The Peace Game

Today I will once again play the Peace Game.

Following my morning meditation time, I will start the clock running and see just how far I can get through the day before something happens to which I make a less than peaceful response.

I always feel a sense of triumph when I make it through the hectic morning. Most days, I am able to stay in-peace throughout all the chaos. It’s amazing how quickly the stressful situations dissolve when I am not participating in the ruckus.

Other days, I am right in there. My daughter shows me an addiction I have that needs healing, and I do not notice in time before I have become engaged in the skirmish.

Those are the mornings when I am thankful to have a quiet home in which to reset my commitment to peace, and restart the clock for the next round.

Do you know those addictions of which I speak?

Ken Keyes, in “Your Life is a Gift” defines these addictions as, “any demand or expectation that you place upon yourself, another person, or a situation in your life which can AUTOMATICALLY trigger separating emotions, such as worry, dread, disgust, boredom, impatience, resentment, hostility, and annoyance..”

My daughter is one of my greatest teachers about these addictions. She can take me deep into my automatic triggers, faster than anyone I know.

The good news is that my recovery time is constantly getting quicker. I can actually stop my automatic reactions in mid sentence sometimes and withdraw from a confrontation before it explodes.

I prefer the days when I do not use the “anger” card at all, but since I am making the rules, I have decided that if I learn from the experience, it too has value.

Today I might just go all the way..