Why do we smile when the beauty pageant contestant says: “I want to promote world peace?” When I was in my beauty pageant years, I remember smiling at the answer because everyone else did, not because I thought it was naive or funny.  I did wonder why it brought everyone to a smile and why the world peace answer was almost always a sure laugh from a comedian’s audience.

More miles down the road of life now, I understand the smile is because a part of us, a part designed in us, part of our soul knows peace is what each heart longs for but it has nothing to do with something so physical and easy to “handle” as armed combat and winning over an opponent.  The shake of the head along with the smile and the easy mockery was from the notion that there would ever be a time with no wars and rumors of wars.

What is seldom mocked or the focus of that condescending smile is peace of mind.  Peace of mind trumps cessation of physical battle yet it is often the unattainable victory or not achieved among life’s many distractions and not attained when the physical battle seems the thing to win that will bring with it peace of mind, then does not.

There are worthy battles that bring peace of mind.  It is good and proper for each of us to find satisfaction in toilsome labor during the years of life given; this is each human’s lot. When wealth and possessions come as a part of that labor, we can enjoy them, accept our journey, and be happy in our work—a gift we call StrengthBank® – where each of us finds the positive voice for each one’s pre-designed bank of strengths. With that gift in place, the plan is in place and we seldom get trapped in thinking back on the days of this life about what wish had been different (lack of peace of mind) because the joy of achieving our unique purpose keeps us occupied with gladness of heart and living even tough times.  We love what we do and have a peace about it, a satisfaction that gets us through all the nuances of circumstance, some of which will always be wars, rumors of wars, and daily struggles with others who deny the real existence of peace of mind and even mock it.

Things that keep us from living and working with peace of mind and to our full potential (StrengthBank® COMMUNICATION WorkOuts®) are not imperfections and strengths to do the right thing but are the things that detract us in the moment and seem right and good and noble but in the long run give us no peace of mind:  marrying because of a need to feel wanted, staying in an abusive relationship, deciding in favor of the company at the expense of the customer because the company has deeper pockets and more lawyers, keeping a teacher in front of a classroom because the teacher has a doctorate but no common sense or moral character, getting pregnant to feel loved, deciding that bloodlines are more important than ethical decisions, working for a promotion at work at the expense of a childhood at home, or putting an elderly parent in a nursing home because it is inconvenient to disrupt the adult child’s life style, etc.

The teen years are a desperate search for peace of mind. According to George Barna research in his 2009 year-end review, 88% Americans say that spiritual matters are very, very important to them … that spiritual foundation is solidified most often in the teen years and the spirit of a person is the place where peace of mind can reside. The message, then, is to mentor teens before they “hit the streets” so that peace of mind is the beginning of their adulthood and can stay with them.  Talk with them encourage them; let them know they must not waste life by selecting an inferior purpose that has no lasting value, will not sustain in times of physical travail.  There is always a StrengthBank® plan for each life that allows a satisfaction and sense of purpose that renders a life complete,  regardless of some inevitable human failings and missteps along the way.  That purpose may be to fight the physical war, to actually be a soldier; If it is, the battles will be fought and lost or won in peace.

Wishing for world peace implies a wish for cessation of hostilities so that the world has no struggles; if the world had no struggles there would be no longing for peace within us and we would not long for Heaven.  Focus on the unrealistic wish for no troubles or wars is not only naive but dangerous.  Dangerous because searching for something that is not available during this lifetime is a distraction for one’s purpose that realistically has the capacity to live with gladness of heart.

Don’t give up on teens thinking they will never understand beyond the superficial, “I want to work for world peace.”  They are at a threshold for begining a fulfilled life or accepting an unfulfilling one.  Fulfilled lives are the answered prayer that nurtures the Land of the Free.  World peace is a whimsical glance at Heaven that will never be realized here on earth but is a worthy glance and remembrance as we find that we can live in this world with peace of mind. “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made. Our times are in his hand who saith, ‘A whole I planned, youth shows but half; Trust God: See all, nor be afraid!’” ~ Robert Browning

So for the young or naive, just smile when each states the purpose is to create a world peace.  As Robert Browning penned, “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” Hopefully, they can grow out of it to the peace that passes all understanding, peace that keeps us occupied with gladness of heart, that is, if you are willing to join in and help us mentor them during high school advisories.

Participate!  Find out how to mentor in your local high school advisory period with StrengthBank for High Schools – A Relationship Initiative.

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