We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves. -Dalai Lama

I never understood why when asked, Miss America would reply with “World Peace” as her interview answer, but I totally get it now. Sure, I grew up in a small town America where the only war was between our Friday night football rivals and the occasional household squabble over the last piece of pie, but I never realized that war isn’t always something that’s happening on the outside.

This summer, I was lucky enough to spend 10 days visiting family in Iceland. (A country whose police don’t even carry guns!) During that time, I was surrounded by untouched landscapes, freedom from time and obligation, and serenity that only comes in the quiet presence of nature.

The news about the Dallas’ shootings traveled fast. I found myself up at 4am watching the chaos that was breaking out over my home town. It was in that space that I found myself retreating into heartbreak. I was watching the peaceful energy that I had just soaked up from the sun literally drain out of my body as my heart sank into sadness. As I witnessed these feelings come up, I intuitively knew I needed to disconnect from what I was watching in order to maintain my own sense of peace.

I quickly turned off the news and thanked the Universe for allowing me to be in such a peaceful space during a time of upheaval. It gave me the opportunity to sit back and contribute good vibes to my community and those affected by this event.

When we stay too tapped into the drama, it drains our energy and we can no longer give our best to the situation. It’s when we are able to step back and hold space for healing, love, and light that we can actually create positive change in this world. Peace begins on an individual, internal level. We must maintain a peace of mind and heart to contribute to the healing of our world.

What happened in Dallas was tragic, but I always find the blessings in the bullshit. What I realized is that we are collectively standing up and saying this war must end. The war between sexes, races, religions, and the war we create within ourselves. We can begin to make a shift, starting in our hearts, and spreading through every thought, word, and action we take. World peace is possible if we contribute our part.

I’m not asking you to take on anything you can’t handle. One by one, with the power of choice, we are making a difference. When we choose love over fear, we are making a difference. When we choose kindness over anger, we are making a difference. When we choose thankfulness over blame, we are making a difference. When we choose peace over power, we are making a difference. [Tweet it!]

Iceland Trip Summer 2016