Janet Schlarbaum, Mark Schlarbaum Pacification

By Jeff S. Baker
Posted By Janet Schlarbaum Philadelphia
Each day is filled with opportunities to make choices. We begin choosing at the precise moment we awaken each day. How will I approach today? What are my issues or concerns? How will I deal with them? How will the decisions I make now affect the rest of my day? And how will they affect others?

Do you ask yourself questions like that? Have you given thought to how the way you start your day dictates your attitude towards everything else that happens from that point forward? For instance, the phone rings an hour before you are ready to wake up, and by the time you find the phone, the other party is gone. So, you lie back down and try to recapture your dream of winning the lottery or whatever. Just as you begin to drift back out onto the astral plane, the alarm sounds. I’m sure you get the point.

Whatever you had planned just got placed under a dark cloud if you’re like a lot of people. For some of us who enjoy sleeping, it can really be a bummer to lose that precious time, and we pout all day looking for sympathy. (at least I do) But wait. What if you took another minute, only a small moment before you actually got out of bed? What if, in that moment, you reclaimed your power to decide for yourself how your day is going to go? Instead of falling for the illusion of a bad day, decide to be thankful for another day and get up with a smile on your face.

Well, I know it’s easy to talk about and maybe not so easy to do. But I have found that by doing so, I have become a gentler person in noticeable ways. When I refuse to yield to the impression of a bad day and decide that I am satisfied with myself and my world, I am at an advantage in my effort to have a good day. My days are not perfect in some ways. Some might even say that I am faking it. They know I should feel bad because they also happen to know my circumstances.

I have learned a very important thing in my quest for personal peace: There is a difference between gratitude and appreciation. Gratitude is something I feel after having come through something or after receiving something. Appreciation is a choice I make no matter what is going on with me. I can appreciate my excellent health, my family and friends, my successful business, etc. I might be facing issues that are less than ideal, but when I am in a state of appreciation, it is ok. All is well. I will allow the gratitude to flow after I pass through this valley of uncertainty.

For now, I will choose appreciation as my main focus. It is helping me to be at peace. It is helping me to be peace. If I want peace for myself, I must be willing to offer peace to others. In offering peace, I avail myself of the Divine Peace that cannot be explained; it can only be experienced.

May your path be clear of debris. May you always have perfect peace without having to search for it. And may you experience appreciation for all you have… always.

By Steve Wickham

Do you ever notice that in certain relationships we find a comfort within ourselves being with a certain person or group, and this can be described as “peace” — when we’re truly able to be free to be ourselves? And then in certain other relationships, for some reason there is not this same comfort, we don’t feel ourselves i.e. we can lack peace. We feel impinged by a vexatious spirit which does not foster a flow of peace-filled communication to occur.

Jesus mentions this to his disciples and gives us some hints on retaining our peace — this applies even to the non-Christian; to everyone in fact.

“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.” (Luke 10:5-6)

“Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:11-16)

The essence is this: if we feel comfortable with a person or people and there’s a mutual interest, good communication, compassion or empathy, then our peace should be able to rest on the situation and over the people involved. In other words, spiritually, our peace can be allowed to float from being with the self, and to merge with the other person; this elucidates trust.

However, if we find that the interaction we’re involved in is somehow not comfortable we should protect our peace by retaining it. This means we need to be prudent in guarding our peace and hearts, from those wolves who might seek to steal it from us. We are allowed, and indeed should, ’shake the dust from our feet’ as is the Jewish saying, and surreptitiously extract ourselves from the situation. As soon as we sense a wolf, our peace ought to return to us.

And what is this peace? It is Jesus’ peace of faith. It is a peace of assurance that is able to endure much in the spirit of life and the uncertainty of life. If it meets with more peace, more peace flows, but like a telephone call it is so easily ‘disconnected.’ Jesus explains:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

The final charge of Jesus in Matthew 10:16 is a key. The Christian life is a two-edged sword of purity and prudence — ‘wise as serpents, yet innocent as a dove’ — a balance difficult to achieve, though not impossible. Furthermore, it is a balance necessary to truly grow in wisdom.

By Hans Bool

Published by Janet Schlarbaum Philadelphia

Interesting interview with Martti Ahtisaari…

About peace: every road to peace starts with a rupture of the past. Germany did it, Russia didn’t (meaning that they hadn’t faced Stalin and his crimes).

About peace between countries: “they are stronger when the result of a deal rather than after finishing a war.”

More interesting I found his philosophy of life. He was a teacher - which thought him to be patient. Being a teacher is a school for patience.

