15 Sailing the Seven C’s

We asked our students the question, “how can inner peace practice impact conflict transformation?” Our students developed this list. We call it the Seven C’s.

Meditation (or a simple practice of mindfulness) helps you to be

…CALM

• grants you a sense of relaxation and focus.
• re-orients you in time (by slowing you down).
• helps to develop a sense of humor, a light-hearted attitude.
• helps you to find equanimity in the event that your needs may not be met.

…CLEAR

• promotes clarity: of opinion, focus, identity, goals, etc.
• gives you a sense of inner depth that reduces your need for outer satisfaction.

…CURRENT

• helps you to be truly present, and thus, to have a presence.
• detaches you a little from history, can help you to “let go” of some long-held notions about the past.

…CONFIDENT

• increases positive self-esteem and appreciation of your own good qualities.
• lightens your heart as you internalize problem-solving skills.

…CONNECTED

• starts a ripple effect: when more and more people meditate, you can feel the change in the environment.
• grows your awareness of the natural world and your place within it.

…COMPASSIONATE

• undoes narrow-mindedness and intolerance.
• dissolves your tendency to judgmentalism.
• instills a sense of shared humanity, with all people.

…COLLABORATIVE

• builds listening skills: by paying attention to your own inner voice, you learn how to listen actively to others.
• allows for a vision of win-win–even to the point that you hope that your opponents get what they need—and you work towards that.

…these are all confidence builders when you find yourself in a position of engaging in a conflict, or helping in the aftermath, or seeking or dispensing justice, or just staking a claim to a position about which you feel strongly, but, you’re willing to be flexible.