Veterans Day
November 11 is a day here in America when we take some time to honor our Veterans.
It’s almost unimaginable to think about the countless individuals who have stepped up and fought for their rights, their people and their country.
It’s even more mind boggling to think about the countless people on all sides of war, who have fought and died.
I recall stories from my youth where my grandpa, a photographer in World War II, would sit at the kitchen table with me and share his experiences.
We would scan through various pictures and he’d show me pictures of airfields before and after bombings.
He had pictures of planes, soldiers, weapons, bombs and destruction. The images have stuck with me as I’ve grown, but it was my grandpa’s stories that were truly unforgettable.
Accounts of his friends being called to war, only to return symbolically to their families as neatly folded American flags. My grandfather’s brother was one of the millions of casualties of the second world war.
Thinking about these stories from my grandfather, and witnessing some of my own friends return home from combat while others were being sent out made me pause.
Breathe.
Then a question flowed.
How much good comes from war?
And not just a fleeting good that has to be recaptured by another war. But true good?
Pondering this thought, I then asked:
How many warriors of peace have their been?
It was this second question that inspired my mind to say “thank you” to those who came before me. This second question sent out a call to the warriors of peace who are living and breathing now.
The time has come.
Veteran of Compassion
In many instances, war is inevitable.
Someone once asked me, what would you do if someone came into your neighborhood, forced themselves into your house and demanded that you change your religion, then divided your family and made you transform your life, all the while pointing a gun at you?
For many of us, we’d fight.
These unfortunate situations are taking place across our globe each and every moment.
From the streets of Iraq and Syria, to the sub-saharan countries of Africa, to the borders of America and even within the armed forces that are supposed to protect and serve the most “established” of nations.
It seems that something is missing. Most of these armed conflicts going on in the world are centered around a few specific things, resources, land, money and religion.
These conflicts divide us from one another.
As we open our eyes to the heinous acts taking place, we can begin to see new ways that we can come together to combine our time and energy in compassionate ways.
It is in unity that the world’s most difficult problems can be solved. (Three Key Tweet)
It’s impossible to bring peace to people by dropping bombs on their heads or shooting bullets into their bodies.
Let’s begin to drop bombs of compassion, shoot bullets of love, and share a shield of peace.
Veteran of Peace
If you’ve made it this far then let me mention, I by no means am discrediting the Veterans who’ve fought for our rights or those who’ve lost their lives in war, but I believe it’s imperative for us in this day and age to become a Veterans of Peace.
Each of us individually can do our part to be a beacon of peace. Taking time to see our human qualities, recognizing the endless things that bind us together and realizing that we are all connected and quite similar.
We can look back and be humbled by the wars of the past, using that humility to remember we are creating the future right now.
We all have a choice to be a beacon of peace or an advocate for violence.
Painting a New Day
So now comes the practical application.
How will you use your time and energy from this day forward?
Will you use it to promote compassion, to join the ranks of the military, to point fingers and condemn others or to become a beacon of peace?
Individually, we paint our days. As the days pass, history is created.
The way you spend your time and energy will always create and paint something into existence.
It requires a change on the individual level to paint the world a new shade.
Unified together, standing for peace, equal rights and justice we can collectively create a world that works for all.
Put it this way, in the most recent Iraq war America spent over $1.7 trillion. Just imagine if that money was used to promote peace, education and equal rights and justice for all.
On the flip-side, imagine if the “extremists” that so many militaries are hunting down, used their organizations, resources and energy for radical acts of peace, compassion and respect.
The world would be transformed.
Remember, the quality of our life is always based on where we put our resources, our time and our energy.
The seeds (thoughts) we water, regardless where you are from or what religion you are a part of, will grow.
This is true for you and I, for cities and states, for countries and continents.
We will reap the seeds we sow.
The Honorable Veteran
For those of us hoping to embrace the path of a peaceful warrior, becoming a well decorated veteran of compassion and respect. There are a few keys you can embrace.
These keys are:
#1 – Equal Rights – Honorable veterans are compassionate and respectful to all people. The most honorable veteran understands that we’re all connected and that only so much can be accomplished through violence and acts of war.
#2 – Dedication – Honorable veterans are dedicated to creating a better world for everyone, not just for one side. They recognize that what they dedicate themselves too becomes the building blocks to their life and affects the lives of many others.
#3 – Peace Not War – Honorable veterans understand that peace can never come through violence. True veterans stand for peace and compassion, not bombs or bullets.
Gratitude
Thank you to all the Veterans who’ve come before us and those who stand amongst us.
Thank you to both the peacemakers and the ones who’ve had to commit unimaginable atrocities. You’ve both shown us how to live and be better in this world we are able to be a part of today.
Thank you to those who do what’s in their power to be beacons of peace, even in the most heinous of situations.
Peace
Happiness
Compassion
Respect
Jeffon Seely
Three Key Life