Igniting a Peaceful Revolution: Building a Pipeline of Serenity in 2024

Before or after things explode, you need more than a fire extinguisher approach to disaster. 

As one smart fireman taught me, it isn't just blowing out candles that can prevent fire. It's what you ignore behind the walls that can kill you. Of course, he referred to having an electrician regularly check your wiring.

Fire extinguishers are reactive tools. Blowing out candles is a preventative action. Checking your wiring is a proactive effort to address what's hidden and can harm us. 

One day, a light in our hallway started flickering like a poltergeist had taken residence. I immediately turned off the light and called an electrician. I'm sensitive to fire prevention. And it turns out our home was indeed in danger after he discovered a burned faulty wire behind the wall. 

I encourage you to check your wiring. And this is also more than a public service announcement in prevention. It's about a proactive peace of mind effort, decision, and energy in the face of any burning threats or disasters you face in 2024 and beyond.

When I was eight years old, our family's home burned to the ground after an explosion that took place in our garage. It was NOT due to an electrical fire, but you can see why I am sensitive to fire prevention.

All six of our beloved animals perished, and material matter, like my favorite Kermit the Frog puppet, was gone forever, including the family car. As the nightmare unfolded, I'll never forget the horrifying, unrecognizable image of my brother emerging from the devilish flames. 

Through my little girl's imaginative lens, all I could see was what appeared to be an unwrapped mummy headed toward me. Following that day, my little sister and I lived in temporary living quarters in a donated trailer dropped in the same spot where our garage used to be. 

As our family waited to rebuild, our mother spent her days with our brother at Shriner's Burn Care Center at Shriner's Children's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. The nightmare circumstances were too much for our father to handle. He chose to up and leave his wife and five children, never to return.

I know I'm not the first to witness such devastation and stand among the ashes of uncertainty. I'm certainly not unique in having experienced parental abandonment. So, where's this story going?

With the world as it is and a society filled with comparative criticism, some might say it's of little value to share what we've survived as "others have it so much worse." And where we share energies of triumph and peace through times of suffering, many can become agitated.

I recently took part in a 45-day challenge to become a more highly developed instrument of peace in the world designed by a respected colleague, SoFeya Joseph; much criticism came in—after all, with so much suffering in the world, some people said this is no time to be engaged in anything peace-related.

SoFeya played the song Imagine by John Lennon at the beginning of each session. Some people who caught wind of that opening did not see the value in imagining in these dark times and that "fluffy" ideas aren't helpful.

We often intend to send a perspective message when we speak those words. And for many of us, it makes us feel good to try and douse the flames of any discomfort we're experiencing with others' way of operation.

At the same time, we often overlook the value in the universal truths that bind us no matter what we've been through--such as fear, uncertainty, self-doubt, and disappointment. And we underestimate the power of becoming calmer throughout life's inevitable burning energies.

I'm not here to focus on the comparison of trauma. My life's work is solely about a movement and innovative care connection with the undeniable challenges in life. Peace for me isn't a choice but a necessary lifestyle that emerged from devastating times. I find many people are unaware of just how critical creating that kind of lifestyle is.

The money we earn may one day get burned up due to illness or injury. The families we count on may one day abandon us. Then, what? Are we to push forward in miserable motion and direct others to address their relationship with suffering the same?

Many of us will find our skin hanging, not as a result of fire, but of the inevitable aging process and multiple episodes of burnout we experienced due to lingering unease and worry through adversity. 

When we develop and commit to a Care-Connection with changes, we depart from a sorrowful way of life. In this space, we graduate from a stress-management mindset into a mastery focus with peace of mind. 

Just as a calm river flows across the rocks, peace of mind through rocky times is not quiet or still; it is energy in motion and can be heard and felt in the presence of everyone you touch.

At the same time, when we lose our sense of interactive play with life, relying solely on active prayer as the antidote to our misery, we may not feel fulfilled. And others may never benefit from seeing our light in situations.

While we may wholly believe we're connected to heavenly power above, we can also learn to rest in peace while we're here on earth, in the presence of our families, and experience heavenly interaction with those closest to us in times we've been scorched and through seasons we feel successful.

When we deny the stories of others to focus on the thought that "others have it so much worse," we shut down our internal opportunity to exercise compassion and empathy with others. 

When we criticize those trying to infuse peace into their lives, we may be missing out on a less miserable day ahead. 

