Personal Peace and World Peace

Originally posted on Substack, June 16, 2023

I care a great deal for others at the expense of myself. It has been difficult to learn that “you can’t pour from an empty cup.”

I was taught to put others before myself. One of the teachings attributed to Jesus is that nobody can follow him unless they love him more than anything - even family, even their own lives.

I took this teaching very seriously from an early age, and thought I shouldn’t cling to life too tightly, and be prepared to lose my life.

Because of this, I’ve found it difficult to realize that I need to love myself, care for myself, and nourish my own life and wellbeing in order to be there for others.

I don’t pray anymore, but I do meditate, and for a long time I fought with the concept of finding personal peace. I wondered: what good is it to find peace within myself when there is so much in the world that is without peace?

I finally realized that I am not separate from the rest of the world. I am one human among many. To give myself a sense of personal peace is to contribute a bit of peace to the world.

That is my part of the world, albeit a small part. It is what I can control.

I have not ended this internal struggle once and for all, but whenever I am mindful and peaceful, I practice personal peace.