What Does Peace Mean to You?

What Does Peace Mean to You?

Daren Zhong: Peace has two meanings for me. The first definition for peace is when I am at peace. When I am at peace, I am balanced. I am not being pulled in any direction by anything that I need to do or anything that is nagging in my mind. Although this type of peace is uncommon, it is always a welcome surprise when there’s a small break in responsibilities. However peace is also stillness and non-violence. Something can be peaceful in the sense that it is relaxed, but it can also be peaceful in the sense of not being violent.  

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Eleanor Lawton Flatters: Merriam-Webster categorizes peace as both a noun and a verb. It isn’t only the absence of violence, but something we can achieve. As a Quaker school we are taught the importance of peace and how it impacts our community. Achieving peace includes being aware of your limitations, as well as giving the people around you space to decide on their own for themselves. We can easily compare ourselves to people we deem superior to ourselves and work too hard to achieve what we believe their standards are. If we push ourselves too far we are too focused on reaching unattainable goals. If we impose our opinions on what people can or cannot do, they no longer have the freedom they need in order to achieve peace for themselves. If we give ourselves and others the grace to achieve peace we are able to be more active members of our community and support those around us. 

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Pia Jauhar: 

With Peace Week coming up, I interviewed Mia Kamensky, Managing Editor of Inkwell

What does peace mean to you?

  • Treating people with kindness and equality
  • Living in a world where there is no war
  • Addressing problems with caring intentions and intentions to better the world and others
  • Prioritizing community over self-interest
  • Taking more selfless actions than selfish actions
  • Quality time with people you love 

How can we achieve peace?

We achieve peace by practicing mindfulness, gratitude, and self-reflection. Also making sure your own needs are fulfilled by pursuing things you love. 

How can we achieve a peaceful school community?

  • Uplift others
  • Greet others with a smile
  • Think about the needs of others while also taking care of ourselves
  • Pursue what we love 
  • Rejoice in others’ achievements

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Ashley Reyes: Peace means community and people coming together. For example, Friends Academy represents peace because we are a small school where we have to come together. For me, peace is quietness. If there is silence, there is no chance of someone saying something they shouldn’t, being too loud, or saying something hurtful. Silence is complete peace and utter happiness. I believe that’s why I feel the calmest when I am sleeping because everything is silent. 

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Cassian G. – Peace can only exist in a community where people are aiming towards the same goal. This does not mean that everyone has to have the same ideas on certain topics to remain peaceful, but if everyone in the same space supports positive thinking, then peace can exist. Peace exists when those who strive for it let down their barriers and create trust with others. Peace cannot exist at somebody’s expense. What we need to realize is that there is no reason to fight each other, but there is a reason to unite to fight against a problem standing in the way of peace. So if you find yourself in an argument, don’t take your fight to the person on the other side. Instead, identify the issue, listen to the other side, and come to the best possible compromise. This way, you will have been able to reach your goal just by redirecting negative feelings, inviting positive thinking into the situation, and remaining open to criticism.

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Angelina Posada – Over the 15 years I’ve spent at Friends Academy, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect and discover what peace truly means to me. During those years, I think I’ve come to realize that peace can be whatever you want it to be. It can be a relaxing time with friends, a few minutes of alone time between classes, airpods projecting melodies into your ear as you walk the halls, or time spent playing your favorite sport. Peace is the time we spend blocking out distractions, stressful situations, and worrying thoughts. Instead, we fill that negative mental space with clean, undisturbed tranquility. The freedom to do and express whatever you want without harming others is peace. The interpretation of the word is up to each individual, making the idea of peace a beautiful thing. I feel as though not many people value peace as much as they should. As a Quaker community, we’re privileged enough to have resources that allow us to have those peaceful moments.

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Bella Gonzalez: Peace to me is the love you show your neighbor in times of need. Peace is the respect that you give to someone you may not agree with. Peace is the feeling that both students and members of the faculty experience at Friends Academy. It is the effort to understand different points of view, to foster diversity, and embrace differences. Together we can make our world a much better place. A place where we can be ourselves without any fear of judgment or need for revenge. Peace Week is not just a time to spend with your friends; it is a time of reflection and a chance to positively influence others with our words and our actions, however, you cannot be at peace with others without having peace with yourself. Having peace with ourselves requires an understanding of who we are and where we are in our journey of the person we wish to become. It is a pillar of a well-balanced life and the result of doing things right for yourself and others. Only by working together can we have peace with each other and can we help those around us have peace with themselves. That is the world that we should all make an effort to live in.