MY TWO CENTS:
Last week’s edition of My Two Cents was focused on the idea of joy. Amidst all the food, family, and football, I hope you were able to make your Thanksgiving week a joyful time!
Some people really enjoy the opportunity to get out and hit the stores for the Black Friday shopping. I suppose it’s considered fun, or tradition, or too good of an opportunity to spend less than normal (notice I didn’t say “save” bunches of money). That entire exercise is like going into battle in my soft, protected, suburban world. If I have a choice, I prefer to not deliberately go into battle.
This idea leads me to our next topic in the MTC series: peace. While I’m not a huge Wikipedia proponent, they have posted an interesting perspective for us to consider regarding peace. Here’s an excerpt (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace):
“Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace often involves compromise, and therefore is initiated with thoughtful listening and communication to enhance and create mutual understanding. Peace can be defined in a positive direction and in a negative sense. Positively, peace is a state of tranquility and stillness; however, in a negative sense, peace is the absence of war or violence.”
When “absence of hostility” is used it feels empty…hollow even! When tranquility and stillness are used it almost feels unattainable, or a bit too fluffy to embrace. When I read “thoughtful listening and communication,” though, it gives me something to sink my teeth into.
Peace seems so difficult to achieve when differing ideals are at odds. When I hold so tightly to my preconceived notion of what I think ought to be happening in a situation that I’m unwilling to thoughtfully listen or communication, the only logical outcome is strife and conflict. And that, of course, doesn’t allow anyone involved in the situation to live in peace.
As we lunge headlong into the 2016 holiday season with all of the typical busyness, chaos, and opportunity for strife, how might it be different than typical if we work at living in peace? How blessed would this season be if we integrate into our lives some of the ideals we’ve discussed the last few weeks: love, joy, and peace?
I am under no misconception that living out these priorities will be all sleigh rides and hot cocoa around the fire. Part of what I try to do through MTC is help our readers remember that we’re all in this thing together, and have the opportunity to encourage each other to be positive contributors to our families, friends, and communities. Hopefully, purposefully living in peace will better equip us to encourage each other toward that end!
Make it a great week!
Scott Cousino, CFP®
President
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