FINDING AND PROTECTING YOUR PEACE
THE PEACE WITHIN
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice”…Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi are widely known for their peaceful demonstrations because they believed it was the most effective way to achieve social justice. However, their stance was not without its consequences which resulted in lost lives. Yet, they did not waiver, partly because of their moral convictions, and also because they believed that peaceful protests would lead to sympathetic media coverage and the influencing of public opinion.
Both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi made deliberate choices to suffer in order to expose injustice because they were committed to higher goals. However, politics are not the only areas in our lives where we may have to make difficult choices as it relates to peace.
PROTECTING YOUR PEACE
“When we have peace in our hearts and minds, we draw peace into our lives”…Iyanla Vanzant
Dr. Iyanla Vanzant is a well-known spiritual teacher, life coach and also a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She also hosted a very popular show on the OWN Network called: “Iyanla: Fix My Life” , where she helped guests confront deep-seated emotional issues, (which she is also no stranger to). During several public media appearances in January of 2026 (e.g. The Tamron Hall Show and The Breakfast Club), Vanzant spoke candidly about how she dealt with the deaths of her two daughters (Gemmia Vanzant in 2003 and Nisa Vanzant in 2023). As it relates to her youngest daughter (Nisa Vanzant) who died at the age of 48 in July 2023, she spoke candidly about why she decided not to attend her daughter’s funeral. In essence, it was in order to “protect her peace” due to the anticipated negative dynamics related to unresolved family issues and conflicts.
There was an article posted on https://www.rememberingalife.com/ by Elizabeth Lewis who is a grief and support specialist. In the article, she shared a story about being present during the last moments of her sister’s life and conflicts that she actually witnessed involving loved ones. Both due to Elizabeth’s personal and professional experience, she concluded that difficult family dynamics that occur at the end of someone’s life are due to factors such as: unresolved past family conflicts, dissimilar values and beliefs held by family members, different grieving styles and responses, differing stress responses and differing levels of coping and communication skills. In light of these common negative family dynamics, it may be time to consider walking away to find and protect your peace.
BRINGING MORE PEACE INTO YOUR LIFE
“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself”…Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of the best places to begin bringing more peace into your life is taking a journey within. This relates to discovering your inner calm which can be developed and nurtured through practices like prayer, meditation and self-love. Both Dr. King and Gandhi are great examples of individuals who were at peace as they fulfilled their life’s mission. Although the majority of us will not have transformative international life missions like Dr. King or Gandhi, cultivating inner peace can have a profound and positive impact on others.
RESOURCES:
Join me, Renna on Friday from 4am-6am for a very inspiring musical journey about various important and intriguing topics related to this article. Remember that if you miss the live program, you can always listen to the weekly program for up to 7 days on the archives at https://www.wmnf.org/events/morning-energy/.
Category: Blog, Social Justice, Spiritual