The Power of Peace

Peace. It’s more than just the “Peace on Earth” greeting cards that fill certain holiday seasons with gauzy images of doves and starlight. It’s more than a nice way to tell folks to “Have a nice day.” It’s more than bland sentiments to accompany two fingers or a word to mean “hello” or “goodbye” or a dreamy goal for mental health. Peace is a powerful force, whose balance represents a way of walking in wholeness.

Peace is more than the opposite of war or the absence of strife. Tribal traditions teach us that Peace is the natural state of balance in the soul, the spirit, the environment and in the human heart. A loss of peace represents a warning sign that something is out of balance. Prayer, Songs, Dances, and Ceremony provide processes for restoring Peace between people, with Nature, and within our own hearts.

When you’re not feeling well in your physical body, you may go to a doctor. You may describe a cough or an ache or pain that’s troubling you, but the doctor knows that those are simply symptoms of a deeper ailment. A doctor may only take your physical temperature, but becoming aware of the presence of peace proffers a wonderful way to access Divine Protection, Divine Provision and Divine Presence.

Ever met someone and immediately felt uneasy about them? Losing your Peace may signal that you need to proceed with caution. Recognizing a loss of Peace as a signal from the Spirit may be a method of Divine Protection.

Making an important decision? Learn to perceive when a specific option fills you with Peace. Spirit often guides us into Divine Provision by leading us with feelings of Peace, even if the circumstances around us seem stormy. Peace filling our souls often lets us know that we are on a good path and walking in a good way.

In direct contrast to mainstream culture, which views a busy chaotic life that is punctuated by bursts of Peace as normal, many Indigenous perspectives view Peace as the normal condition of humanity, which must be restored when it is interrupted by imbalance. Divine Presence should be a constant, according to numerous Native viewpoints, which is nurtured by participating in prayers, songs, dances and ceremonies. Yet, every culture has rituals and beliefs that encourage introspection, enlighten insights and uplift spirits.

“Alright,” you may be thinking, “that’s great. But you don’t know the stress I’m under and you haven’t met my spouse/kids/boss/neighbor or seen how much I need to do. No wonder I’m low on Peace right now.” Sound familiar? Well, your current lack of Peace may be a symptom that there’s a lack of balance in your spiritual life right now. Want to jump start your Peace? Take a minute and a deep breath and concentrate on the last time that you remember feeling Peace, even if it seems like a long time ago. Feel the feelings that you felt at that time, especially the sense of Peace. Let that Peace surround your Spirit. Now make your decision, or proceed with your day and increase your Peace as you go!

Another immediate way to increase your Peace is to release your worries. I like to think of it this way: What if I asked you to do a favor for me? And you said yes? Well, I must trust you or I wouldn’t have asked you for help, right? So, then, how would it look if I texted you every few minutes or called, saying, “Hey, how about that favor? Are you doing it? Have you already done it yet? You’re not forgetting are you?” Well, at first, you might reassure me, but if I kept messaging you, I would only increase my stress, irritate you and make it seem as if I didn’t actually believe in you or your ability to help me. Well, Creator is way more able and way more willing to help than any human. Trusting Creator’s goodness can increase your Peace as you pray and then surrender to the Spirit. Replace worry with faith and corresponding actions. Personally, I made a “Something for God to Do Box”, a beaded box where I place all my concerns, which are written on slips of paper. I pray over the slips of paper, yet once I put them in the box, I believe I receive my answer. Every time I think of the situation, I give thanks or do any actions that I need to do to manifest my miracle, but I refuse to worry or to be troubled by the circumstance anymore.

A final, and my favorite, way to increase your Peace is to pray. Prayers of thanksgiving and praise can refresh your internal environment, regardless of external events. Pausing throughout your day to pray can create an oasis of Peace amidst the movements of daily life. Giving thanks reminds us of the precious blessings we have already received and magnifies the mercy of Creator instead of the mayhem of everyday life.

Peace ushers in Divine Protection, Divine Provision, and Divine Presence. As you seek Peace and pursue it, you may enjoy reading my new Kindle book, WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO, which illustrates ways to increase your peace during troubling times. Peace is more than a great slogan for a t-shirt or a way to depict boring or mundane days. This amazing spiritual force is the reward for balance, the way to reap blessings and a dynamic manner of living!

Dr. Dawn Karima