…What was most striking about Martti Ahtisaari early in his career - in addition to his charm and his sizeable physical presence - was his almost Zen-like patience. It was not a sense of calm; he was driven, determined, and direct in expressing his frustrations. But he had an extraordinary sense of the ebb and flow of geopolitical forces, the need to let those forces that couldn’t be controlled play themselves out, and the importance of being ready and perfectly positioned when the opportunity for peace arose. (1)

At school when we were young, we all have learned to count to ten before acting or responding to what someone had done to us. A simple rule. As simple as to write an angry letter and then take the patience not to push the send-button. Wait for another day, reread it and lower the tone of your voice. It seems so simple. But it requires leadership to actually do it like that.

I’m not at all a diplomat, but what I can learn from them and especially from the recent Nobel Laureate is to show some patience.

By: Remez Sasson
Inner peace is not reserved only to yogis, hermits or monks, sitting alone in a far off place, praying or meditating all day long. It can also be attained by people living an ordinary life, who have a job, married and with children.

Inner peace is a state of being emotionally and mentally at peace and strong in the face of discord or stress. It is the opposite of being stressed or anxious.

True inner peace, confers tranquility, inner harmony and inner balance, and is an inner condition, which is independent of external conditions and circumstances. It can be acquired through proper training, resulting in the ability to remain calm, undisturbed and unhurried in difficult and unpleasant situations.

When there is inner peace there are no anxieties and fears, no negative thoughts or negative expectations, no stress and no lack of satisfaction and happiness. It is a state of emotional and mental poise, happiness, confidence and inner strength.

Though almost everyone desires inner peace, albeit unconsciously, few realize its importance and benefits, and very few realize that it is a skill that can be learned and developed. You can stay where you are, without making external changes in your life, and yet attain inner peace. Some might go faster and others might progress at a slower pace. Some might reach high and others not so high, but any amount of inner peace and tranquility gained is a great achievement that can transform one’s life.

There are many reasons why you need to gain at least some measure of inner peace. Here are 20 reasons to consider:

1. Inner peace improves your ability to concentrate.

2. It improves the ability to handle efficiently the daily affairs of life.

3. It increases your inner strength and power.

4. Inner peace eliminates impatience, anger, nervousness and restlessness.

5. Inner peace develops patience, tolerance and tact.

6. It makes you feel centered, grounded, and stable.

7. Being mentally and emotionally calm contributes to improved sleep.

8. You gain the ability to be emotionally and mentally unaffected by what people think or say about you.

9. It eliminates stress, anxieties and worries.

10. Inner peace brings inner happiness and bliss.

11. It increases self mastery and self discipline.

12. It relaxes the body and nerves.

13. The healing energies of the body work unhindered.

14. Being peaceful enables you not to be swayed by events, hardships and difficulties, and to maintain inner poise, clear judgement and common sense in such situations.

15. Inner peace eliminates negative, futile and restless thinking.

16. It improves your relationships with other people.

17. It makes life look brighter.

18. It increases creativity.

19. It makes it easier to meditate.

20. It is the gateway to enlightenment and spiritual awakening.

True inner peace is important not only while things move smoothly, but especially in times of trouble, difficulties or danger. Then it counts most.

Inner peace ultimately brings peace into your life, your affairs and your relationships, and to the world around you.

By: Syed Masrur
He is Allah, besides Whom there is no god; the King, the Holy, the Giver of peace, the Granter of security, Guardian over all, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Possessor of every greatness Glory be to Allah from what they set up (with Him). [ Al - Quran - 59.23 ]

Peace is something that everyone wants probably more than anything else. Yet since time began, this world has never known true peace. With all the technological advances that have profoundly changed the way we live, we still have not found a workable formula.

Yes, we can produce a long list of steps that can be taken to promote peace. The list includes education, communication, understanding, economic assistance, negotiation, statesmanship, treaties, protocols and other government mechanisms to minimize friction and resolve disputes. However, we know from unfortunate experience that these approaches do not always succeed.

There is another major force for peace, and I am personally convinced through the lessons of history, witnessed by science and confirmed by culture that beacon of hope. It is a force which offers civilization the best hope for wide-spread and lasting accord around the globe. Islam, the only solution to world peace.

‘Challenge your soul’ is the expressions we used to reflect man’s search and need for ‘inner’ peace, happiness and tranquility. This translates in ones pursuit of the worldly gratifications, such as money, power, wealth and recognition. For them it is not just a choice a life-style but a system of life, hence becomes religion. For others, such gratifications can be had from seeking a meaning, understanding and conviction of the purpose of life. Their quest usually takes them to acknowledging a divine order and the pursuit to please “The Supreme and Guardian over all” in hope of a time immortal with everlasting, happiness and tranquility. For them this is not only a choice of a system of life but also preference of a life-style.

By: Ronnie Nijmeh

Posted by Janet Schlarbaum Philadelphia

We live in a fast paced world and most of us have so many responsibilities on an every day basis that it’s often hard to find a moment of peace each day. If you feel like your world is spiraling out of control there is still a chance to find peace in your day. How? Well, it as simple as using peaceful affirmations each and every day.

Using affirmations can help you find the peace in your life, even if it is only for a few moments every day. You’ll feel grounded and focused on what really matters in your life.

Free positive affirmations are not hard to come by and they can help you cope with all of the demands on you.

How Peaceful Affirmations Work

If you have never used peaceful affirmations before you might find that they are easier to incorporate into your daily life than you would think. Peaceful affirmations are just little statements that you can say to yourself whenever you are in need of a bit of tranquility. Finding peace in your day may be as simple as reciting free positive affirmations to yourself on your way to work in the morning or before you go to bed at night. Reciting these things often creates a lifeline to peace that is very much needed by a lot of people.

Peace is often hard to come by when your boss is demanding things of you, your spouse is nagging you, and the kids are in need of attention. Instead of getting frustrated with the lack of peace surrounding you, why not create it for yourself? You can pause for just a few seconds and repeat peaceful affirmations that will help you feel more peaceful from within. When you are putting peaceful statements out there, your body and mind are opening up to receive that peace. After all, the only thing you can control is yourself and your thoughts. So if you choose peace, peace is sure to come back to you.

You’ll find that when you start using free positive affirmations on a regular basis that you feel better and are able to find a bit of peace in the most intense moments of your life. Not only will you benefit from this, but the people around you will be able to, as well. Because you feel more peaceful or have something to lean on in those crazy moments, you will be able to handle these situations with a more positive nature. When you approach situations like this everyone will realize it, and as a result they will likely be more positive and peaceful, as well. After all, it’s not just the bad attitudes that rub off on others - positive feelings can, too!

As you can see, peaceful affirmations are not just good for you, but they are good for those around you. If you find even one or two free positive affirmations that you can put to use, you’ll find that you are a lot more at peace and better able to handle the stresses that you deal with every day.

Many people believe that peace cannot be found, but this is not at all the case, sometimes you just have to create your own inner peace and this can easily be done with peaceful affirmations.

By: Tejvan Pettinger
Article Posted by: Janet Schlarbaum
Inner peace is an elusive quality it is something we would all like to have more of in our lives. Inner peace can become a reality in our lives if we make a sincere effort to make this a priority.

Avoid Judging Others.

The nature of the human mind is that we are tempted to constantly judge others and ourselves. When we judge others we are instinctively drawn to their failings and bad qualities. This helps neither others nor ourselves. The world is full of teeming imperfections but if we seek only to judge others we will never have peace of mind. This is why Jesus Christ said to those condemning others “Let him who be without sin cast the first stone” Here Jesus Christ was saying if we have to judge anybody it should be ourselves. Often when we judge others we are doing it out of a sense of subconscious insecurity. By saying how bad others are, we feel that we are comparatively better. If we have real abiding peace we will not feel any necessity to judge others.

Forgiveness.

Real forgiveness means to forget others transgressions. If we constantly harbour past injustices and perceived slights we will feel permanently aggrieved; this can lead to a sense of bitterness, which is completely contradictory to the sense of peace. Forgiveness should also be applied to ourselves. If we have made mistakes we should learn from them and move on. There is no benefit from constantly repeating them in our mind.

Meditation

The real secret of inner peace is the ability to maintain inner silence; inner silence requires us to control our thoughts. If we can have a clear and calm mind unruffled by thoughts then it allows our inner peace to come to the fore. When we enter into real meditation we are unencumbered by the judgemental mind. We bring the capacity of the heart to the fore; it is in the heart we can feel a real sense of peace.

“Why are you moving

From one country to another

To find peace?

The sea of peace is just inside

Your mind’s silence-sky.”

- Heart Songs: Sri Chinmoy

Happiness.

Peace is synonymous with happiness. This happiness is not just the fleeting pleasures of worldly success; it is the inner joy that is the essential part of our real self. We should endeavour to cultivate happiness through ignoring wrong and negative thoughts. When we bring our inner happiness to the fore peace becomes more of a living reality.