If we're on the receiving end of someone upset at us for trying to infuse peace and harmony, it's important to remove our judgment and remember that we've all been there. Think about it: Has it ever bothered you to see someone smile when your life exploded in devastation? It's tough to reciprocate peaceful energy when the pattern lingers long in suffering.

I have a hypothesis that we sometimes stay tuned into the worst kinds of trauma outside because the energy of woe is much easier to fall into than the willingness to connect with challenging issues at home. It's much easier to feel shaken, sad, and angry about others' suffering than to face ourselves.

Les Brown imparts this wisdom:

"If you do what's easy, your life will be hard. However, if you do what's hard, your life will be easy."

With everything happening "out there," we can easily send prayers and sympathies through memes and quickly get on about our day. There's sometimes a righteous energy we gain by contributing in that way. 

On a peace-centered path, it's not about righteous energy but radical courage to demonstrate composure and calm through the most chaotic times. It's not about perfectionist standing but a more polished form of being while covered in soot. And it is definitely at times, a hard journey!

When we dare listen to others' stories of hardship [especially those in our immediate circles], it forces us to explore our own "devils" of fear, uncertainty, self-doubt, and disappointments. We usually interact with complaints as the primary energy flowing and miss out on deeper connections to impart peace and compassion.

Suppose we are even braver to dig deeper than complaining. In that case, we become connectors, wired together through compassion. And it's not so easy to follow up with regular checks without judgment.

On the other hand, we may criticize our own stories as unworthy of mentioning, let alone to connect. I recall the days I suffered from depression. With my spirit spiraling downward, I thought, 'How dare I? My brother has had it so much worse!' I continued in that energy years after following my boyfriend's permanent paralysis and as the primary caregiver of his injuries.

I found out the hard way the effects of comparison of suffering. Although I may have intended to gain a positive perspective, I was successfully losing through Self-Doubt. Along with self-doubt is the self-conscious fear of repelling people should you dare mention your pain.

Every day, some might say, is a reason to pray--for yourself and others. And why don't more of us say there's a reason to also PLAY in times of burning disaster? 

In my mind, the idea of playtime differs from some Fun-Scape examples of self-care. It's the more profound muscle I grew as a child, not as a distraction from devastation but as an integral part of what was unfolding. Of course, I'm talking about exercising the muscle of peace and the resulting energy of harmony through hellish times.

When we were surviving on no electricity, heat, or hot water and reading by kerosene lamps, we imagined we were living in the 1800s. Our family played games and explored the woods, and there was no television to watch now that our home was gone. Our mother continued playing cards and board games even as she worked countless hours to support her family.

Playtime helped to ease the emotional pain felt when our mother changed our brother's bandages. Later, scratching his back to relieve the itches of his scars turned into memorable moments of laughter. With playful humor infused, suffering is alleviated.

We sisters sang songs in an intentional, healing fashion. My older sister played the guitar and sent a recording of our family singing You've Got a Friend to our brother in the hospital. The nurses who played it in the hospital said it worked to soothe other patients and helped to brighten their days.

So, when you question someone's optimism and playful energy through dark times, remember who might be missing out if that person were to stop playing and live out a life solely through prayer and tears.

Strength doesn't have to appear bold or blitz. Strength can be a far-reaching experience that arises from a small but meaningful, compassionate move you make to ease someone's pain. Sometimes, all it takes is a happy song to feel less lonely in a scary, unfair, devastating condition. 

Imagination is a primary accessible tool that doesn't always have to operate as a daydreamy experience. It can be powerfully interactive. It is also definitely not a "fluffy" thing to imagine a better world.

Playtime doesn't always have to be defined as a stress reliever, a trip to the golf course, or swimming in the ocean. Playful energy and imagination can serve as a bonding process of healing through uncertainty.

I learned from my brother how to keep playing even as he suffered so much unimaginable pain on every level. 

Somewhere on the planet, there will always be some form of suffering. That is the nature of this human experience. And without those trying to infuse serenity through suffering, our world, indeed, is in danger of dying.

If you're asking people why they dare talk about peace in such dark times as these, my family's story may serve as a reminder of why interaction with peace is essential in moving through devastating times.

For many people, kneeling or bowing to pray is a convenient habit that can prove healing. We will do well to remember the power of that process. 

On the other hand, playing with new ideas and creative problem-solving is a challenge most people want to avoid participating in. Why? Because it moves us beyond our comfort zones with misery.

With no imagination toward a brighter existence or healing, that process of connection to new ideas can be anything but fun. Instead, we either clam up, silently stewing in loneliness or create chaos through expressed anger or disgust with others.

