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Pastoral Care Week Oct. 24 - 30 Finding personal peace is not always easy The following is the second in a series of five articles written by MUSC staff chaplains on this year's theme—Imagining Peace. The focus will be on imagining peace in the workplace, family, globally, and the inner-self.  by Rev. George M. Rossi Chaplain MUSC Pastoral Care Services In the July 2004 Guideposts, Dolly Parton shared “The Five Reasons I Love My Life.” Seeing the title of the article without having read the text, I tried to imagine what those five things might be. Jokingly, I said, “Here are the reasons: one million, two million, three million, four million, five million.” In today’s highly competitive world, there are people saddled with the never-ending task of making ends meet—paying basic bills such as water, food, shelter and electricity.  Some people lack the money, and their lives are anything but peaceful, living paycheck to paycheck. I think many people would live more peacefully if they didn’t have to worry about paying part of the electric bill or buying a pair of shoes for their children for gym class. Money can certainly help us meet our basic needs, which can be a stepping stone to meeting higher-level needs, like personal peace. Many people try to find peace through work, hobbies, relationships, or religious or spiritual experiences. And there is a peace that comes with paying the bills and having a little cash left over for a weekend dinner. Nevertheless, personal peace cannot be bought. Achieving personal peace takes both work and rest. As we celebrate Pastoral Care Week, Oct. 24-30, our goal remains “imagining personal peace,” and we discuss ways to accomplish it. Imagining personal peace begins in one’s inner being, one’s soul and one’s mind. First, we work at imagining what peace might look and feel like once experienced. To imagine peace, sit down and take a few moments to evaluate how peaceful you feel within your soul; how peaceful we feel inside ultimately affects the way we feel and act in relationships with other people, a higher power and ourselves.  We can all find ways to gain an even greater sense of personal peace. Here are a few suggestions: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Pray and meditate for at least a few minutes each day. Seek friends and co-workers who seem peaceful, and ask them how they achieve personal peace. Rest and take time to feed your soul with a book, a relaxing movie, or a peaceful walk. Friday, Oct. 8, 2004 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.