Cultivating Peace
Peace and Self-Control
Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
- Viktor Frankl
Viktor Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist and a Holocaust survivor. Despite the horrors of his experience, he found a way to cultivate peace within himself and share it with others. His book Man’s Search for Meaning was one of the bestselling books of the 20th century.
We live in a world full of reactivity, one where there is little space for practicing listening, understanding, and nurturing peace. If we are not careful, this reactivity surrounding us has the potential to infect us and our relationships.
The Frankl quote above reminds us of the difference between reacting and responding. Putting space between something that stimulates or triggers us gives us the capacity to respond rather than react. This is a perfect example of self-control, one of the other fruits of the Spirit.
Try taking a breath, or ten, the next time you want to react immediately to something or someone that irritates or upsets you. Take time to pray, to journal, and reflect. Creating the space you need to form a response provides a greater chance of creating peace rather than escalating conflict.
Making It Personal: How does the quote from Viktor Frankl speak to you? What helps you to honor the space to respond rather than merely reacting? Do you see a connection between Frankl’s quote and cultivating peace that could be helpful to you?
Listen To Our Lent Podcast Episodes
We also invite you to listen to the Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness Podcast hosted by Scott Stoner. This is a year-round, weekly podcast; however, during Lent, there will be two new episodes each week to enrich your experience of our Lenten readings on Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit.
You can listen to the podcast on our website by clicking HERE. You can also find this podcast in your favorite podcast listening app (Apple, Google, Spotify, etc.)—just search for Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness