With war and strife being broadcast on the airwaves with wild abandon, it would seem that the end of days is nigh. Yet what if the very opposite was true?

What if the negative eruption was merely a prelude to peace? What if the storm we are seeing is a final explosion of strife before the calm of dawn emanates its serene message?

A new age is emerging from the dust of conflict. Arising from the embers of destruction is an end to war. It is the final days of dismemberment of and disembodiment of the sacred temple which is the human being and our radiant earth.

The powers of control that have held us hostage and hijacked our freedom, are weakening. It is only through vile propaganda, fear-mongering and hate-speech that war can be prolonged. It will not last. It cannot continue in perpetuity. It is simply not in our nature.

Our true nature is far removed from this chaos. Humanity is waking up.

What is the legacy of our civilization? What message do we wish to leave to our future generations?

Do we wish to wait for the world to move, or could it begin with ourselves? Let peace begin with me.

Transformation starts with looking in the mirror at the self. It can be no other way. Simply put, taking responsibility for everything that appears in one’s life, is the starting point.

“As you live deeper in the heart,
the mirror gets clearer and cleaner.”

~ Rumi

We come to experience wholeness by opening ourselves to vulnerability, revealing the flower within. Honoring our whole selves including our dark or shadow self is a very loving act that brings us home to wholeness, authenticity and truth. Death exists without the need for us to die every day. So, too of sadness, illness and any limitation.
 Polarities exist in everything. Polarity exists without the need for us to experience all polarities. We don’t have to experience hardship to enjoy life.

Zen teaches us acceptance of all that is. In this acceptance, we allow ourselves to be compassionate for all things. So we may come to experience wholeness. It is through cultivating a compassionate and accepting heart, that we develop these feelings and qualities within our souls. Then we end up discovering what was there all along. Really, all that is required is to come home to ourselves—a grand surrendering to all that is.

“No matter how many leaves would the tree of your soul have
in front of the intense
heat in the words of
Time in this world,
they can never shade the
Eternity lost inside
You.”

~ Sorin Cerin

At its core, our nature is God. We carry the essence of the infinite within. Learning Nature’s laws thus guides and informs us about our own nature. Living in harmony with Nature is the route to living in harmony with ourselves. And the opposite is true—living in harmony with ourselves leads to living in harmony with Nature.

Perception guides how we interpret Nature, yet Nature’s boundless complexity persists despite our judgements. At its knowing core, Nature is giving and receiving, infinitely pliable. From Nature, we can learn the power of infinite flexibility. Before receiving, there must be giving and before giving, there must be receiving.

The context of our times is one of fear and limitation. We have been wrong about one fundamental idea which has polluted our entire consciousness—this idea that we are separate. Becoming liberated ”is about freeing oneself from the lies and deception of the society around us that believes ourselves to be separate.

When we feel lost,” our soul has not gone off track. Our soul is a light, it’s never lost. It’s more likely that we are totally on course and coming closer than ever to personal transformation. We grow more on the edge of our comfort zone.

More likely we have disconnected from Nature, our nature. A nature walk is more curative than any medicine. Nature is the great disorder we have been seeking to heal in ourselves. Nature is the silent hidden enemy we have been warring against. Nature has been our nemesis—we have been fighting against each other, against ourselves. Our epiphany lies in accepting our Nature.

We have traditionally seen ourselves as separate and it has become a source of artificial comfort. This mentality restricts our quality of life. It prevents us from reaching out to our neighbors, across borders, yet it is also symbolic of what we do to our inner world, for our outer world reflects our inner world. How we limit ourselves. Not only do we limit what we can achieve as individuals and as a collective, we also limit how we see the world and our resultant ability to experience the world. Limitation colours our perspective.

We are all the same flesh and blood, made from the same cosmic particles. The differences we highlight are an illusion. Our perceived differences are the greatest illusion that exists. It is only that which we focus on that makes us seem different, if we really knew what we were, we wouldn’t see ourselves as separate any more. We are connected, part of the one grand awakening, part of the divine dance of creation.

“You can expand to infinity—it all depends on your courage. And courage also comes as your experience grows, as you see that the more you expand, the more beautiful life becomes; the more you expand, the more love showers on you; the more you expand… everything takes on a new psychedelic dimension. It becomes more colorful, more alive, more dancing. The ordinary world suddenly starts changing into something extraordinary. The mundane becomes the sacred. And these are the most significant moments in life—when the mundane becomes sacred.”

~ OSHO

How do we find peace when the world seems hopeless?

The journey from war and separation to peace and harmony starts with each of us taking responsibility for ourselves. Our personal pilgrimage into wholeness requires the courage to look within. Healing arises from an open heart via self-awareness, honesty, acceptance and compassion. The peace we seek requires each person to step into healing all that has troubled and oppressed our ancestors.

The healing heart of one person affects the whole collective of humanity. We may not realise today, yet in a few years time when we look back, we will be amazed how circumstances magically worked out to take us where we were meant to be.

Healing is a journey to wholeness and freedom that exists already. We were born free. Our true nature is infinity. And it all begins with me.

Let’s rest in gratitude for all that is now, and work together to make it how we wish it could be.

“Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
With every step I take,
Let this be my solemn vow:
To take each moment
And live each moment
In peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.”

~ Anon