The level of violence witnessed in this country on a daily basis is staggering. To me, it’s unfathomable. It seems to be getting worse. With people getting jumped in the street, robbed, beaten, kidnapped, carjacked, or murdered, just leaving the house to go to the grocery store is an act of bravery.

Between the newscasts, the Jerry Springer and Steve Wilkos shows, the so-called ‘reality shows’, movies, video games, etc., the mass consumption of violence as ‘entertainment’ confounds me.

And it isn’t just physical violence. Verbal violence is off the Richter. The nastiness, pettiness, judgment, shaming, blaming, name-calling, swearing at others is, well…off the Richter.

Everything – EVERYTHING begins with a thought, so in case we think that just because we don’t say violent words or act on them doesn’t mean we haven’t been ensnared in their energy. Our thoughts can be just as, if not more violent than their physical or verbal expression. And it doesn’t matter if we are conscious of it or not. In fact, I believe the unacknowledged festering of violent thought is more dangerous. Its unpredictability makes it so. No one can foresee when someone will ‘go off’.

I believe that this level of violence is unsustainable. Unchecked, it has the ability to consume us. And it does appear that we are the verge of self-annihilation, or imploding.

Many of us see this mammoth challenge and understand that we must correct our course. Prayer, to God, the angels, saints, ancestors, and other beings on the angelic realm will absolutely help, but until we ourselves become accountable and begin to DO something, we may as well be co-conspirators.

Some may say that man is inherently violent. Others say that violence is part and parcel of living and that it’s always been that way. I don’t agree with the first statement, and while the second statement may be true, that doesn’t mean that it was unavoidable. The Bible and the holy books of other faiths offer a lot of nuggets that contest that notion.

I believe we have accepted this level of dysfunction as status quo, and are hoping we can literally dodge the ‘bullet’ (no pun intended) until we check out for good.

So what do we do? What can we do?

I know what I’m going to do: I’m going to shift my focus away from the violence I see (I don’t have to spend any more time looking at it…I know it exists) to focusing on what I’d like to see. I won’t fight against violence: I will work toward peace. I will join and work with others who are doing the same. I will continue to pray and meditate for peace for every living thing. I will also donate to organizations that support survivors of violence to help them find a new, happier, and more hopeful normal. I will advocate for the availability of conflict resolution for all. I will share with others the teachings and writings of some of the brightest minds on the planet about establishing, growing, and perpetuating peace. I will advocate for virtues-based education, which honors all human beings and religious paths.

But most importantly, I will (re)establish my own inner sanctuary. I will furnish it with words and thoughts of love, kindness, and peace. I will monitor my inner compass to ensure that I am thinking and acting more and more with my heart. When I’m tempted to utter a few choice words to the person that cut me off in traffic, or the customer service person who could care less about helping me, I’m going to breathe, and instead of counting backward from ten, I’ll number my blessings. I’ll walk away if necessary.

After grounding myself in my own self-care practices, I’ll do more for others, such as offer a silent greeting to people I pass on the street. I can pray for my fellow travelers, invoking the energies of protection for them as they trek to their destinations. I will envision and breathe my way to seeing the light for others who can’t see it for themselves yet. I will dwell in the peace that passes all understanding.

I invite you to begin your own daily peace practice. At the very least, you’ll be more at peace, or can return to peace more quickly if you find yourself out of its protective vibe.

In closing, I’m sharing some thoughts about violence from some of the world’s most inspirational minds. Maybe they’ll inspire you as they did me while doing research for this blog post.

In America all too few blows are struck into flesh. We kill the spirit here, we are experts at that. We use psychic bullets and kill each other cell by cell.\ Norman Mailer.

There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.
Muhammad Ali

I write about violence as naturally as Jane Austen wrote about manners. Violence shapes and obsesses our society, and if we do not stop being violent we have no future.        
Edward Bond                                                                                                                          
Nonviolence doesn’t always work — but violence never does.
Isaac Asimov

When liberty comes with hands dabbled in blood it is hard to shake hands with her.
Oscar Wilde

Hungry people cannot be good at learning or producing anything, except perhaps violence. 
Pearl Bailey

Great anger and violence can never build a nation. 
Nelson Mandela  

Through violence, you may “solve” one problem, but you sow seeds for another. 
The Dalai Lama

Through violence, you may murder the hater, but you do not murder the hate.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Violence does not always take visible form, and not all wounds gush blood.
Haruki Murakami

Violence of the tongue is very real- sharper than any knife.
Teresa Giudecca

An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.    
Mahatma Gandhi

                                                                                                                                             quotes sourced from:

wildoldsayings.com; www.peacedirect.com. www.coolnsmart.com