Harmony Deconstructed Podcast

“Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” Aesop, Greek storyteller

The Oxford dictionary defines gratitude as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” The Greater Good Science Center in their paper entitled The Science of Gratitude, wrote the following about definition of gratitude:

“Most people have an instinctive understanding of what gratitude is, but it can be surprisingly difficult to define. Is it an emotion? A virtue? A behavior? Indeed, gratitude can mean different things to different people in different contexts. However, researchers have developed some frameworks for conceptualizing gratitude so that it can be studied scientifically. 

For example, Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough define gratitude as a two-step process: 1) “recognizing that one has obtained a positive outcome” and 2) “recognizing that there is an external source for this positive outcome.” While most of these positive benefits come from other people—hence gratitude’s reputation as an “other-oriented” emotion— people can also experience gratitude toward God, fate, nature, etc. 

Some psychologists further categorize three types of gratitude: gratitude as an “affective trait” (one’s overall tendency to have a grateful disposition), a mood (daily fluctuations in overall gratitude), and an emotion (a more temporary feeling of gratitude that one may feel after receiving a gift or a favor from someone).”

Gratitude has immense benefits in our lives, it makes us look fondly to our past, appreciate the present and have a glowing hope for what lies ahead. For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should be grateful for the experiences we have currently and those we have had in life, those that brought us joy and those that tested our character. As Melody Beattie said “Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity...it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Note also the warning sounded by Henry Ward Beecher that “The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” 

In my view, gratitude is a voluntary action, it cannot be forced. If it is forced, it will be something else, not gratitude. However, when there is gratitude after someone does something for another, it is like the icing on the cake, without it, it seems bare and missing some flair. It reminds me of the story where Jesus healed 10 men who had leprosy. Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, traveling along the border between Galilee and Samaria. It reads in Luke 17 verse 12 to 19 as follows: 

“As he (Jesus) was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance  and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.  One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.  He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”” 

In my view the 9 received physical healing, however, the one man who was grateful received extra healing, he received the healing that was even more crucial if you may, spiritual healing. He got this because of his attitude of gratitude. When we are grateful, even more is given to us. The Creator and people around us are inclined to give us more when we have a grateful heart and attitude. As the Spanish proverb goes “To the grateful man, give more than he asks.” 

“Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” Aesop, Greek storyteller

The Oxford dictionary defines gratitude as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” The Greater Good Science Center in their paper entitled The Science of Gratitude, wrote the following about definition of gratitude:

“Most people have an instinctive understanding of what gratitude is, but it can be surprisingly difficult to define. Is it an emotion? A virtue? A behavior? Indeed, gratitude can mean different things to different people in different contexts. However, researchers have developed some frameworks for conceptualizing gratitude so that it can be studied scientifically. 

For example, Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough define gratitude as a two-step process: 1) “recognizing that one has obtained a positive outcome” and 2) “recognizing that there is an external source for this positive outcome.” While most of these positive benefits come from other people—hence gratitude’s reputation as an “other-oriented” emotion— people can also experience gratitude toward God, fate, nature, etc. 

Some psychologists further categorize three types of gratitude: gratitude as an “affective trait” (one’s overall tendency to have a grateful disposition), a mood (daily fluctuations in overall gratitude), and an emotion (a more temporary feeling of gratitude that one may feel after receiving a gift or a favor from someone).”

Gratitude has immense benefits in our lives, it makes us look fondly to our past, appreciate the present and have a glowing hope for what lies ahead. For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should be grateful for the experiences we have currently and those we have had in life, those that brought us joy and those that tested our character. As Melody Beattie said “Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity...it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Note also the warning sounded by Henry Ward Beecher that “The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” 

In my view, gratitude is a voluntary action, it cannot be forced. If it is forced, it will be something else, not gratitude. However, when there is gratitude after someone does something for another, it is like the icing on the cake, without it, it seems bare and missing some flair. It reminds me of the story where Jesus healed 10 men who had leprosy. Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, traveling along the border between Galilee and Samaria. It reads in Luke 17 verse 12 to 19 as follows: 

“As he (Jesus) was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance  and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.  One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.  He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”” 

In my view the 9 received physical healing, however, the one man who was grateful received extra healing, he received the healing that was even more crucial if you may, spiritual healing. He got this because of his attitude of gratitude. When we are grateful, even more is given to us. The Creator and people around us are inclined to give us more when we have a grateful heart and attitude. As the Spanish proverb goes “To the grateful man, give more than he asks.” 

