8 months of applying Peace Pilgrim's wisdom

it is working

Peace Pilgrim walked across North America for 28 years to speak to people about peace. She carried no money and would not ask for food or shelter, but simply accepted what was offered.

Can you imagine?

But here's what I find most interesting:

While walking for thousands of miles with nothing, she was happy, healthy, and filled with vibrant energy.

Which is funny, because society tells us that we need Lots of Things and Certain Conditions to be happy, healthy, and fulfilled.

So how is it that this penniless, homeless woman came to possess those rare treasures that even the rich and powerful cannot obtain?

The wisdom I applied

Peace wrote about how she went from living a normal life to being what I regard as a modern-day saint. She had no religious affiliation, and oriented from her own experience and insights.

What stood out to me from her story was:

1. She stopped doing the things she knew she shouldn't, and started doing the things she believed in.

2. As she lived the highest light given to her, higher light was given.

#1 is a practical instruction, as it can be acted upon in any life situation. I interpret #2 as “just do the best you can with the awareness you have, and then more awareness will come to you.” That feels comforting—like I don’t have to see the full path or have some big strategy, just do what is in reach.

Trying it out

When I heard "stop doing the things you know you shouldn't do," what first came up for me was that I had to stop eating sugar. It took me many months to do so, but I did it.

Several months later, it seemed the next thing I could do was cut out alcohol. I wasn't drinking much, but even the little I drank robbed beauty from those days, and so I stopped.

After that I reached a baseline of wellbeing where I was able to notice acute periods of brain fog. Then an herbalist friend helped me realize that I have a dairy allergy, so I cut that out too.

Now happiness periodically springs into me for no reason, and I feel healthy and clear-headed. What joy!

So just from following Peace Pilgrim's advice of stopping the things I knew I shouldn't, my life improved a great deal. But while Peace Pilgrim talks about purifying the body, that wasn't her focus—this was simply what came to my awareness as my first steps.

Other things I stopped and started:

I mostly stopped buying new clothes and started buying used (from thrift stores, ThredUp, and eBay). Because the clothes are more affordable, I feel like I have an abundance of wonderful clothes, and thus I feel less precious about the ones I have. So again, more freedom and feelings of peace.

I stopped being nomadic and started living more sustainably. I knew flying from country to country was bad for the planet, and I also felt that I was not a wholly good force on the communities I visited (adding to issues with gentrification and Airbnbs).

Now I am very fortunate to live off-grid and close to the land. I bought a used electric vehicle, and once our solar array is set up we'll be able to drive on solar power. Certainly my life still depends on industrial forces, but I am starting to live the way I believe in.

The move from being nomadic to living rooted in nature has deeply improved my wellbeing. So once again, stopping doing the things I know I shouldn't and starting doing the things I believe in has brought me peace and happiness.

Now just as Peace Pilgrim said that she wasn’t trying to inspire people to walk a pilgrimage, I’m not saying you should buy used clothes and life off the land. The point of Peace Pilgrim’s wisdom, in my opinion, is for you to act on whatever is your highest light.

Higher Light (next steps)

Peace Pilgrim said that as she lived the highest light she had, higher light was given to her. So now that I am feeling good in my body and grounded in place, a different part of Peace Pilgrim's wisdom calls to me.

Peace Pilgrim talks about purification of motive: to abandon any motive of greed, self-seeking, or wish for self-glorification, and only do that which is coming from service.

She calls being of service the secret of life, and certainly service does seem to work wonders:

• Businesses who genuinely exist to serve their customer prosper

• Marriage partners who devotedly serve each other have happy marriages

• Politicians who genuinely serve the people are highly regarded (e.g., Angela Merkel)

Come to think of it, the flourishing of our society and world depends on those genuinely coming from service 🤔

Here’s her writing on this topic:

My life has been primarily self-centered, so orienting to service feels daunting. However, I was also daunted by what appeared to me as my first step—giving up sugar—but I did that and was so much happier for it.

Convinced of the logic of orienting towards service, I take it up as a spiritual practice—a yoga that one may never hope to perfect but simply begin again and again with devotion.

I drew this while trying to wrap my head around orienting from service

Further resources

If any of this has appealed to you, you may enjoy reading Peace Pilgrim’s book, especially the chapter The Spiritual Growing Up: My Steps Towards Inner Peace, PDF pages 25-42, as something else there may speak to you.

Wishing you peace and happiness 💗

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Thanks to Tasshin and Michael Curzi for this video on the words of Peace Pilgrim, which I used a still from to make the cover art. Like the video, the art is CC BY licensed.