We are back to full speed. Jeny had a rough couple of days but is doing very well now. Thanks again for your interest and concern.
I have had a blog on love and a blog on joy. Continuing my positive adventures, today’s topic is my favorite way to sign off my communications, peace.
In my own life, I routinely enjoy the experience of personal peace. For me, one key to personal peace has been self-acceptance. When I learned to accept myself with all my weaknesses and flaws, I began to be more peaceful. This ability came with the recognition that I am forgiven and accepted. If God accepts me, then I do not have to prove myself to others. I can be at peace with who I am, warts and all. Many people without a faith waste time and energy trying hide their faults. I continue to work on my faults and failures, but I am at peace with the process.
Another way to think about the situation is – acceptance is being able to properly love myself. Many people have argued and I agree — proper love of self is a key to loving others. If I am at peace with who I am, then I do not have to build myself up and tear others down. I can work to build others up. I have no need to disparage others
The ability to be at peace is not a far-away pie in the sky idea. For me, it is critical for my relationship with Jeny and others close to me as well as the world. The better I am at peace with who I am — the less I need to prove — the more energy and freedom I have to put the needs of others before my own wants.
Being at peace is important, but I believe I have a higher calling to be a peace maker. In my own life a critical factor in peace making is being willing to accept I can be wrong. In my own life, carrying the attitude into my relationships is very important. If Jeny and I get into a discussion, if I have the attitude that I can be wrong, the discussion will be more peaceful. I choose my words more carefully. I listen more carefully. If it is a disagreement and I am right, my attitude will not be one of victory and pride for being correct but rather one of humility for the solution of a disagreement.
As you have read in my blogs, the willingness to accept weakness is critical for proper dialog. We must listen to each other, be willing to accept strength in other positions and weaknesses in our own before we dwell on the faults in other positions.
Acceptance that I can be wrong requires humility, not self-righteousness. Amazing how often in my life and my thinking, self-righteousness is at the center of an issue.
I encourage all of us to make peace-making a serious part of our lives with those we hold dear as well as with all others with whom we disagree.
Peace making is not acquiescing. Peacemakers have the wisdom to have opinions, but they offer the opinions with a willingness to change if corrections or compromises are needed.
As a humorous aside (or maybe not so humorous), when I began my search for a peacemaker image all I could get were images of guns!!
Why do I sign off with the word peace?
Peace or Shalom is my prayer for you and my hope for the relationship between us.
Peace
Jerry
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