Keep Going

This is Veterans' Day week, celebrated annually on November 11 in the United States in honor of the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" that signaled the end of World War I in1918. On this day we remember all American veterans, dead or alive, who served in all the wars. 

As grateful as I am for all who have served towards preserving our American Democracy, since I've been a child, I've hoped for peace and been saddened by the wars and battles, large and small, between people and countries. Not at all a history whiz, it took a long time for me to realize that the cycles of history, whether personal or regional, continue to happen primarily because of human nature. It just might be that our nervous systems have not evolved enough for us to live peacefully amongst ourselves. Though most of us are capable of compassion, generosity, and peacefulness, the older part of our brains that wires us towards survival is very reactive and pushes us towards bias, fear, greed, and fighting. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to get out of this reactive part of our brain, such as by breathing, and as more people learn mindfulness practices, perhaps we'll create more peace. 

Sometimes we need to let things go. However, there are also some things we shouldn't give up on. Let's never give up on ourselves and our humanity. Let's never give up on the possibility of creating peace and harmony in ourselves, our families, and our communities. Then maybe, in time we'll come to create a world of peace. That thought keeps me going today. What do you want to never give up on and keep working toward creating?

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