 “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” Alice Morse Earle, American Historian

At any one point our minds are usually moving to three points in time, the past, present and the future. One could be attending to some matter but at that very moment, their mind could be far off considering something from the past or in the future. The success of each action we take depends on whether we are present, both in body and mind, and focused on the action. For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should focus on the present moment, to enjoy all it offers, to explore all of its potential since it has the greatest influence on our future. 

Even though it sounds simple to focus on the present, it is quite difficult to execute. Wallace Wattles wrote “Do, everyday, all that you can do that day, and do each act in an efficient manner”. This is pretty straight forward, but I acknowledge it is very hard to do. Yet this is where the truth to successfully attaining our future goals lies. Setting plans, and doing each day, each moment, all that is required to be done. 

Wattles also said “Whatever your action is to be, it is evident that you must act now. You cannot act in the past, and it is essential to the clearness of your mental vision that you dismiss the past from your mind. You cannot act in the future, for the future is not here yet.” Wattles 

Jean de La Bruyère said “Children have neither a past nor a future. Thus they enjoy the present, which seldom happens to us.”  The little ones in many ways enjoy or seek to experience each moment. They focus on the thing that is happening right before them, at this moment. At times, this can be frustrating in that it appears their attention span is so short. Yet they are able to enjoy the moments fully and those moments that end up being terrible, can easily be forgotten, just as quickly, in most cases (except traumatic events that tend to be remembered for a long time). 

Consider this story told by Jerry Braza in the book Moment by Moment:

A mother tells a father, “Honey, would you drop the kids off at school this morning? I’ve got a lot of shopping to do and errands to run.”

“Well, dear, I’ve got a pretty hectic day myself (sigh) …  OK I’ll do it.  But hurry, up kids!”

So Dad and his children jump into the car and they’re off. The busy father glances at his watch. “Why is traffic so slow this morning? Certainly people should drive safely, not speed, but this little old man in front of us must be sight-seeing! I’ll pass him as soon as I can… take a short cut maybe … Oh, no!!”

Wouldn’t you know it! The car approaches a railroad crossing just as the lights begin to flash and the safety gate comes down. Dad’s first thought: “Darn it! We’re going to be held up by a train and be late.”

So, as Dad is fuming in the front seat, anxiously tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, reviewing, in his mind, how to make up some time … a sweet, childish voice calls out from the backseat: “Daddy, Daddy, we’re so lucky! We get to watch the train go by!”

There are seemingly frustrating moments in life, which if looked at in a different light, can be delightful. 

 “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” Alice Morse Earle, American Historian

At any one point our minds are usually moving to three points in time, the past, present and the future. One could be attending to some matter but at that very moment, their mind could be far off considering something from the past or in the future. The success of each action we take depends on whether we are present, both in body and mind, and focused on the action. For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should focus on the present moment, to enjoy all it offers, to explore all of its potential since it has the greatest influence on our future. 

Even though it sounds simple to focus on the present, it is quite difficult to execute. Wallace Wattles wrote “Do, everyday, all that you can do that day, and do each act in an efficient manner”. This is pretty straight forward, but I acknowledge it is very hard to do. Yet this is where the truth to successfully attaining our future goals lies. Setting plans, and doing each day, each moment, all that is required to be done. 

Wattles also said “Whatever your action is to be, it is evident that you must act now. You cannot act in the past, and it is essential to the clearness of your mental vision that you dismiss the past from your mind. You cannot act in the future, for the future is not here yet.” Wattles 

Jean de La Bruyère said “Children have neither a past nor a future. Thus they enjoy the present, which seldom happens to us.”  The little ones in many ways enjoy or seek to experience each moment. They focus on the thing that is happening right before them, at this moment. At times, this can be frustrating in that it appears their attention span is so short. Yet they are able to enjoy the moments fully and those moments that end up being terrible, can easily be forgotten, just as quickly, in most cases (except traumatic events that tend to be remembered for a long time). 

