This phrase so popular back in the 70s reflects a void deep in the soul, manifested through rebellious behaviors in demand of what felt as a lack of peace and love.
Love, peace, peace, love, peace and love…sadly so overrated for most yet that is exactly what is missing in the world, and most are unaware of it because we are so consumed by the whirlpool of everyday life. Every decade has its “peace and love” way of expressing disappointment and dissatisfaction of a world that feels so empty in so many ways and proof of this is the rapid increase of mental health cases in the world at large.
We have grown used to complaining about everything, it is almost a lifestyle but…what exactly are we doing to make changes? This is like beggars on the street that have grown used to extending a hand to beg for money. Most of us have grown used to complaining expecting others to make those changes and we wait, and wait, and wait some more, all the while complaining and that’s all we ever do. But I am not here to point fingers and complain. This is not about blaming individuals, this is a community issue, a world problem where the leaders of the world have all to do with it because they are our role models who are supposed to look after our well-being.
People have always complained (partly human nature) because there is a noticeable lack of peace and love in the world. This increase in mental health cases is an indirect result of leaders of the world not listening or caring enough about people. Parents come back home with an empty heart from a world where everyone is only looking after themselves. The status quo has created selfish individualistic human beings. This empty feeling inside parents creates broken homes because there is little love to give to the children which affects our emotional, psychological, and social well-being while growing up. Statistics taken from WHO says that: 1 out of 4 people will suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives, 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression, about 700,000 people take their lives each year and suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds (higher among females).
Peace and love go together, one does not exist without the other. When you love, your heart is filled with gratitude, and this builds a hospitable space for peace to grow and reign. But where do we find this peace and love in a world like ours? As we have experienced, it is hard to rely on others for that as we grow up, however, the world is also filled with beautiful loving human beings. These people full of love are just like you and me though we all react differently to our surroundings due to our personality differences. Some express their disappointment rebelling against the oppressing status quo that only tries to silence them, and these rebellious behaviors come in different shapes and forms. Others develop a form of mental illness as a response. And others have been overpowered and overshadowed by the screams let out by the more vocal community that is fed up with this world that lacks peace and love. How have these quiet ones survived this world without screaming? In a way we tend to hide to protect ourselves from this aggressive, oppressive, and empty world. We find solace deep within ourselves by stepping out of the whirlpool of life as this is the only way we can find ourselves, listen to our thoughts, find awareness to understand and find inner peace and love. A lot of these beautiful people they congregate in small communities where they find a haven.
The biggest problem for most people is fear of getting hurt. With that fear comes lack of trust and difficulty finding courage to open to other equally loving people who also hide to protect themselves. However, if we all close to protect ourselves, this makes it more difficult to find the peace and love we so desperately need. Though closing is the logical behaviour to adopt, it is what will hurt us the most in the end. It is better to slowly risk opening our hearts to others in the hope of finding peace and love, than to die with an empty heart by giving up without even trying. Some of us risk everything just to find Peace and love. Taking this leap of faith is the scariest thing yet the most rewarding when you find what you are looking for on the other side. Then with peace and love comes meaning in life. We can also find peace and love from nature and from animals, but they cannot offer what we need to grow and reach our biggest potential of joy. Only true human love can appease and fill an empty heart and we know where this love comes from. This fountain of love in the universe is the only place where we can find true peace and love and it exists within us all.
We have no real control of the world around us. Our leaders or care givers might not necessarily provide us with the peace and love we need to grow joy in our hearts. However, once we become conscious adults, it is important to take some responsibility of our own emotional well being. I say conscious adult because if we suffer from a mental illness, we might not be able to be fully conscious. Those of us who can, we need to act towards reaching a place of peace and love, for our own sake and our dependents. One individual at a time taking action to bring about change will positively impact the world at large. We cannot simply sit, complain, rebel, and expect something to change. We cannot depend on and wait for others to provide us with peace and love, it is imminent that we take responsibility and find this ourselves. We need to want to live in peace and love to create a space for it in our lives. PEACE AND LOVE to you!
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