“Action is the Key to Spiritual Peace”

Taking action is one of the most important aspects of creating spiritual peace. Here are a few people down through the ages who have taken action in different ways and thus changed life on this planet… and a few ways action changes everything.

More than Empty Words - Action is more than just empty words, action is taking thoughts and creating something that helps all those who are suffering. Take for instance Gandhi who saw all the injustice around him and started working to create a nonviolent resistance in order to create change. Thus everyone came to know the power of this little but powerful man from India.

Action Shows We Believe - Action shows we believe with all our soul that what we are doing will work. Take Joseph-Michael and Jacques-Ètienne Montgolfier the first men to take a ride in a hot air ballon. They knew without a doubt that their invention would work, and they would rise above the crowd and travel a considerable distance in their hot air ballon. And after the initial test they soon were able to get the King of France to finally sanction their two man flight… thus they went down in history.

Action Spreads the Word - Take for instance Jesus when he went out to tell the masses about love. He also took action to heal those who were suffering thus the all the people in the crowd spread the word.

Action Shows What We Stand For - To take action allows everyone to see what we stand for, and thus we are taken seriously. Take Joan of Arc, she heard the voice of God, and she rallied all the troops and went out against unbeatable odd and came back victorious… thus everyone could see what she stood for.

Action Shows Solidarity - Action shows we are willing to go through whatever we need to do in order to make things happen, thus we stand together for the good of one and all. Take Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who walked with all the other people for equal rights. And he was even willing to put himself out into the public and make himself vulnerable, thus he went down in history.

Action Shows Power - Action shows that we are willing to make a difference, we have to do something to make things better for everyone. Take for instance President Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis, the president had to make a decision and draw a line in the sand to make sure that missiles were not installed in Cuba. It was tense, but in the end the president prevailed because he showed great power through it all.

Action Means Being at Peace With Our Soul - Take for instance Sugihara Chiune a Japanese diplomate in Lithuania during the beginning of WWII. Thousands of Polish refugees were fleeing Poland and going Lithuania trying to find ways to leave Europe. So Sugihara Chiune wrote the Japanese government asking permission to give exit visas, and the Japanese government told him to stay out of the whole thing and not get involved. But Sugihara Chiune and his wife believed they had to make a difference or else all refugees would die in concentration camps. So Sugihara Chiune provided thousands of exit visas for Jewish refugees so they could escape. Later Sugihara Chiune was dismissed from his position for not following orders. But he did what he had to do to keep people from dying. And it was not till the end of his life that Sugihara was recognize by the Jewish Holocaust survivor council as a hero.

Many say “What Can I Do? I’m Just One Man” but all the people above showed the world we can play a part and make a difference. Sometimes it’s something very small but important, at other times it’s something huge, but all of these actions create change. Everything changed because one man took the effort to reach out, challenging the norm and doing whatever it takes to make life better for all of us. Perhaps that’s our purpose, to reach out, help others, do what we have to do, and take action… which leads to our ability to sleep well at night.

Many Blessings to Everyone

Dr. Paul Haider