How To Find The Peace Within

This week I interviewed Peace pioneer Lynne Hazelden from Peace In Our Lifetime. She’s an inspirational woman with a passion for peace that’s contagious.

In our crazy and hectic world it’s hard to find a moments peace. Sit back and relax. Spend some time unwinding. Do something you enjoy. Read a book, play Cheekybingo.com or get a massage if you that will help you! Grab a cup of tea, and let this queen of peace help you to find the peace within you and how to share that peace with the world.

Finding Peace Within

Up close and personal with Lynne Hazelden.

Where does peace start?

It begins with each person and the choices they make. People doing their best to honor that part of themselves that wants to reach out to connect with others.

Peace is found in the small things. Like a cup of tea with a friend. Or listening to someone. Really listening with all your attention and focus. Supporting others.

Peace then ripples out.

Peace is also about honoring our own unique voice, accepting responsibility, and  doing our part to help. Be it helping people, animals, or mother nature. We’re all connected.

How can people find peace?

Be still. Notice that you’re part of everything vs designed to control it. Surrender to love. Ask yourself the hard questions. Go within and discover the reasons behind the things that you do.

I have spent 8 years here, mostly laying down, recovering in bed, and only in recent years, while still having to lay down most of the day, have I been able to have a few adventures for short periods when I can go out.

While I was laying there, almost totally alone for the first three years, without offer of support, no visitors…I just looked out the window and noticed the birds and that the sun shone and I was alive.

When you can just BE grateful to be alive regardless of what’s going on and take the time to notice the beauty of nature, the presence of life, you realize you are a small part of a greater whole.

I was surprised to find, that without the ability to cook. clean, wash, walk, read, do anything, could not remember the last hour and coping with pain I was still able to be at peace.

It was then that I realized that peace, true peace, had nothing to do with anything external at all.

Peace just is.

Be without thought.

It also made me realize that people were not seeing the peace that’s already there within the world.

Being present to the joy, the birds, brought me peace each day.

I also noticed the hedges and trees disappearing around my home and in the street through my window.

I realized that peace for me, was not enough. That it was my responsibility to protect and honour all life on earth.

I found freedom in this thought. It wasn’t a burden.

I wanted to help people find peace with joy.

When I’m passionate about something I get loud. But it always comes from a place of peace, joy and love.

I have found that unless your peace and inspiration comes from within you give that power away. You give your power away. You have to take personal responsibility for it.

You are the source of peace and happiness for yourself.

You have to do the work.

It took me 20 yrs of questioning myself rigorously, clearing up my integrity and learning to be authentic. It was a lot of work.

What are some simple ways people can share peace?

Apart from the obvious, thank people, be grateful and be part of the community and help. Forgive yourself and others the best that you can.

Be intentional in your work and bring love to it.

Learn that each action ripples out. Know that we are all connected. Learn to treasure all that you have.

I feel we are at a time when we have to look outside ourselves to support those who are creating peace on the bigger issues. So share those people, promote them and bring awareness to all that is good.

Who has been your biggest inspiration for your peace work?

As far as outer inspiration, in terms of the biggest, it’s hard to say. Maybe the loss of my mother at 12 and the journey to peace with that. So you could say my biggest inspiration for my peace work is my mother.

We all have events in our lives that cause pain or suffering. It is those events or people that help us on our journey to peace.

Sometimes something happens that disrupts your peace, and then your life is taken over by the experience of that event and the ripples take you on a journey that perhaps you don’t like.

But it’s not the event that is the cause of suffering, it’s the interpretation of that event that causes your own suffering.

Thinking there’s someone to blame.

Life happens. You can’t stop it from happening. But you can choose to learn and understand how to not take it personally.

The inspiration has been really in everyone I meet to be honest, and through my own inner peace work. Through finding peace within.

Is there any peace projects going on we should know about?

I am trying to create a place where humanity can shine. Where all peace projects can be found.

I think Peace One Day (http://peaceoneday.org) and Peace JAM (http://peacejam.org) are my favorite peace ones because their work is peace in action in the real world and is creating a new future.

For poverty and hunger, The Hunger Project (http://thp.org) where I worked on staff who literally invented the IMR .. Infant Mortality Rate and empowered people to end their own hunger.

Nature. I love the Natural Resources Defense Council (http://www.nrdc.org), because they let you know the difference you are making .

Connect With Lynne

Lynne Hazelden is the founder of Peace In Our Lifetime. She’s worked on projects for Amnesty International, was the personal Assistant to the Exec Producer, the visionary Neville Bolt and worked for The Hunger Project (THP) in 1991 as Assistant and Personal Coach for 6 months for CEO – Andy Davis CEO UK/Europe, European Income Director – Thomas Zwiefel and all the European CEO’s. Please take a moment to check out her amazing peace work and show your support for peace. http://peaceinourlifetime.org

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