What is peace? Exploring PEACE as an acronym with each word having a powerful meaning. P is for patience. E stands for encouragement. A represents affirmation. C signifies compassion. E is for endurance.
P = As we journey through these challenging times, may we have the grace to be patient with each other. Take extra deep breathes and count to ten before reacting.
E = More now than ever before, our words matter. Practice using kind and encouraging words that build up and not tear down or divide. Words of encouragement can go a long way during these challenging times.
A = Represents affirmation. Studies have shown that positive affirmations can help you ease anxiety, boost confidence, and stay on track during difficult times. They may seem like “wishful thinking” at first, but repeating affirmations over time can help reprogram your thought patterns to lead to your desired outcome. The longer we travel through turbulent times its very important to help each other along the way. Especially with all the essential – front line workers; teachers, hospital workers, parents, etc.
C = Signifies compassion. The definition capturers well itself; Compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. Compassion ~ empathy can be hard to muster. Acknowledging this challenge is the first step in making a more conscientious effort to connect with others. To do this, you have to make self-care a discipline, which means tending to your needs, even when you don’t feel like it. When we feel nurtured, we can then extend more to those around us. This may mean being more demonstrative with those you encounter, reaching out to loved ones more regularly, or engaging in community service by donating to charities and organizations in need.
E = For Endurance. Mana Ali, a rehabilitation psychologist at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C., treats people with spinal cord injuries and paralysis. She says that one of the first things she tells these individuals is to acknowledge such emotions and to not feel bad about having them. “I always tell my patients, ‘It’s totally normal that the anxiety is there—it’s about managing it” she says. We tend to think that fear and worrying are bad and that strength is the absence of those things, but that is not the case, she adds: “You can feel scared and fearful and angry and resentful and simultaneously be a victor and be resilient. Reminding people that they are both, versus either/or, is extremely important.”
Let’s give Peace a chance – one day – one step at a time.
By Margaret Riley
