Finding peace: A September 11th meditation
When September 11th struck all of our lives eight years ago, we had no idea what would happen in the world, in our country, or in our own backyards the next day. While we were affixed to our televisions, dialing frantically to see if our friends and family on the East Coast were OK, holding our children tightly to our chests, we could not have predicted how that day would change the way we travel, view people from other cultures, prepare ourselves for more potential disasters.
But here we are. Some of us may still be grieving awful losses of September 11th -- some of us are mourning the passing of loved ones, others are dealing with the anxiety of having a family member in active duty, others feel the impact of living in a changed city, and others feel humbled, overwhelmed, afraid, contemplative, worried.
Some of us may also feel like the daily changes in our lives are a small price to pay for patriotism, survivorship, faith, or just carrying on.
What brings us all together on this day is that we lived through that day. That we can all define the ways our lives were before September 11, 2001 and how our lives are on the other side of all that sadness and horror.
How powerful is it then for us to unite today with all of our energy and attention focused on peace -- if only for a few moments?
Last year, we centered on all we are grateful for in remembrance of the day that took so much from so many people. This year, I hope that you will take several minutes to listen to the wise, centering words of Thich Nhat Hanh, a monk and author who was exiled from his homeland after being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by Dr. Martin Luther King.
This meditation is simple, beautiful, and calls on us all to work for peace in the world by first finding peace within ourselves.
He begins decisively and still, gently, "I believe strongly that a person who is not happy cannot work for peace."
I love this call to renew our commitment to releasing anger, appreciating our blessings, and savoring the happiness we have so that we can truly be, as Thich Nhat Hanh says, helpful to the world.
Simply follow this link and play the meditation by hitting the blue phrase "Click this link to begin." Perhaps if we collectively listen, quiet our minds, sit in the stillness, and then harness our energies to be happier in our own small lives, we really can make a difference in a post-9/11 world.
Maybe this will be the change we remember more than filling quart bags with bottles at the airport, more than hearing we've been elevated to an orange alert, more than the other changes that mark the changed course of our country.
More to honor the day:
[photo credit: Getty Images]
