and came from a positive place in his heart, mind, and soul. Here are some of best ideas or pieces of advice we can glean from Gandhi to change our world for the better.

1. Learn to forgive your friends as well as your enemies.

This is a principle you can find in many religions, and the intent and concept behind it come from love and a desire to abstain from violence and negative thoughts. When you are wronged or hurt by another the natural response may be to lash out or seek revenge. So many times we hear of jilted lovers doing terrible things in the heat of passion or friendships ending due to misunderstandings.

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.”

It does take a certain strength to forgive someone who has wronged you. Realize that revenge will not erase the wrong that was done, it will only create more hurt. Do not let yourself become a part of a vicious cycle of revenge. Listen to these famous words from Gandhi himself:

“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”

Revenge is a cyclical thing. Once you carry out your vengeance, you will bring more negativity and wrong down upon your head. If you can search within and find the strength to forgive your friends and foes alike, then that is far more admirable and better for the world.

2. Realize that no one is perfect.

Perfection is an ideal that no man can realistically attain. We are all flawed beings despite our best intentions. It takes a humble sprit to continue to become better and better. The way to achieve this is through admitting your mistakes and learning from them as best you can.

“I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps.”

With a spirit of humility you can see where you went wrong. You can’t let pride blind you in this regard. To do so would be to never truly evolve. The same mistakes would continually pop up in your life because you never properly learn your lesson.

3. To thine own self be true.

Yes, that line was from the famous Shakespeare play Hamlet. The words of Gandhi speak to us and say that we would do well to align our thoughts, actions and words. In doing so we stay true to ourselves.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.”

If more people were truly happy it would make the world a better place. Negativity in the world often comes from a bitter spirit, jealousy and hate. Happiness embodies all of the great things about the world such as love, prosperity and justice. When you are not afraid to do what you are thinking and the words coming out of your mouth ring true you are living your life as you see fit. To be true to yourself is a great thing. Follow your heart and let all facets of your being be guided by it.

4. Understand you are in control of your own life.

Sometimes people blame others for their misfortune. They try to find a convenient scapegoat so that they don’t have to feel bad about their failures. This isn’t a healthy way to think of things though and it leads to a bad place. It must be understood that each human is in control of his or her life. Certainly other people can influence you in many ways. Even if others lead you down a bad path the choice was yours to follow that individual.

“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”

Gandhi understood that ultimately each person is responsible for their choices and actions in life. Be mindful of this when living your life and it will help you to want to make the best decisions possible. If you follow the crowd and do not like where you end up, you were still in control of what you were doing. Forge your own path in life, and have a smile on your face when you reach your destination.