Hi, this is Monique Rhodes. Welcome to the In Your Right Mind Podcast, where we're learning how to be happier by working with our minds. If you'd like to know more about what I teach, come to iintendtobehappy.com. Let's get you started on a really easy course so we can start to raise those happiness levels.
You deserve it.
When the World Feels Frayed
It’s a difficult time in the world right now. There’s no doubt about it.
When the world feels frayed at the edges—
When the headlines are filled with violence—
When anger seems louder than reason—
You might wonder: What can I possibly do to help?
The Challenge of This Moment
The world feels vast and complicated right now.
Maybe even unrecognizable.
- Wars are raging.
- Communities are fractured.
- Even small disagreements feel like battlegrounds.
And in times like this, it’s tempting to believe that peace is someone else’s job—
The job of leaders, lawmakers, or people with bigger platforms.
Peace Starts With You
But here’s the truth:
Peace isn’t something to wait for.
It’s something to practice.
Not someday.
Not after the news quiets down.
But right now—in the middle of the mess.
And it doesn’t start outside.
It starts within you.
What We Do When We’re Afraid
When things feel out of control, we tend to:
- Harden
- Shut down
- Lash out
- Defend
- Build walls around our hearts
We say, “I have to protect myself.”
But the more rigid we become, the less capable we are of connection.
And without connection, there can be no peace.
That’s the paradox.
The Power of Softness
Real peace isn’t built on force.
It’s built on softness.
It’s born from:
- Vulnerability
- Openness
- The willingness to stay present even when we’re afraid, angry, or hurt
Softness, in a world that rewards aggression, is a radical act.
Softness Is Not Weakness
To stay open in the face of conflict isn’t passive.
It’s the most courageous thing we can do.
It means:
- Facing pain without letting it define us
- Meeting hatred with curiosity
- Sitting with discomfort without rushing to fix or control it
This doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations or standing down.
Quite the opposite.
What Peace Really Asks of Us
Peace asks us to:
- Show up fully and fiercely
- Avoid becoming the very thing we’re standing against
- Stay clear, compassionate, and grounded in our shared humanity
It means:
- Holding people accountable without dehumanizing them
- Listening not to respond or argue—but to understand
And it means asking yourself:
- Where am I contributing to harm?
- Where have I gone numb?
- What part of me refuses to soften—and why?
Peace Grows in Small Moments
This kind of peace can’t be legislated.
It grows like roots—quietly, beneath the surface.
You build it:
- In how you treat others during tense conversations
- In how you care for people you disagree with
- In the pause before you speak in anger
- In the refusal to dismiss someone’s pain
- In the choice to soften when you want to lash out
Build the Qualities You Wish to See
If we want a world that’s less reactive and divided,
We have to begin with ourselves.
We have to cultivate within us:
- Patience
- Understanding
- Softness
- Strength
Not perfection—but presence.
Not silence—but steadiness.
Not giving up—but going deeper.
The Invisible Work of Peace
This way of living may not be dramatic.
Often, no one will see it but you.
But it matters.
It ripples.
The decision not to escalate.
The breath instead of the reaction.
The willingness to feel discomfort instead of running from it.
This Is Peace as Resistance
In a turbulent world, this kind of peace is not weakness—it is resistance.
And if enough of us choose it,
If enough of us tend to what’s rigid with gentleness,
We can create healing.
Not in some distant future—
But in our next interaction,
Our next thought,
Our next breath.
Peace doesn’t arrive like lightning.
It’s built moment by moment,
If we are willing to live as if it matters.
I want it to matter to you.
I want you to become a vessel of peace, especially in these difficult times.
As always, be kind.
Take care.
Go gently in the world.
