Recently I watched a CNN film, The Flag. It is about the flag that was hoisted up by three firemen and which became an iconic symbol after 9/11. That flag has disappeared.

The film was as much a reminder of the devastation of the 9/11 attacks as it was about the flag that is still missing. Yet can we ever forget the visuals, the sounds, and the grief?

After 9/11, I was writing inspirational messages that focused on peace for InnerSelf.com. Now twelve years later, we stand at the precipice of who knows what, and peace still eludes the planet.

Messages of Peace

Here are some of the messages from then that deserve being read and reread again:

Let all brothers and sisters join together, linking arms, united in the mission of having Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward Men. That thought has never been more important than it is now. Peace will prevail. Hoping that peace will prevail is one thing. Taking action is another. By action, this means vigilantly saying prayers, holding a vision of peace. Walking the walk of someone who believes peace will prevail.

Watch what words come out of your mouth. Watch what thoughts you have. Are your thoughts of anger and fear, or justice and peace?

Know that nothing can prevent an outcome of peace if enough people stand firmly entrenched in the concept that peace will prevail. We all are one. We will live and act as one in peace.

Experiencing the Other Side of the Equation

Life has been luxurious for most Americans. Now we are getting a view of how some of the rest of the world lives. How does one live with the reality of fear for survival? How does one live peacefully with bombs going off and the reality of the deaths of loved ones?

It is time to take a serious look at what is important in life. Is it human life and dignity? Or is it having the biggest house and the nicest car on the block?

Hoping for peace will not make it happen. Action will. Give money to a humanitarian relief effort either at home or abroad. Better yet, give of yourself, your time, your love, your heart. You will know peace and you will spread peace.

The planet and its people long to be in harmony. Realize that when change takes place it usually is because of discord.  In experiencing the discord, one comes to realize that there must be change - a different way of viewing things, a change in behavior. The discord is a cry for help - help in changing beliefs that no longer work. Discord is a cry for harmony.

Love Is The Answer: Imagine That Every Person is Your Child

Can't say it enough that love is the answer. Imagine everyone on the planet is still a child. Imagine they are your children. When they are confused and do something wrong, what would you do? Ignore them? Not wise, because they have not been taught that this behavior is not appropriate.

What would you do? A time out? An explanation? Tell a story with a moral to it? Give them a hug and explain why they can or cannot do something?

Rest assured that justice must be served with the right intent behind it. Not a justice of anger and hate. But a justice coming from a place of strength and certainty. A justice coming from a place of peace, and not anger. A justice coming from a conviction that violence is not the answer, but that justice must be served in a sane manner with the vision of world peace as the final outcome.

We Are All The Same: We Breathe, Have One Mind, One Heart

Breathe in deeply. Breathe in hope. Breathe in peace. Breathe in brotherhood. Realize that everyone on the planet breathes just as you do. Are you better or less than the next person who breathes just as you do?

What if everyone decided to breathe in the concept of peace and exhaled the thoughts of judgment and hate? Take that breath for peace. Hold the thought that one by one we can change the misconceptions that we are all different.

Two arms, two legs, one mind, one heart. We are all the same if only we will let ourselves be.

God Bless Us All.

RECOMMENDED BOOK:

Manifesting Michelangelo: The True Story of a Modern-Day Miracle--That May Make All Change Possible
by Joseph Pierce Farrell.

Heralding a message of unlimited possibilities, Manifesting Michelangelo presents a compelling body of evidence that supports what science is now beginning to embrace — that we all possess the capacity to manifest on the level of the miraculous. It asks us to believe — based not on faith alone, but on documented evidence — that we as a species have the capacity to literally manifest the change in the world that our conscience decrees and our hearts desire.

Click here for more info and/or to order this book on Amazon

About the Author

Shari Rathman is originally from Wisconsin and has lived in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Milwaukee, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, and South Florida. She was an Illinois State Scholar and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University. She has also studied acupuncture and reflexology. Shari began to receive inspirational messages after she became frustrated with some major issues in her life. When she received or heard these messages, she wrote them down word for word, read them and then kept them as they brought her comfort and peace.