"Conflict Resolution" A New Approach to The World's Oldest Problem
As human beings we all know the discomfort of living with internal and external conflicts and the accompanying desire for their resolution. Since the beginning of inhabiting this planet humans have been seeking peace because we have been, and are still, living with internal and external conflicts and haven’t found a way to resolve them. However, we need to identify the source of conflicts before we can bring peace to them.
The overwhelming acceptance and popularity of the movie “Inside Out” seems to have brought to the surface the longing society has had for the perspective that we all have “voices in our heads,” no matter what age, economic or political stature, gender, race, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs. This helps nurture our connection to each other by bringing awareness to how we are alike rather than focusing on our differences, which is a step in the right direction. However, these voices function independently, having their own agendas and beliefs about what they want us to do, and many times they are not in on the same page. Internal Conflicts arise when there is some form of friction or disagreement arising within the group of voices in our head when the beliefs of one or more its members are either resisted by or unacceptable to one or more of the other members. It is common to experience this inner tug of war when it’s time to make decisions in our life. The disagreement among our inner voices is the source of internal conflict, which in turn gets projected out into the world and gives rise to the external conflicts that often involves violence, interpersonal discord, and psychological and emotional tension. In other words our internal conflicts are echoed in our external conflicts and our conflicts as well as our peace come from the "Inside Out."
The New Approach “Nothing in our lives can be lifted up, conquered, or healed by moving away from it. Avoiding our inner conflicts and the pain they cause perpetuates our suffering.” Although our natural tendency is to move away from what makes us uncomfortable it does not make the discomfort go away. The idea that avoiding conflict is the answer to their resolution is the belief that allows conflicts to persist. Moving away from or avoiding them can make us feel weak and powerless. Making the conscious choice to move toward them is the act of courage that allows us to find our strength. The new approach to conflict resolution requires a shift in consciousness. We need to focus on resolving our internal conflicts rather than putting our attention on the external ones, because they are basically a projection of what is going on inside of us. As Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same consciousness we used to create them.” Therefore, we need to develop an aspect of our Divine consciousness that is willing to embrace what our human consciousness has rejected.
"Conflict Resolution"
A New Approach to The World's Oldest Problem
As human beings we all know the discomfort of living with internal and external conflicts and the accompanying desire for their resolution. Since the beginning of inhabiting this planet humans have been seeking peace because we have been, and are still, living with internal and external conflicts and haven’t found a way to resolve them. However, we need to identify the source of conflicts before we can bring peace to them.
The overwhelming acceptance and popularity of the movie “Inside Out” seems to have brought to the surface the longing society has had for the perspective that we all have “voices in our heads,” no matter what age, economic or political stature, gender, race, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs. This helps nurture our connection to each other by bringing awareness to how we are alike rather than focusing on our differences, which is a step in the right direction. However, these voices function independently, having their own agendas and beliefs about what they want us to do, and many times they are not in on the same page.
Internal Conflicts arise when there is some form of friction or disagreement arising within the group of voices in our head when the beliefs of one or more its members are either resisted by or unacceptable to one or more of the other members. It is common to experience this inner tug of war when it’s time to make decisions in our life. The disagreement among our inner voices is the source of internal conflict, which in turn gets projected out into the world and gives rise to the external conflicts that often involves violence, interpersonal discord, and psychological and emotional tension. In other words our internal conflicts are echoed in our external conflicts and our conflicts as well as our peace come from the "Inside Out."
The New Approach
“Nothing in our lives can be lifted up, conquered, or healed by moving away from it. Avoiding our inner conflicts and the pain they cause perpetuates our suffering.”
Although our natural tendency is to move away from what makes us uncomfortable it does not make the discomfort go away. The idea that avoiding conflict is the answer to their resolution is the belief that allows conflicts to persist. Moving away from or avoiding them can make us feel weak and powerless. Making the conscious choice to move toward them is the act of courage that allows us to find our strength.
The new approach to conflict resolution requires a shift in consciousness. We need to focus on resolving our internal conflicts rather than putting our attention on the external ones, because they are basically a projection of what is going on inside of us. As Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same consciousness we used to create them.” Therefore, we need to develop an aspect of our Divine consciousness that is willing to embrace what our human consciousness has rejected.