Keith JonesFebruary 26, 2016

As I grow older, I find myself valuing peaceful experiences more and more in my life. I use to think any peace I enjoyed was a byproduct of being in the right place at the right time and being around the right people. This is simply not true. I can create a peaceful situation no matter where I am and who I am with. To think otherwise leaves me powerless and a victim of circumstance. I want to create peace in my life. To do this, I began researching the subject and listening to people who are masters of living peaceful lives. What I learned is that we can all have peace in our lives at any time no matter how life shows up.

Peaceful warriors throughout history teach us that once a person masters themselves, they can control how they feel. They can find calmness and bliss anywhere and with anyone. I thought I was only able to do this when life lined up perfectly and the people around me were happy and loving souls. I didn’t do as well when life was challenging, people were rude or judgmental and when I was trying to be right about something. I struggled when this happened. So, I went back to reading the words of enlightened philosophers. They said, “It’s during these experiences that we have the greatest opportunity for growth. Challenging times, difficult people and our egos provide situations to grow and master ourselves. They are our greatest teachers because they push our buttons.”

I took all this to heart and began viewing challenging circumstances and people as perfect opportunities to practice being peaceful. Here’s how I do it:

1. I see the situation and person as a gift. I don’t resist, instead I embrace them.
2.  I look for ways in which they might push my buttons if I was not working on being calm.
3. I make it not about them, but about how I can express gratitude, kindness and love in the face of this. If someone says something negative or judgmental about me, I don’t engage or react. Instead, I send love. When I do this, I feel powerful and calm.

Life and difficult people are our greatest teachers. They provide opportunities to master ourselves. Instead of being charged by them, see them as gifts. Be powerful and tap into the peaceful warrior inside of you. Send them kindness and love. You will be happier every single time.

Keith