On Monday evening, the community room of the West Tisbury library was packed with people looking to find more peace in the world, especially given the current political climate. At the front of the room, Julia Kidd, the event organizer, and her two panelists and friends, Laura Love Denman and Kimberly Cartwright, shared their personal strategies and suggestions for bringing peace to themselves, which can increase the peace in others.
Julia Kidd is a psychotherapist, Laura Love Denman is a life and wellness coach, and Kimberly Cartwright is a yoga instructor, spirit coach, and self-proclaimed advocate of “love in action.” This combined trifecta suggested to eager listeners that the best way to go forward with a positive impact is through self-awareness and alignment at the core. In the tip sheet offered to every participant, the panel suggests that creating a system of support is an important first step, as aligning with people who have similar world visions and hopes can increase your own personal power.
Both Ms. Denman and Ms. Kidd used a quote from Mahatma Gandhi in their interpretations of personal power: “We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes in his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”
This quote in many ways sums up the event, as the main takeaway was to focus on inner healing through methods such as meditation, the practice of gratitude, and broadening your own perspective through reading uplifting materials. Ms. Cartwright also spoke to the importance of practicing forgiveness, which she calls “the real F word.” After practicing these methods of healing and growth, one way to spread this work throughout the community softly yet powerfully is to come up with a personal mission statement. If you can define for yourself the impact that you want to have on others, then you can ensure that your actions communicate that mission. Ms. Kidd defined this idea through the metaphor of a potluck dinner. Think of the dish (in this case the feeling or intention) you want to see there, and make it your mission to bring that thing to all of your interactions.