Consider this story told by Jerry Braza in the book Moment by Moment:

A mother tells a father, “Honey, would you drop the kids off at school this morning? I’ve got a lot of shopping to do and errands to run.”

“Well, dear, I’ve got a pretty hectic day myself (sigh) …  OK I’ll do it.  But hurry, up kids!”

So Dad and his children jump into the car and they’re off. The busy father glances at his watch. “Why is traffic so slow this morning? Certainly people should drive safely, not speed, but this little old man in front of us must be sight-seeing! I’ll pass him as soon as I can… take a short cut maybe … Oh, no!!”

Wouldn’t you know it! The car approaches a railroad crossing just as the lights begin to flash and the safety gate comes down. Dad’s first thought: “Darn it! We’re going to be held up by a train and be late.”

So, as Dad is fuming in the front seat, anxiously tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, reviewing, in his mind, how to make up some time … a sweet, childish voice calls out from the backseat: “Daddy, Daddy, we’re so lucky! We get to watch the train go by!”

There are seemingly frustrating moments in life, which if looked at in a different light, can be delightful. 

“Ukimficha jogoo kwenye pakacha kuna wakati atawika” Swahili proverb “If you hide a rooster in a basket, he will crow at some point.”

Accountability is an important, if not crucial quality we should embrace if we are to succeed in achieving our goals. I think in one way or another, accountability is inescapable. We can either choose to be accountable of our own volition, or circumstances may and will arise that will cause us to account for our actions or inaction. Accountability keeps us in check and ensures that we attain an inspired harmonious life.I think it is a key ingredient in attaining this way of life. 

I think there are three levels of accountability. We are accountable to the Creator, to ourselves and then to others. Regarding our accountability to the Creator,  Scripture says in Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” David in Psalm 139:7-12 says of God the Creator “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.”

Accountability to the self is governed by our conscience. We may have an accusing conscience, some voice within us that tells us whenever we are doing something wrong. When we ignore these warnings we may descend into chaos. Apostle Paul talks of keeping a clear conscience in a number of his writings. In Acts 24:16, he said he tried to maintain a clear conscience before God and man. He advised Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:19 to cling to his faith and to keep his conscience clear. 

Accountability to others includes close family members, friends, relatives, bosses, colleagues, organizations etc. The levels of accountability may vary depending on the people or persons involved. So for instance you may be more accountable to a spouse as opposed to a distant relative. 

For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should be accountable.

I recall a story of 4 students who were ill prepared for an exam after being away partying for a whole night. There was no way they were going to do the exam without failing. They decided to make up a story to tell their Professor so that they could be excused from taking the exam. They told the Professor that they had attended a wedding the previous night. On their way back to Campus, their car got a flat tyre and they had to push it all the way back. They asked if they could be allowed to take the exam some other day. 

Their Professor listened to their story and was gracious to them. He told them that their test would be rescheduled to be done three days later. The students were so grateful to the Professor for offering them a second chance. 

For the next three days, they studied hard for the exam, taking no chances to ensure that this time round, they would be so ready to tackle the exam. On the day of the exam, they showed up to their Professor’s office, beaming with confidence. They knew they would ace the exam. The Professor told them that they would each go to separate rooms to take their exam. They wondered why but were not worried since each of them was adequately prepared. 

When they each opened the exam questions, they realized there were only two questions as follows: 
Question 1. Write your name (1 point) 

Question 2. Which tyre burst? (99 points)

When we are not accountable for our daily tasks, it ends up complicating our lives and experiences in the future, akin to the students.

“Ukimficha jogoo kwenye pakacha kuna wakati atawika” Swahili proverb “If you hide a rooster in a basket, he will crow at some point.”

Accountability is an important, if not crucial quality we should embrace if we are to succeed in achieving our goals. I think in one way or another, accountability is inescapable. We can either choose to be accountable of our own volition, or circumstances may and will arise that will cause us to account for our actions or inaction. Accountability keeps us in check and ensures that we attain an inspired harmonious life.I think it is a key ingredient in attaining this way of life. 

I think there are three levels of accountability. We are accountable to the Creator, to ourselves and then to others. Regarding our accountability to the Creator,  Scripture says in Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” David in Psalm 139:7-12 says of God the Creator “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.”

