By Larry Kasanoff

When I’m in conversations about current events with people who feel angry, frustrated, and powerless and say, “Well, I can’t do anything about them,” I know I can do something because Thay taught me a simple message: “Peace in yourself, Peace in the world.”

It means I can stop worrying about fixing Washington or the Middle East or whatever event, and concentrate on using mindfulness to find peace in myself instead.

I once had dinner with Bill Clinton. He said if you obsess about hating someone, they win. All your time and effort goes into hate, which only makes you and those around you unhappy. It does not affect the person you hate, who might not even know about it. So Clinton said he forced himself to call his biggest political rival, and compliment him. This broke the obsessive spell of hatred, and helped him turn the tide of his relationship with his rival, and get more compromise and bills passed.

That, to me, is mindful thinking. So how can we get into a state of mind where we are open and able enough to call our rival and compliment him, as Clinton did?

Political conversations used to really anger me. The more I learned mindfulness from Thay, the less the conversations made me suffer. I saw those who disagreed with me as just having another point of view. I still didn’t agree, but I learned more and more my anger would not help them, the situation, or me.

One way I do this is to have political conversations while I am in a beautiful and/or relaxing environment, such as on the beach or while my dog is sitting next to me. In this manner, my environment serves as a reminder for me to be calm and appreciative. I do this every time I am in a ‘the world is coming to an end’ conversation with a friend. I let the friend vent for a few minutes and practice mindful listening. I then ask a positive question, such as one fun thing that happened to them recently, a great movie they’ve seen, or something they are looking forward to or for which they are grateful.

Maybe we don’t wind up calling a rival, but we can see one positive quality in a politician we don’t agree with. Just one thing and be grateful for that. One is better than none.

I once asked Thay what to do when someone or something makes me angry because what they did was wrong. Thay said, ‘Your peace is more important.” This practice can help us make sure each conversation or thought about current events ends with a positive thought or message.

Speaking of positive messages from Thay, I think of “Peace in yourself, Peace in the world” as such a powerful and effective message that I made a documentary called Mindfulness: Be Happy Now. Thay asked me to make it several years ago, which largely features his teachings (as well as Sister Chan Khong and Sister Dang Nghiem).

If we all used mindfulness for thirty minutes a day to find more peace in ourselves, we would be happier and more positive, and there would be more peace in the world. So next time you are feeling frustrated and angry and powerless, I invite you to watch Mindfulness: Be Happy Now for suggestions on how to find more peace in yourself. Or, take a walk, meditate, draw a picture, learn piano, play with your dog. Meditate. Read one of Thay’s books.

It will make you happier and more positive. Your kids will feel the good energy from you and have a better day at school. It will make the coffee guy and the dry cleaning lady who you now smile at happier. Then they will make the people they interactive with happier. And so on.

Eventually, if we all do it, the simple message from Thay will change the world.