In a world filled with conflict and catastrophe, it’s natural to feel no peace. (Anyone else start singing Sam Smith’s song featuring Yebba? Just me? Okay.) Conflict has a nasty habit of robbing our hearts of joy. One of dissonance’s primary opponents is harmony. Just imagine a toddler banging on piano keys: that sound is incredibly dissonant. Musicians and non-musicians alike recognize the inexplicable beauty of harmony and its profound ability to heal.
In case you haven’t noticed by now, humans were created for community. Our brains are genetically wired to crave relationships with others. I’m sure you already know this, but here’s a reminder: healthy relationships can be characterized as compassionate, sacrificial, honorable, and forgiving, while unhealthy relationships can be characterized as toxic, draining, conditional, and unforgiving. Start to evaluate your relationships if you haven’t before.
Cultivating positive connections often means surrendering all of our pre-existing expectations and opening ourselves up to be surprised by joy. Here are four tips from the YouVersion App to help you live in harmony with others:
- Pay attention to what truly matters
- Be willing to forgive everything and everyone
- Sacrifice yourself and your time for others
- Remain positive, even when life gets messy
Author Laini Taylor once said “Peace is more than the absence of war. Peace is accord. Peace is harmony.” Be kind to yourself and be kind to others. Strive to live in harmony with yourself and with others.