The Game

It is said that the \"game\" never changes, only the players. I find this to be true especially in the area of violence whether it be by or against men women or children. I have come to discover that in a person's life, nothing major changes unlessa dramatic situation occurs in his/her life to create a strong desire to change his/her thoughts, emotions, behavior and life. Tyrants remain tyrants, victims remain victims through family generations, communities governments, devastating issues (such as human trafficking) and wars of all kinds. The stories - the game - stay the same. Only the people telling the stories change. Why?

I imagine that the answers to that question are as numerous as leaves on a tree. One consideration I would like to mention here is \"Peace.\" What is peace?

First, peace is not necessarily \"no fighting.\" That type of peace is outside-of-me and is usually temporary. At best, it is only quiet for a time.

True world peace begins with each individual. In other words, peace begins with me finding peacewithin myselfnot without myself. How do I do that?

Step One: I pay attention to my thoughts. What I am thinking creates what I live. In other words, if I think thoughts, for example, that say \"women don't matter,\" then I will continue to treat women as if they don't matter. On the other hand, if I think thoughts that women are wonderful, productive contributors to society, I will treat women according to those thoughts.

Step Two: I pay attention to my emotions. My thoughts create my emotions. If I have angry thoughts, I feel tightness in my gut, I breathe shallow and my fists tightened. If I am depressed, I think thoughts mostly of my self-unworthiness. I feel extremely tired and irritable all the time. The worse it gets, the worse it gets. If I think thoughts of happiness then I feel good, joyous and loving. Mostly life goes my way. The better it gets, the better it gets.

Step Three: If I am really angry or depressed, I can't think of any thought that is happy. Screw happiness. But what I can do, is stop in my tracks and focus on thinking a thought that feels a little better than what I am currently thinking. I am then searching for a little thought of relief from the misery I am now experiencing. I am a small step closer to my good feeling of peace.

This all takes lots and lots of practice. Life gives me lots and lots of practice each day. I insist on feeling good. I insist on making the best I can of each situation. I consciously change my thoughts. I consciously change my emotions. Thus I change my life. I change the world.