The Fastest Way to Peace
Yesterday, I was doing some reflecting on the path to peace. I was pondering my own path, and thinking about friends and family that are currently struggling with finding peace in the various situations they are facing. After morning meditation, I posted the following on the “Living in the Light” Facebook page:
The peace of God is not something we have to seek outside of ourselves to find. All that is required is surrendering to Spirit and allowing for the release of any internal blocks in the way of our experience of the peace that is already ours.
A few questions came my way afterwards, one of which I’d like to address here. The question was, “How do I release these ‘internal blocks’ faster so I can experience peace now?” This is an excellent question. The fact that it crossed your mind shows a readiness and willingness to surrender and consider another way of looking at that which you believe to be blocking you from the experience of peace in the present moment.
I could think of another 5-step plan (like my “5 Steps to Releasing Negativity“), but in my experience are two things that truly accelerate the process of undoing all that we have placed in between ourselves and the peace that was granted us by God. Thanks to A Course in Miracles, I have a daily reminder of the importance of these two things. The accelerated path to peace consists of:
1. Surrender
This step is all about surrendering control of any given situation and making room for the Holy Spirit (or Jesus, angels, guides – whatever works for you) to show you what you cannot see from your perspective. When we do this, we start to open up to the fact that there is more than one way of looking at things. We can either look with the Holy Spirit, or we can look with the ego. We know we are looking with the ego if we are not experiencing peace. That’s where surrender comes in. Whenever we experience even the slightest sense of upset or frustration, that is the moment to surrender and ask Spirit for assistance in viewing the situation (or person) in another light.
2. Forgiveness
Typically, what’s blocking us from experiencing peace is some form of grievance. Grievances can show up in a number of ways including, but not limited to: anger, resentment, fear, anxiety, hate, and jealousy. It’s so tempting to hold grievances and to stay stuck in anger and resentment over what we perceive as another’s wrong toward us. What we often don’t remember in those moments of upset, is that the only way to get to true peace of mind regarding that particular situation is through forgiveness of it. This is what the Holy Spirit will assist us with when we surrender. Forgiveness is such an important step that it warrants a little more explanation to ensure we are on the same page about what it means, as it is often misunderstood.
Forgiveness is not really about the other’s actions – it’s about recognizing our oneness (the Christ, the Buddha, the Higher Self, the Light – whatever you refer to it as) with each other. It is understanding that beyond the veil of the body (and the veil of titles, states, countries, colors, political parties, economic classes, etc.), we are all one. Anything that seems to divide us is just another tool of the ego to keep us stuck in the belief that we are separate from each other. If we focus on seeing the Christ in each other – no matter what actions show – we will remember Who we really are.
I have to admit, I used to hear concepts like this and be like, “Yeah, but this person did something really crazy to me,” or, “Yeah, but what about murderers,”…”Yeah, but…” Yes, we have to forgive even “those people” :-). All of us have two choices in every moment (I spent more time on this in “The Power of Choice“): to align ourselves with the ego or the Holy Spirit. Anyone who is acting out anything that is not love is aligned with the ego. At any point, they can choose otherwise. Why? Because that is not the Truth of who they are. They are just momentarily trapped in the lies of the ego. When you begin to recognize this, you start to have compassion for those who are caught up in this cycle. You look on them with love because you know that is really what they’re crying out for. Then you become grateful for the situation arising, recognizing that the forgiveness of it was actually for you, as you are able to progress toward eliminating your own belief in separation.
“As A Course in Miracles explains, what the world judges as an attack is really an expression of fear, and fear is a call for the love that has been denied or rejected, and that underlies the fear (see, for example, T-12.I.9-10). Thus, when I perceive you as attacking me and can remember what the Course calls the judgment of the Holy Spirit (that your attack is really a call for love), I recognize that it is also mirrors my call for love. Both of us are now joined, in that we are yearning for the same love we believe we have thrown away. Our joining—and it does not have to be on a physical level; it certainly can occur in my own mind—is how I experience gratitude to you, because you are reminding me of the lesson I want to learn. In that experience of gratitude is where the memory of love is found.” ~Ken Wapnick, PhD on A Course in Miracles
If Jesus could forgive those who were attempting to crucify him, surely we can forgive the things that come up in our daily lives (“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34). Jesus knew that they were totally caught up in the lies of the ego, and had no idea that they could not hurt him. Whenever we feel threatened or attacked (or tempted to attack another), an important thing to remember is that we cannot crucify each other. Attacking each other is pointless. We were created by, and are an extension of, a Power that cannot be crucified. Jesus demonstrated that through the resurrection. That demonstration was not for us to view him as “special,” but to prove the immortal and interconnected nature of us all. We, too, can demonstrate this in our daily lives.
Thankfully, we don’t have to do such a dramatic demonstration as Master Teacher, Jesus, but we can prove this through the resurrection of our relationships with all life for as long as we appear to be in the classroom of “the world.” We can move from relationships filled with grievances to holy relationships filled with love, peace, and joy – where we only recognize the Truth in each other. Whenever we have grievances pop up, as they will from time to time, we can remember to surrender and forgive all over again – until, ultimately, we remember there is nothing to forgive. Nothing can overcome what God creates.
“Nothing real can be threatened,Nothing unreal exists,Herein lies the peace of God.” ~A Course in Miracles
Living life this way cannot bring anything but peace, joy, kindness, love, compassion, and all of the fruits of the Spirit, because we are once again in harmony with our true nature. We see the Light in each other. We are One again. We are Home.
Keep shining!
~Kandace
About the Author: Kandace Jones
I used to live life shackled by fear, doubt, and worry. I put on a happy face while navigating my day-to-day duties, but I was emotionally drained, stressed, and unhappy. When I hit rock bottom, and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, I was determined to live life differently. I knew there had to be another way. Out of that determination, and guidance from Spirit, the "Living in the Light" blog was born. It documents my spiritual journey out of the darkness and into the Light. After nine months of publicly sharing my journey, and consciously releasing my attachment to the ego, I experienced a powerful spiritual awakening. I went from living in fear, doubt, worry, and stress to complete inner peace. My greatest passion has become assisting others on their own journey to inner peace.
My spiritual memoir, From Stress to Peace: An Intimate Journal on the Journey from Living in Darkness to Living in the Light, is available now on Amazon and BN.com. Click the tabs at the top of the page to learn more about the From Stress to Peace 21-Day Challenge, Living in the Light Retreats, 1:1 sessions, and the Living in the Light Community - all of which are designed to support your journey to inner peace. I appreciate you taking the time to visit the blog and look forward to supporting you in any way I can!