Many of us wonder where the world is going given the conflicts

AS WE begin another year filled with the paradoxes of joy and fear, hope and disillusion, conflict and peace, many of us wonder where the world is going given the conflicts that are happening across the globe, reports Brid Kennedy.

The fear and desperation we see daily on the news is beyond shocking.

It is very disturbing to watch and read News updates on the personal stories of innocent babies, children, men, and women of all ages who are living in fear for their lives as they are abused and terrorized by all the various tactics of war.

It is the universal forces of greed, hatred and delusion that take over and lead to violence and suffering.

Tragically, the consequences of a small number of humans that inflict such suffering on each other show themselves in various ways, such as premature deaths and lifelong mental, emotional and physical injuries, population displacement, the destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, water and sewage systems, and the disruption of social and economic systems.

These are also contributing to the negative impacts of climate change and the millions of people across the world being displaced from their homes due to poverty and conflict.

The ‘lost generations’ of children who have missed out on formal education result in them growing up with few quality livelihood opportunities.

Broken families, emotionally, spiritually, economically and culturally take years and sometimes generations to heal and recover from the numerous traumatic events that they have unnecessarily encountered.

War is a form of madness and it is more maddening to see how much time and resources are put into killing each other rather than creating and maintaining peace.

Sometimes we feel powerless to change what is happening in our daily lives never mind changing the world events so that people, and ourselves, can live more harmoniously.

After three decades of working and supporting people living in extreme poverty and coping with violent conflict and natural disasters such as flooding, famine, earthquakes and disease outbreaks (for example cholera, Ebola, COVID-19) across the world, I reflected on my own life and career.

I felt that it was time to slow down from a highly demanding role and take some self-care.

When I did a BA in Theology, an MA in Applied Spirituality and trained as a coach, I began to fully understand that we make conscious and unconscious choices every day that contribute to our life, well-being and fulfilment.

These choices can be very positive such as when we care for ourselves and are kind and supportive of others.

Or, they can be choices where we hold grudges or get angry over simple events such as someone skipping us in a queue in the shop, or when we speak disrespectfully to and about others.

These little events are choices that can affect our peace of mind and can also contribute to disharmony and conflict among others.

Making decisions based on rage and revenge is not a wise thing to do as these do not bring resolution or peace.

We are not destined or fated to end humanity by destroying our planet whether by climate change, nuclear war or other wars.

That would be a choice on our part, an irrational and stupid and abhorrent choice, but a choice.

It would not be a pure choice as it would be based on blunders, hatreds, projections and mistakes born of self-hatred and self-ignorance and stirred up by lousy leaders, often aspiring strongmen, wounded beyond belief.

All our spiritual traditions teach us we are capable of compassion, caring, love, letting go, and justice and making equality happen through our self-awareness.

We have the capacity and it is possible to face and embrace the shadows and traumas we have inherited.

Our work for peace must begin within the private world of each of us.

Compassion begins at home within one’s body and soul and with our planet which is our common home.

Compassion to self and others is possible.

In knowing that peace is a practice, as with any practice once focussed on and practised daily, we become very mindful of our words and actions that prevent or diffuse conflictual situations and we are then able to respond that brings peace or maintain peace.

We are all connected and can be empowered in knowing that we have both a choice and a responsibility to ourselves and the wider world to do what we can in our little ways to become happier and contribute to the happiness of others.

If you learn to notice that you are contributing to conflict in the world through your negative conversations and then stop this practice, this will help root out the aggression within yourself and live more compassionately.

Peace can be a lens through which we see the world, we can be peace and live it as peace is found within oneself.

If we could look into each other’s hearts and see the challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other with more love, compassion and patience.

Since training as a coach, I have worked with a variety of clients, all with different needs and obstacles, to support them in restoring their peace and happiness.

We are often negatively influenced by others and even allow others to have power over us which holds us back from thriving.

One of the most common issues I encounter is that we frequently don’t understand why we are stuck, fearful or angry or how to get out of a situation that is holding us back.

Equally, we can be very happy where we are at in life yet still have a desire to reach more of the positive potential we know we have in us.

In recognising that we always have a choice, but are sometimes blind to them, coaching helps by asking powerful questions that help us become more self-aware.

This in turn allows us to see our choices and the brilliant opportunities that come with them.

Once realised, this gives us the confidence and courage to make the necessary changes we desire and achieve our goals be it to improve our relationships, find greater fulfilment, or overcome personal or professional challenges so we can flourish and be at peace.

Based on my own lived experience, coaching has helped me to look at what is going on within me and through remaining calm I am building my resilience to various daily scenarios that otherwise might have bothered me.

I coach people one-to-one, and I am delighted to be delivering a ten-week course on ‘Living My One Life’ in Old Bawn Adult Education from the 1st of February 2024.

New Courses – Old Bawn Community School Adult Education (oldbawnadulteducation.ie) I am thrilled to have the opportunity to coach in a group setting where the group can connect and learn together.

My course aims to create awareness and support participants to gain the knowledge needed to understand what is happening inside them in a non-judgmental and empathetic way.

This will allow them to make changes to have peace in their own lives, guided by their heart, as well as their full cognitive, emotional and spiritual intelligence.