What is the Road Map For Peace?
Priorities and Possibilities
If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. ~Mother Teresa
What is the "Road Map for Peace?" This question is certainly worth considering given the state of our nation and the state of our world. Usually the idea of a "road map for peace" is applied to to finding a way to settle the dispute that exists between Palestine and Israel. However, I am choosing to take a slightly different approach and apply the idea to the healing that we must have in order to remain one of the greatest nations in the world.
As I pause to take stock of our country prior to November's election, I see a nation divided. However, the reasons for the division are unclear. People have a very vague understanding of what they really believe. As a result, people meander from one ideology to another trying to find the right fit. People speak of a revolution, but no one really understands the concept. It is as if we are angry, but we can not seem to name the agents of our irritations. As a people and a nation, we need a plan that will get us back on track and moving in the direction of true peace. With that being said, what does a "road map for peace" look like?
Destination 1: Anger Management U.S.A
The first thing we really need to do as a nation is to rid ourselves of our anger. As a spiritual counselor, I often recommend that people imagine what their lives would be like if the problem did not exist. In working with others, I have found that the real source of the problem is the resentment or anger that resides within and individual. When the individual learns to cope with his or her anger in a constructive way, the problem disappears. Perhaps the same is true with our nation. Are we really angry with politicians? Are we really angry with government spending? Or, does the source of our anger spring from frustration that resides deep within us? If frustration is the plausible answer, think of positive actions and solutions to problems. There is no winner in the blame game and calling other people names is immature and childish. As a nation we have some problems to solve. Therefore, it is time to call a truce, roll up our sleeves and get to work!
Destination 2: Gratitude Junction
A good thing to keep in mind is that we can not change what comes our way, but we can change our attitude. I am an advocate of positive psychology. Perhaps it is time to apply some positive psychology to the United States.
Gratitude is a rudimentary principle in positive psychology. Perhaps it is time for the citizens of the United States to count their blessings and remember the positive things that we have going for us as a nation. Things are a little difficult right now, but they could be much worse. We need to be grateful for our freedom. Think about the fighting and human rights abuses taking places in the world today. Do we want to become a nation of chaos? Unfortunately, we are headed in that direction if we do not pull ourselves together. Our nation has been split one time before and it was a bloody and costly war. Our problems can be solved without going to these extremes.
Destination 3: Teamwork Ahead
If we are going to mend the rifts within our country, we will need to embrace the concept of teamwork. From and organizational perspective, teamwork takes great effort. Dysfunctional teams are dysfunctional because they can not work out their differences. Managers of work teams understand that if you constantly switch teams around, productivity suffers. If you take a look at our nation today, you will see little productivity and lots of dysfunction.
To make a team successful and cohesive, it is important for each member to learn to art of compromise. I may not get what I want and you may not get what you want. However, if we work together we can find a solution that is mutually acceptable.
Concluding Thoughts
All of the above thoughts seem generally simple. Could it be that we have let our problems escalate from the simple to the overwhelming? Regardless of where we have been, there is no need to rehash old problems. Instead we need to work on solutions and plan our nation's "road map for peace."