Accountability to the self is governed by our conscience. We may have an accusing conscience, some voice within us that tells us whenever we are doing something wrong. When we ignore these warnings we may descend into chaos. Apostle Paul talks of keeping a clear conscience in a number of his writings. In Acts 24:16, he said he tried to maintain a clear conscience before God and man. He advised Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:19 to cling to his faith and to keep his conscience clear. 

Accountability to others includes close family members, friends, relatives, bosses, colleagues, organizations etc. The levels of accountability may vary depending on the people or persons involved. So for instance you may be more accountable to a spouse as opposed to a distant relative. 

For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should be accountable.

I recall a story of 4 students who were ill prepared for an exam after being away partying for a whole night. There was no way they were going to do the exam without failing. They decided to make up a story to tell their Professor so that they could be excused from taking the exam. They told the Professor that they had attended a wedding the previous night. On their way back to Campus, their car got a flat tyre and they had to push it all the way back. They asked if they could be allowed to take the exam some other day. 

Their Professor listened to their story and was gracious to them. He told them that their test would be rescheduled to be done three days later. The students were so grateful to the Professor for offering them a second chance. 

For the next three days, they studied hard for the exam, taking no chances to ensure that this time round, they would be so ready to tackle the exam. On the day of the exam, they showed up to their Professor’s office, beaming with confidence. They knew they would ace the exam. The Professor told them that they would each go to separate rooms to take their exam. They wondered why but were not worried since each of them was adequately prepared. 

When they each opened the exam questions, they realized there were only two questions as follows: 
Question 1. Write your name (1 point) 

Question 2. Which tyre burst? (99 points)

When we are not accountable for our daily tasks, it ends up complicating our lives and experiences in the future, akin to the students.

“I must do something' always solves more problems than Something must be done.” unknown

I think taking responsibility has an empowering effect on us. On the other hand, looking to someone else to act, dis-empowers us, it takes the wind out of our sails if you may. It causes us to resign to our circumstances, environment or fate. The mantra becomes ‘things never change or things will remain the same’. Yet the opposite is true. As it has been said, the only constant thing is change.”

For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should take responsibility for the outcome of our lives. As it is, we cannot change the past, but we can change or influence the future by the actions we take now. So each present moment has the potential to change our future positively or negatively depending on the action or actions we take. 

Brian Tracey in his book the Power of Self-discipline said “The failure to accept responsibility and the attempt to foist responsibility for things in your life that make you unhappy onto other people, institutions, and situations completely distort cause and effect, undermine your character, weaken your resolve, and diminish your humanity. They lead to making endless excuses.”

Similarly, Jack Canfield in his book the Principles of Success said “If you want to be successful, you have to take 100% responsibility for everything that you experience in your life. This includes the level of your achievements, the results you produce, the quality of your relationships, the state of your health and physical fitness, your income, your debts, your feelings - everything! That is not easy. In fact, most of us have been conditioned to blame something outside of ourselves for the parts of our life we don’t like. We blame our parents, our bosses, our friends, our coworkers, our spouse, the weather, the economy, the government, our astrological chart, our lack of money-anyone or anything we can pin the blame on. We never look at where the real problem is - ourselves.”

There is a story told of employees who were looking into a mirror. One day all the employees arrived at work to find a notice at the door that said “The person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away yesterday. We invite you to join the funeral session in the gym room.” At first each employee was sad to hear the news of the passing of this colleague. However, after a while, they were curious to know who this individual was, who had been hindering their growth and the growth of the company. 

When the employees had all gathered for the funeral, they all got a chance to go look into the coffin. The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up. Everyone was thinking: “Who is this guy who was hindering my progress?” One by one the employees got closer to the coffin, and when they looked inside they suddenly became speechless.  They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul. You see there was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see themselves.

There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: “There is only one person who is capable of setting limits to your growth in this company: it is YOU.” You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, and the realization of your success. Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your partner changes, when or your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life. 

For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we must not let our past, our current circumstances or our environment rob us of the power to act in one way or the other.

