Leadership: Be Peaceable

"I give you PEACE, my PEACE I leave you."- Jesus Christ

Peace is the most sought after commodity these days. It's sought after in homes, firms, communities, nations and worldwide. Many leaders dream of world peace and try their best to actualize it. Peace groups, organizations and embassies abound in great number. The question is, as a leader, are you peaceable?

To be peaceable means to be inclined to try to keep the peace. It embraces the thought of calm, tranquility, serenity, placidity, quietness and being free from disturbance. You are peaceable if you are; disposed to peace, not contentious not quarrelsome, quietly behaved, free from strife or disorder.

Ways to be Peaceable as a Leader:

Broaden your understanding of Peace

What does the word 'Peace' mean to you? Is it only the absence of war? Is there something more to the definition? Defining peace is not such a simple thing. But one simple way is to define it as living without violence (physically, mentally, spiritually, or any other way) and living in a way that embraces respect, and tolerance. This is both out in the world and within each person:

• Outwardly: living in peace is a way of life in which we respect and love each other in spite of our cultural, religious, and political differences.
• Inwardly, each of us needs to cultivate peace. This means understanding and overcoming fear, anger, intolerance, and lack of social skills that causes violence. For in continuing to ignore the rage within, the storm outside will never subside.

Learn as much as you can about Peace. Read widely on the subject and share your learning with others. Cultivate the habit of spreading peaceful knowledge wherever you go in your life. It all starts with knowledge!

Be Kind to others

In a cruel and dark world, always choose to be kind. Your life does not need any more problems, especially those that are made by you. Be kind to people you meet even if they are complete strangers because you never know what kind of struggles they are facing every day. Be kind to the animals you see because like people, they are also to be respected. Be kind to the people you know because even if they do not appreciate it, they will take note of it. Kind people are peaceful people. Why? Because they never start any trouble by choosing to be kind.

Seek to Love and not to control others

?Ceasing to seek power over people and outcomes in your life is the first major step to living peacefully. Trying to control people is about seeking to impose your will and reality on others. But by doing so--even with the best of intentions--this forcing your will on others takes away the power from others and causes a great imbalance which can lead to anger, hurt, and resentment. A controlling approach to relationships will likely keep you in?conflict?with others. The healthy alternative is to seek to understand others before attempting change, tolerate peaceful difference, and use persuasion and leadership in a way that inspires others. It does not mean being a doormat or a pushover or one does not stand up for oneself; it means building relationships rather than trying to overpower.

Resolve Conflicts

A conflict-free life is a peaceful life. Avoid fights and if you can, prevent them from happening. But if the conflict has already occurred, then try your very best to resolve it by?dealing with it maturely. A simple and peaceful person likes to live guilt-free without saying harsh words to anybody nor inflicting pain on somebody else. Do not hold grudges also because grudges only make you feel heavy and you will carry that burden throughout the rest of your life unless you deal with it.

Forgive others freely

Nelson Mandela famously said, “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” You don’t have to forget, but when you choose to forgive, you have decided to stop drinking the poison. Practice forgiving team members in your organization who wrong you. When you, as the leader, practice forgiveness, your team members will emulate you!

Do good deeds daily

Good deeds can be as simple as watering your plants or helping a kid get his kite back. By doing good deeds, you will not only make your life fulfilling but also help those who are around you. A good deed every day keeps the negativity away. Being positive is important when you want to have a simple and peaceful life and the good deeds that you do help keep the optimism going. Life is already full of bad things complicating people’s lives, counter this attack by doing a good deed.

Be Tolerant

Tolerance in all that you think and do will make a difference in your life and in the lives of others around you. Tolerance for others is about appreciating diversity, the plurality of modern society, and being willing to live and let others live too. When we fail to tolerate others' beliefs, ways of being, and opinions, the end result can be discrimination, repression, dehumanization, and ultimately violence. Practicing tolerance is at the heart of living peacefully.

Be Peaceful

Gandhi said "There are many causes that I am prepared to die for but no cause that I am prepared to kill for." A peaceful person does not use violence against another person or animal (sentient beings). While there is much violence in this world, make a choice to not let death and killing be a part of your philosophy of living.

Follow your Heart

Only you can make your life simple and peaceful. If you keep listening to other people or if you keep allowing other people to rule over you, then the life you will lead will most probably be a complicated one. Why? Because the decisions you make are not yours, therefore, you do not where you want to go. Always remember to follow your heart and do what you think is best for you. You may make mistakes along the way but that is the way of life, the important thing is to know how to get up and learn from it. Experience is the best teacher.

Find Inner Peace

Without inner peace, you'll feel in a constant state of conflict. Trying to fill your life with possessions or improving yourself by social climbing without ever stopping to value your inner worth will leave you perpetually unhappy. When you crave something and you don't have it, you're in a place of conflict. It's easy to forget to?be grateful for what you do have when you're constantly striving to upgrade your possessions, career, house, and life. Equally, owning too much stuff will create conflict and prevent you from living in peace because you're always at the beck and call of the "needs" of your possessions, from cleaning and maintenance, to insurance and security.

• Cut back to the essentials and make conscious decisions about what improves or beautifies your life while discarding the rest.
• When you're angry, find a nice quiet place to stop, take a deep breath, and relax. Turn off the TV, stereo, or computer. Get out into nature if possible, or go for a good, long walk. Put on some soft music or turn down the lights. When you feel calm again, get up and get on with your life.
• At least once a day spend ten minutes in a peaceful place, such as under a shady tree or in the park, anywhere where you can just sit quietly without distractions.

Living in peace means more than living in the absence of violence. Try to cultivate peace in all areas of your life by reducing stress as much as possible. Avoid stressful situations such as traffic, large crowds whenever possible. Being peaceable is a choice. Choose wisely and reap the dividends.

NB: Use was made of www.trendingus.com, www.thefreedictionary.com, www.wikihow.com, www.incourage.me and www.inspiringtips.com in researching for this article.

Keep It Simple and Short!