Service to Others

When we seek to fulfill only our own needs and desires, peace remains a far cry. If we live to fulfill our own desires we cannot attain lasting satisfaction. The nature of desire is that even when we have some desires fulfilled more desires are generated. However through actively serving others we can find the demands of our own ego are sublimated to a more meaningful purpose.

By: Sharon Marquart
Article posted by: Janet Schlarbaum
You mean you have to Work to achieve Inner Peace?? You mean it doesn’t come natural? You betcha!

For most of us, our waking hours are focused on reacting to what is happening in the world outside ourselves. The many activities, the never-ending lists to complete, all the interactions with others can cause us to be tense, worried and anxious. And if you are a parent, your responsibilities are often doubled or tripled. This constant state of “don’t blink or we’ll miss something” hypersensitivity can be very tiring and leave us feeling anything but peaceful! Whew! The chaos that can accompany everyday living explains why we have to put forth extra effort to achieve inner peace.

First we must take responsibility that we are in control of our thoughts and attitudes. Your presence in any circumstance adds to the energy of the situation. If you are in a state of worry and anxiety, you contribute tension. If you are in a state of Inner Peace, you contribute harmony. We are in control of our attitudes and we control what we contribute to any situation. We are in control of stopping ourselves from reacting to the world and instead learn how to respond to the world.

Next it is important that we take time to connect with our Inner Peace. Spending time with a sleeping infant reminds us that Inner Peace is our natural sate of being. Inner Peace is our natural state of health. This can be done through quiet contemplation, meditation, walking in nature and putting ourselves in peaceful environments. Taking time to separate ourselves from the outer world and connecting with our inner world is vital to discovering our Inner Peace.

How do we change our state of being? We live in three phases of time: past, present and future. Release yourself from past regrets, guilt and resentments. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to live in the present while carrying around baggage from the past. There are many healers, therapists and self-help books that can guide you through various processes of clearing old and stale energy. If you take this first step, you will have less worry and anxiety to project into your future. As you become free of your fears, you will be able to imagine your future as fun-filled and joyous. You will have more “presence of mind” to manage the current stress that takes place on a daily basis. You will have more presence to change your reactions to responses.

Achieving Inner Peace does not mean that un-peaceful things stop happening. It’s how you respond to them that allows you to live in a more peaceful state of being as you move through your day. You begin to radiate Inner Peace. Your responses to the tensions of the day uplift any situation. You will notice the difference; your family and friends will notice the difference, your coworkers will notice the difference and anyone you interact with during the day will be reminded of the Inner Peace that lies within them simply by observing your sense of peace and tranquility. Will you reap the rewards of your work? You Betcha!

By Brian Ankner

We can logically assume that World Peace is something that 99.9% of the 6.5 billion People in this world would want and support if there was a way to achieve that World Peace that was practical, logical, morally right, non-violent and serves the good of All People and their governmental structures equally.

Achieving World Peace would be nothing more then civilizing this world by establishing a system of international law and order. Lets face it; we cannot realistically expect to live in a peaceful world until it becomes a civilized world.

A civilized world would be one that functions within a system of International Law and Order that provides guidelines for how all governmental structures and others including religions and corporate structures operate within that international system. A civilized world would be a world that holds the value of all human life up to the highest of standards and would have the means and legal authority to prosecute anyone that took a human life for any reason.

By no means does a civilized world create a perfect world, but living in a civilized world that is functioning within a system of international law and order would be more natural, peaceful, and humane way to exist for All People and their governments.

Civilizing is something the human race has instinctively done since the beginning of time because The People have always understood that if they were going to live together there was going to have be some rules to live by.

Today, all societies have functioning systems of law and order from the local, state, and federal levels and have systems of government to enforce the laws and maintain the civil order. There would be no need for governmental structures if The People choose not to live in civilized systems.

The big problem the world faces today is the fact that it has evolved to a multicultural globalized society that does not function in a totally civilized manner. To correct that problem, it is essential that a system of international or global law and order be established that sets the guidelines for how our governmental structures or other structures that operate on an international level function, therefore, the human race has one more civilizing job to do before it can be totally civilized and peaceful.

The natural instinct to survive in a peaceful manner is the main reason humans have developed the theories of being civilized.

What you are witnessing in the world today in regard to all of the dissension and anger by The People all over this world that is directed towards those who cause the wars, atrocities, death, destruction, and violence in this world is the natural human response to the uncivilized acts carried out by uncivilized governmental, religious, and corporate structures or individuals that threaten the natural human desire of All People to survive in a peaceful and civilized manner.