Council for Health and Human Service Ministries

Word and Deed: Thoughts on Faith-Based Leadership

Peace is Every Step

Shirley Nelson In consideration of the current economic climate and the need for stringent cutbacks among profit and not-for-profit companies across the country, to reflect on a book about peace may not, at first glance, answer the needs of leaders in times like these. To deal with budget cuts, staff reductions, rising healthcare costs, and maintaining relationships can be daunting. What does peace have to do with it?

At a recent session of the Faith-Based Leadership Institute, Lisa Fichera, Diakonal Minister and executive vice president for administration and health care services at CHHSM member Phoebe Ministries, offered a different perspective: "To understand the important difference between power and authority; to challenge ourselves not to let our ego, pride, and selfishness get in the way; to practice leadership through extending care to others, showing patience, appreciation, encouragement, meeting needs when they arise, understanding how to forgive, and demonstrating commitment to others through our actions." This, she says, is a reminder to take time to stop and concentrate on how to help and support others.

Unless we are diligent in our own efforts to be faith-filled leaders, we will not be able to convey guidance that demonstrates the truth of Lisa's remarks. "There is no way to peace, peace is the way," says Thich Nhat Hanh, author of Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life. "...[W]e can realize peace right in the present moment with our look, our smile, our words, and our actions. Peace work is not a means. Each step we make should be peace". Following are some simple strategies towards more peaceful life and leadership, excerpted from Peace is Every Step:

Mindfulness is not a judge. It is more like an older sister looking after and comforting her younger sister in an affectionate and caring way. We can concentrate on our breathing in order to maintain this mindfulness and know ourselves fully.
Bells of Mindfulness: You can use any sound to remind you to pause, breathe in and out, and enjoy the present moment.
Even non-sounds, such as the rays of sunlight coming through the window, are bells of mindfulness that can remind us to return to ourselves, breathe, smile, and live fully in the present moment.
Enlightenment, peace, and joy will not be granted by someone else. The well is within us, and if we dig deeply in the present moment, the water will spring forth. We must go back to the present moment in order to be really alive.
"Don't just do something, sit there!" We must learn to stop from time to time in order to see clearly. At first, "stopping" may look like a kind of resistance to modern life, but it is not. It is not just a reaction; it is a way of life. Humankind's survival depends on our ability to stop rushing.
Real strength is not in power, money, or weapons, but in deep inner peace.

Shirley Nelson

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