The Conflict

As I’m watching the latest news about the crisis in Ukraine I can’t help but think how collectively we want this war to end fast. The pandemic seems to have collectively strengthened our compassion for humanity. All over the world, including Russia, people are protesting this barbaric insanity. My response when the war was first announced: “Are you f*cking serious?! Aren’t we (collectively) past this already??!!”

Seeing war images of Ukraine on TV/internet, we point our proverbial fingers at Putin. It’s HIS fault this is happening, we cry. We feel anger, hatred, contempt; frustration, and helplessness. We pray for the insanity to stop, and for peace to reign in its place.

And what really interests me….is that everything we witness “out there”…including this war….is a reflection of our collective and individual internal mental states.

Think about that for a moment.

How many of us confess to being our own worst enemy? In our thoughts, angrily “bombing” ourselves from time to time for not being good enough, worthy enough, smart enough, for being a failure, for being weak, for being defective. We hide these torpedo thoughts in shame, not wanting others to see this vulnerable part of our minds. To others, it may look like we have it all together. But inside we continue to bomb and pepper spray our minds with negative thinking towards ourselves and others.

Sometimes, we can be internal warmongerers, creating disharmony within ourselves. Putin is yet another external image pointing this out to us.

What if we were to take our proverbial fingers and point them at ourselves? To own that part of ourselves and identify the stuck beliefs holding us back from winning our internal “wars”? To meet ourselves with great compassion, to love and nurture ourselves, to forgive ourselves for starting this “war” to begin with. To start moving forward from the stance of forgiveness, love and compassion?

What needs to shift internally so you can realign with your truth? With peace, self-love and joy?

What might you start doing or affirming today, to end this internal war with yourself? To grant yourself the kindness you are worthy of?

What’s it gonna take, to live your life in peace?