World Peace!!! (According to Who?)

People say that world peace means we all get along. But what each of you means by that is “you do what I want.”

A peaceful world means, “Everybody wanting what I want, and going along with what I want.” And the only problem with that is: there are more than one of you, and you have endless desires that are born within you.

World peace would mean one mindset big enough to make the decisions about what everybody else wants — and the rest of the world conforming to that.

There is a big mix out there, and there are lots of different things going on, and there is not one way that was intended to be the right way. Just like there’s not one color, or one vegetable, or one fingerprint. There is not one that is meant to be the right one over all the others. It’s the variety of life that fosters the creativity of it.

So many people say “I don’t want this” or “I don’t like this.” And I would say to them: then don’t participate in those activities. But don’t ask them to be eliminated, and don’t condemn those who participate in them. Don’t stand on corners waving signs trying to outlaw the things you do not like. Don’t ruin your life by pushing against. Instead say, “I choose this. This pleases me.” Stay focused on what pleases you. If you really want world peace, try minding your own business and staying in your own lane.

I know it’s easier said than done, because you might feel justified giving your attention to something unwanted because it’s true — and because it’s on all the news stations. But just because it’s true is not a good reason, because anything anyone gives their attention to becomes larger and more true. A better question to ask yourself is, “Do I want to experience this?”

And then focus, to the best of your ability, on the things you want to experience. In my life, many people say to me, “Larry, it always seems like things work out for you. You must be one of the luckiest people I know.” The truth is, I have learned to focus my attention and to sift and sort through life’s experiences and — to the best of my ability — choose the experiences that are most pleasing to me.

World Peace is an inside job.