What’s So Funny About Peace, Love And Understanding

BY MI ELFVERSON | FRSA

Mi is the Founder of The Vlog Academy and Head of EyeStorm Women. She regularly shares her thoughts on the state of affairs, books, films and ideas around women’s rights and gender equality.

Let's talk about PEACE

What could be more appropriate for a purpose driven community?

It’s a huge word, peace, and for those of us who grew up in the 70’s, we probably feel a slight tinge of cringe when we hear it.

Peace, love and understanding, a slogan that was so integral with our upbringing, that most of us just got numb from hearing it and I’m sure it’s been thrown back in many faces in rage and distress over the years.

The song itself (written by Nick Lowe in 1974) is almost forgotten, but the title lives on as one of the most well-known phrases in time.

But the intention behind the title isn’t exactly unique – I’m seeing a long line of consistency all the way back to the beginning of human expression.

“Love Thy Neighbour”

“Live and let live”

“Liberté, égalité, fraternité”

“Make Love, Not War”

“All You Need Is Love”

“Yes We Can”

“Good Vibes Only”

“The soft overcomes the hard. The gentle overcomes the rigid.”
— Tao Te Ching, ~6th century BCE

“Ahimsa paramo dharmah” – Non-violence is the highest dharma (duty)
— Mahabharata, ~400 BCE

“Repel evil with that which is better, and your enemy will become like a close friend.”
— Qur’an 41:34

“All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth, befalls the children of the Earth.”
— Chief Seattle (attributed)

Polarisation and disconnection

Despite these words being so ingrained in every culture of the world throughout the history of time, we seem to drift further and further away from just this; peace, love and understanding.

It’s unbearable to see the growing polarisation and the disconnection between people, cultures, and even within our own communities.

Social media and the news are overwhelming us with negativity and further rallying to push us into left or right, black or white, up or down, a constant request to take sides, divide and tear down human allyship.

How often do we see people instantly responding with negative comments to someone’s optimistic posts? How rarely do we see people standing up to bullies and fearmongers? How often do we miss the breath of silence, acceptance and people just letting things rest?

So before we decamp to our holidays, I invite you to take a moment:

To breathe.
To soften.
To stay quiet and listen, deeply, even when it’s uncomfortable.

To be curious before judging someone, ask yourself where is this coming from? Is it founded? Is it grounded? Do they actually know? Or – is it just a bot….!

Let it be a living practice. A daily commitment. A radical act of courage in a noisy world.

No matter what slogan you’re drawn to.

Here are some reflection questions for you to consider:

What does peace look like for you today?
What does it sound like in your relationships?
How can we bring more of it into our work and our lives

And then let’s discuss further at our Impact Circle on Wednesday.

Peace
Mi

The EyeStorm Impact Circle is a monthly gathering where you’re encouraged to make one small pledge – one action – you’ll take to support women and girls. The action doesn’t have to be big, just effective. And the group itself is uplifting and supportive. You get a free trial, so if you’re curious to see what happens inside the Impact Circle, sign up here.

FREE TRIAL OF THE EYESTORM IMPACT CIRCLE: https://eyestorm.org.uk/membership

Mi Elfverson is the Founder of EyeStorm Women, a community dedicated to empowering women to find their voice and take action for gender equality. Through workshops, events, and the Impact Circle membership, EyeStorm Women supports women to step into their power and create positive change in their communities.