“I must do something' always solves more problems than Something must be done.” unknown

I think taking responsibility has an empowering effect on us. On the other hand, looking to someone else to act, dis-empowers us, it takes the wind out of our sails if you may. It causes us to resign to our circumstances, environment or fate. The mantra becomes ‘things never change or things will remain the same’. Yet the opposite is true. As it has been said, the only constant thing is change.”

For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should take responsibility for the outcome of our lives. As it is, we cannot change the past, but we can change or influence the future by the actions we take now. So each present moment has the potential to change our future positively or negatively depending on the action or actions we take. 

Brian Tracey in his book the Power of Self-discipline said “The failure to accept responsibility and the attempt to foist responsibility for things in your life that make you unhappy onto other people, institutions, and situations completely distort cause and effect, undermine your character, weaken your resolve, and diminish your humanity. They lead to making endless excuses.”

Similarly, Jack Canfield in his book the Principles of Success said “If you want to be successful, you have to take 100% responsibility for everything that you experience in your life. This includes the level of your achievements, the results you produce, the quality of your relationships, the state of your health and physical fitness, your income, your debts, your feelings - everything! That is not easy. In fact, most of us have been conditioned to blame something outside of ourselves for the parts of our life we don’t like. We blame our parents, our bosses, our friends, our coworkers, our spouse, the weather, the economy, the government, our astrological chart, our lack of money-anyone or anything we can pin the blame on. We never look at where the real problem is - ourselves.”

There is a story told of employees who were looking into a mirror. One day all the employees arrived at work to find a notice at the door that said “The person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away yesterday. We invite you to join the funeral session in the gym room.” At first each employee was sad to hear the news of the passing of this colleague. However, after a while, they were curious to know who this individual was, who had been hindering their growth and the growth of the company. 

When the employees had all gathered for the funeral, they all got a chance to go look into the coffin. The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up. Everyone was thinking: “Who is this guy who was hindering my progress?” One by one the employees got closer to the coffin, and when they looked inside they suddenly became speechless.  They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul. You see there was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see themselves.

There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: “There is only one person who is capable of setting limits to your growth in this company: it is YOU.” You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, and the realization of your success. Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your partner changes, when or your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life. 

For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we must not let our past, our current circumstances or our environment rob us of the power to act in one way or the other.

“A heart at war needs enemies to justify its warring. It needs enemies and mistreatment more than it wants peace.” The Arbinger Institute

It is apparent that at any one point, we are either operating with a heart at war or a heart at peace. The outcome of our actions will be quite different depending on the heart behind the actions we take. When we act with a heart at war, our actions tend towards chaos, on the other hand,  when we act with a heart at peace, our actions tend towards harmony. In the book The Anatomy of Peace, the Arbinger Institute refers to these two kinds of hearts as the way of being. They indicate the following: 

 With a Heart at peace - you see others as PEOPLE. People with hopes, needs, cares,  and fears as real to you as your own. 

With a heart at war - you see others as OBJECTS. They are obstacles on your way, vehicles to achieve your ends, irrelevancies, inconsequential etc.

So the outcome of our actions, as we interact with others, is largely influenced by the our state of being. Whether we are having a heart at peace or a heart at war. 

For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should aim to operate with a heart at peace. Yes we may have a heart at war from time to time, for that is human nature, but it should not be lost to us to be aware and gravitate back to the heart at peace. 

The good news is that, our Creator has given us capability to have a heart at peace even in the midst of war. Whether that be a physical war, a mental war, relational war, economic war  or any other form of war.  There are a couple of examples from history and in current times that show this is possible:

There is a story in the book The Anatomy of Peace by the Arbinger Institute, about a historical figure Saladin. “In June of 1099, Crusaders from the West laid siege to Jerusalem. After forty days, they penetrated the northern wall and flooded into the city. They slaughtered most of the city’s Muslim population within two days. The last of the survivors were forced to carry the dead to mass unmarked graves, where they piled the corpses in heaps and set them on fire. These survivors were then either massacred or sold into slavery. 

The Jews, although not so numerous, fared no better. In the Jewish quarter, the inhabitants fled to the main synagogue for refuge.  The invaders barricaded the exits and stacked wood around the building. They then torched it, burning all but the few who managed to escape. These people were slaughtered in the narrow streets as they attempted to flee. 

