What Does Peace Look Like?

When I think about this question, the word ahimsa, or “do no harm,” comes to mind.  Over the years I have searched for a way to be consistent in standing up for what I believe in without standing against anyone or anything. I wanted to stay focused on what was important to me without losing myself in a knee jerk response of blame and backlash. In this quest, I encountered Marshall Rosenberg’s transformative methodology called Nonviolent Communication, and I have incorporated his philosophy and practice into my personal life and into my work with others.

What I find is that with little effort and a lot of willingness, everyone can learn to speak their heart’s desires. What is it I am wanting here? It is so easy to know what we do not want, but without support, many of us find it hard to turn away from the story and focus energy on what we do want? That is what I seek to do… help people make the shift… that little shift in our thinking so we can talk about things without fighting, with ourselves or anyone else.

Sculptor Dana Toomey one said, “Before we can live in peace, we have to be able to imagine peace.” She asked a first grade class to draw an answer to the question, “What does peace look like?” The children presented their drawings, and a six year old little girl shared, “Everybody has a different picture. Everybody has a different idea. Maybe that’s what peace is — seeing everybody’s idea.”