We don't need to 'check out' to exercise our imaginations. We can effectively, and even measurably, create calm in burning circumstances.

In transitions that wildly shock us forward or backward, there's much talk about grit and perseverance as the #1 leader in our success. 

My questions: 

How many of us are equipped to also engage in a peace-of-mind approach to fulfillment as we persevere? 

How many of us are willing to PLAY not as a surface-level self-care tactic but as an intentional supportive and healing process that also invites fun?

You may have survived a similar traumatic experience as our family's fire. Or, you may find no connection with my story whatsoever. Where we universally connect is our experience with uncertainty, fear, self-doubt, and disappointment, no matter what traumatic events we've suffered. If we aren't focused on bringing peace to our families, how are we helping the world?

Life is more than connection through survival. Every day is a new arrival of opportunity to create calm in relationships, to say less and listen more, for example.

While most people each year focus on success goals in several areas of life, all areas require success in serenity if we are to do more than survive. 

Much like you would sharpen your skis for a smoother ride down the rough slopes, acts of serenity sharpen our vision and create a smoother ride when life is pulling us down through no fault of our own.

On a daily level, imagine peace of mind as your central player in 2024. Imagine how your family life and your conversations with loved ones might change as you share scary goals with them. Peace is a partner in making courageous moves. 

If what I'm saying isn't hitting you as a priority, we can't deny we are at a pivotal point of care crisis inside the United States. 

Here's the reality:

Whether or not you work full time, most of us will be in caregiving positions to family members in the coming years. Right now, caregiving cuts across all generations, and these numbers are expected to grow rapidly. At present, 29% of Generation X and 23% of millennials are caregivers of adults. Knowing this, is a peace-of-mind plan an option or a necessity? Can you imagine how productivity at home and work is affected?

Sometimes, a home will explode without warning. Life can burn down our spirits in an instant. Suppose you have been critical of others for putting effort into peace-making or playfulness in times of suffering. In that case, I challenge you to engage in your imagination with my story, to see my brother, a fifteen-year-old boy, wrapped in bandages and screaming in agony at the touch of his body. 

Now, see this same boy, a smile emerging from a small opening in his facial bandages as he hears the song his sisters sang. It is a song about always having a friend when you are down and troubled and need a helping hand. 

In your mind's eye, imagine the nurses wiping away tears in response to those magic moments they replayed the song. Does this scene move you? If so, it is your answer to why so many of us choose to operate with peace, harmony, and imagination of a better world.

If you are the one receiving criticism for wanting to implement a peace plan into your family's life, and it's working to discourage you, I'm here to encourage you to persevere in your efforts!

We can't predict what's going to happen. The good news is that when we know what's coming, we can work with anticipation to create better days ahead! We can choose to take part today to build and exercise a peace-of-mind muscle as our strength to endure inevitable changes.

Tony Robbins shares with us:

"Anticipation is the ultimate power. Losers react; leaders anticipate." 

Let us anticipate the care crisis before us to support our families more peacefully.

I share our family's firey circumstance as a direct pipeline to peace of mind generation beyond the analogy of that which can burn us in life. 

I want to do more than encourage people to imagine life differently and challenge ourselves to examine our responses and interactions.

In my wellness world, one of the ways I innovate is to co-create a 🎭MasterPeace-of-Mind program™ each season with players willing to go outside their comfort zones. It's all about PLAYTIME--and action with child-like energies (not to be mistaken with childish behavior).

Through the ensemble process, we come alive with vibrance and elegance vs. awake and kicking and barely functioning tough challenges that threaten to burn us.

 If you've been in the habit of reactively blowing out the flames of your stress, when was the last time you proactively checked in with your internal wiring? What hides within your body that might be in danger of a fiery explosion with disappointment? Let's connect if creating a pipeline in peace of mind sounds more than just interesting.

I always say another word for LIFE is UNCERTAINTY. Your house could explode tomorrow. The scenes of fiery devastation around the world are undeniably upsetting. Knowing that the only permanent home we have on earth is our bodies, fire-extinguisher methods in stress reduction aren't enough to address the future. We must be willing to check in with our internal wiring regularly.

Life sometimes gives us the gift of anticipating what's ahead to prevent unnecessary misery. With a care crisis looming and so many details of life we must attend to, our cries to stop wars between countries and criticism of others trying to impart peace can't be the only energies we engage in. 

Together, we will rise strong in peace and playfulness through dark days. And if this article moves you, let's connect.