What do you want to see in the world? More peace? More love? More kindness? According to Gandhi, the answer is simple: we must be the change we want to see.

You want world peace? Bless the person who cut you off and honked at you on your way to work. Wish them a safe journey instead of getting caught up in their anger and impatience.

You want more kindness? Smile at the person who might be frustrating you. Open the door for someone, pick up a piece of trash. BE kind.

Simple but not easy. Be the Change.

There is something intuitive in being the change, yourself. At least you have the satisfaction something is being done and you know you are doing what you can by committing to peace wholeheartedly. But I don’t buy that I must never be angry at people who step on my rights or who greedily take more than their share of resources open to all of us. I think real peace includes tension and uncomfortable confrontation but without guns and knifes and bombs, without killing innocent citizens and acting it couldn’t be helped. I think this universal peace would require that both sides of an argument or disagreement would have sense of responsibility and a reverence for life as Dr Schweitzer promoted.