The brutality extended as well to the local Christians who officiated at Christian holy sites. These priests were expelled, tortured, and forced to disclose the location of precious relics, which were then taken from them...After taking Jerusalem in 1099, the Crusaders took control of most of the coastal areas of the Middle East. They continued to hold these regions for about eighty years.” Around 1187, Saladin managed to unite all the Muslim peoples from Syria to Egypt and mobilized their collective resistance. His armies recaptured Jerusalem in 1187. “Militarily, politically, and in every other way, Saladin was the most successful leader of the period. His successes were so surprising and total that historians sometimes invoke luck and good fortune to explain them.” Saladin’s invasion of Jerusalem was different in comparison to that of the Crusaders. “In the spring of 1187, after the Crusaders had broken a truce, Saladin called upon the forces of Islam to gather in Damascus. He planned to march against the occupiers in a unified effort and drive them from their lands. 

Saladin sprung a trap on the Western forces near the Sea of Galilee. A few escaped, including a leader named Balian of Ibelin. Balian escaped to Tyre, where via messenger he made a

“A heart at war needs enemies to justify its warring. It needs enemies and mistreatment more than it wants peace.” The Arbinger Institute

It is apparent that at any one point, we are either operating with a heart at war or a heart at peace. The outcome of our actions will be quite different depending on the heart behind the actions we take. When we act with a heart at war, our actions tend towards chaos, on the other hand,  when we act with a heart at peace, our actions tend towards harmony. In the book The Anatomy of Peace, the Arbinger Institute refers to these two kinds of hearts as the way of being. They indicate the following: 

 With a Heart at peace - you see others as PEOPLE. People with hopes, needs, cares,  and fears as real to you as your own. 

With a heart at war - you see others as OBJECTS. They are obstacles on your way, vehicles to achieve your ends, irrelevancies, inconsequential etc.

So the outcome of our actions, as we interact with others, is largely influenced by the our state of being. Whether we are having a heart at peace or a heart at war. 

For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should aim to operate with a heart at peace. Yes we may have a heart at war from time to time, for that is human nature, but it should not be lost to us to be aware and gravitate back to the heart at peace. 

The good news is that, our Creator has given us capability to have a heart at peace even in the midst of war. Whether that be a physical war, a mental war, relational war, economic war  or any other form of war.  There are a couple of examples from history and in current times that show this is possible:

There is a story in the book The Anatomy of Peace by the Arbinger Institute, about a historical figure Saladin. “In June of 1099, Crusaders from the West laid siege to Jerusalem. After forty days, they penetrated the northern wall and flooded into the city. They slaughtered most of the city’s Muslim population within two days. The last of the survivors were forced to carry the dead to mass unmarked graves, where they piled the corpses in heaps and set them on fire. These survivors were then either massacred or sold into slavery. 

The Jews, although not so numerous, fared no better. In the Jewish quarter, the inhabitants fled to the main synagogue for refuge.  The invaders barricaded the exits and stacked wood around the building. They then torched it, burning all but the few who managed to escape. These people were slaughtered in the narrow streets as they attempted to flee. 

The brutality extended as well to the local Christians who officiated at Christian holy sites. These priests were expelled, tortured, and forced to disclose the location of precious relics, which were then taken from them...After taking Jerusalem in 1099, the Crusaders took control of most of the coastal areas of the Middle East. They continued to hold these regions for about eighty years.” Around 1187, Saladin managed to unite all the Muslim peoples from Syria to Egypt and mobilized their collective resistance. His armies recaptured Jerusalem in 1187. “Militarily, politically, and in every other way, Saladin was the most successful leader of the period. His successes were so surprising and total that historians sometimes invoke luck and good fortune to explain them.” Saladin’s invasion of Jerusalem was different in comparison to that of the Crusaders. “In the spring of 1187, after the Crusaders had broken a truce, Saladin called upon the forces of Islam to gather in Damascus. He planned to march against the occupiers in a unified effort and drive them from their lands. 

Saladin sprung a trap on the Western forces near the Sea of Galilee. A few escaped, including a leader named Balian of Ibelin. Balian escaped to Tyre, where via messenger he made a