Fundamental Peace

Fundamental peace is a peace that occurs in an individual as well as a society at large, as a unification of its three ‘pillars’ – freedom, consciousness, and happiness. Like a three-legged table, a person cannot reach balance and positive functioning if even one ‘leg’ is missing. The centuries-old saying “as within so without” explains this perfectly – it’s a universal truth of law that the outside world is a reflection of our inner world, and if we feel trapped, physically, mentally, or spiritually, we are unhappy, and therefore we are not at peace. Consequently, if more and more people experience this disbalance, the world suffers, too. 

—- Freedom + Consciousness + Happiness

We all strive to live a more peaceful life, one way or the other. And why wouldn’t we? Peace is the highest happiness, and by being in balance and harmony with ourselves, we can welcome it in our life. Balance is a term that signifies total harmony in everything we do. Moreover, it emphasizes a state of both physical and psychological well-being. As you can notice, everything is interconnected.

While having a peaceful life might mean something different to each of us, its outcome should be the same – a body, mind, and soul that are fully in sync. But, how do we get to that point where we are utterly peaceful and balanced? 

Inner Balance

A peaceful, happy life greatly depends on our inner balance – that inner connectedness with ourselves and the way we live. It all starts with the question of whether we are satisfied with our position in this world. Do we accept it? Are we doing what we feel is right for us? Do we have healthy relationships and engaging hobbies? Do we have time in our busy daily schedule for self-care routines?

Inner balance – ultimately fundamental peace – doesn’t happen overnight. It is a work in progress. Consciousness, mindfulness, and freedom are crucial. In the world where we have responsibilities and obligations that usually don’t allow us just to pack up and chase what we are passionate about, we have to actively put in the work to achieve work-and-play balance. 

Our goal should be to find a way to do the things that we have to do, without getting caught up in them. We have to balance the obligations with things we genuinely enjoy. Therefore, inner balance is an act of compromise between our hearts and minds. Once we balance our wants and the needs, we can find the true balance for ourselves.

Life is a Balancing Act

So, what does it mean to lead a well-balanced, peaceful life? Why does it seem like an elusive concept? Because it’s not something you can achieve once and for all; it is something you continuously do. As Albert Einstein said, “Life is like riding a bicycle – to keep your balance, you must keep moving.” No matter how much we plan, things can get out of hand. Unexpected events can and will show up uninvited. Balance requires us to be flexible and adapt to the situation and moment rather than being fixed on our expectations.

Inner balance is less about how we use our time and more about enjoying what we are doing in the here and now. If you feel out of balance, that’s only because your mind is not where your body is. When you enjoy what you are doing at the moment of doing it, you stop feeling guilty for what you are not doing. The balance lies within us; it’s our ability to stay centered in the midst of whatever is happening.

Be in Harmony With Yourself

Harmony is profoundly connected to the balance of our mind, body, and soul. It’s the ultimate amalgamation of happiness, fulfillment, completeness, acceptance, satisfaction, awareness, and peace. In order to be in harmony with yourself, you have to establish inner balance. For this to happen, you have to feel well and be happy.

Unfortunately, so many people think that to be well and happy, their wishes need to be fulfilled. But, that’s the trick – you must first be happy, and only then can you work on reaching your goals and fulfilling your wishes. Another thing is that people don’t know their true desires, and they don’t pursue bigger goals because they don’t think they can realize them. All of this leads to imbalance and disharmony.

We don’t have to have all our goals achieved to be in harmony with ourselves. It is essential that we know what we want and that we pursue it, using all of our freedom and consciousness to our best abilities. 

Culture of Peace

When we carry peace within us, we can remain calm, conscious, and happy at all times, regardless of external circumstances, or what life offers us at any given moment. The idea of fundamental peace, behind which is an underlying essence of Happytalism, marries the forces of inner and outer peace. Anything in the world can be transformed when we transform ourselves.

The father of peace studies, Johan Galtung, would often make a distinction between ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ peace, where the first type would not be a negation of peace, but rather an absence of violence, where peace is not permanently established. On the other hand, positive peace is filled with permanent positive actions, such as the restoration of relationships, the creation of just social systems that serve the needs of whole communities and populations, and the constructive resolution of conflicts. To expand on this, peace can be thought of as a sum of three parts: peace within, peace between, and peace among. 

When we have inner peace, we can work on expanding that energy to our relationships, or ‘peace between.’ From there, as the biggest goal, we can work on structural and environmental peace, which is ‘peace among.’ It starts with one, but it ends with everyone. For as long this simple truth isn’t understood, people, on the whole, will chase peace by focusing on the outer world and its external conditions, never to acquire it, since it cannot be caught, but only discovered and cultivated from within. Only then, peace can be experienced globally. This is the heart of fundamental peace.

Developing fundamental peace is cultivating the qualities of mind that support it:

1. Integrity – when we live and act according to our heart, with no room for guilt or blame.

2. Spirituality – when we cultivate the development of our inner-self through self-reflection, connection with higher consciousness, meditation, etc.

3. Inner Peace – when we practice mindfulness, we can develop a well-balanced, calm, and focused mind.

4. Well-Being – when we enjoy taking care of ourselves.

5. Wisdom – realizing the true nature and fluidity of life and seeing it as balance.

6. Freedom – a state of mind where we conquer our fears and take full responsibility for our actions. 

Life is like a ride, with ups and downs, many twists and turns, triumphant races, and unplanned shortstops. Having hope in the betterment of yourself and the world, expanding your inner universe, being behind the wheel of your consciousness, and feeling happy are the keys to fundamental peace. So let me ask you, are you satisfied with the ride of your life? If not, it’s time to shift gears towards a more harmonious path. Take a first step, join us in our celebration of the International Day of Peace. Let’s make a difference the way it’s supposed to be done – together.

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https://worldhappiness.foundation/fundamental-peace— Published on September 20, 2020