As I awake to start my day
The sun is bright, I’m on my way
The peace within my spirit grows
This peace within, I hope it shows!

So I smile, and share a grin
To radiate this peace within
I share and laugh and talk and play
It’s easy to share peace this way.

But others may not really know
How peace within can shine and grow
And they show doubt, dismay and fear
And though peace shouts, they cannot hear.

This is why peace must be shared,
Why we must love, why we must care,
We know the truth that peace can be,
For peace within starts within me!

Where do you find peace? Is it on a peaceful walk through the country? Is it during a yoga class? Do you find peace while in deep relaxation listening to a meditation CD or after the children have gone to bed?

Peace can easily be found in beautiful, quiet, places. But these are not the only places that peace chooses to reside. Peace can be found in a crowded shopping mall, or a traffic jam. Peace can really be found anywhere that we are, for peace resides deep within us.

Because peace is within us, peace goes where we go. Peace is the quiet friend there for us when we are in need.

To be in a peaceful state of mind is really our choice. We can’t wait for world peace to be peaceful, we must radiate the peace within us out into our lives first.

When we are in a state of frustration, fear or anger, peace can be found if we would only be willing to take a few minutes to do so. Breathing deeply brings us an immediate connection to peace. We breathe deeply, and we feel peaceful. Then we are at peace, no matter how crowded the mall, no matter how bad the traffic on the freeway.

Then a funny thing happens. We radiate peace. We then affect the people around us. When we smile, and relax, others who get into our space are going to experience a wee bit of our peace, which may help to bring them a little bit of their own.

Finding the peace within ourselves is the first step to creating peace on earth. As we nurture the peace within ourselves, it grows to shine for all to see, providing comfort and hope to those to whom peace is still but a dream.