t should come as no surprise to you that peace has a price tag. Due to the recent passing of President Jimmy Carter, I was reminded of the Camp David Accords, and the deal negotiated by President Carter resulting in one of the most famous peace treaties in history between Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin (the President of Egypt and Prime Minister of Israel, respectively). Although they won the Nobel Peace Prize for their hard work, Sadat was later assassinated, paying the ultimate price for entering into an unpopular treaty.
Fast forward 45 years and, unfortunately, peace in the Middle East remains elusive. However, peace in relationships can be more easily reached, and with a much lower price tag. In my divorce mediation practice, I am privileged to help my clients undergo their own negotiations to arrive at peace. Sometimes it takes them weeks or even months, and other times it happens right in front of me.
Unless you’re negotiating on behalf of a country, the price for peace is a personal decision. It’s a risk versus reward conversation that we have with ourselves during the thought process and hopefully, we figure it out. My divorcing clients decide the price each will pay for peace. In the literal sense, they have to pay out half of their retirement accounts, real estate holdings, and cash on hand in order to end their relationships. Emotionally, they have to sacrifice spending certain holidays with their children, or maybe moving into a smaller place, all in the name of ending the turmoil of their marriages. It’s a challenge for me to watch and a joy if I can be of help.
I must interject here that I really love what I do, and more importantly, I admire my clients. They’ve already begun to pay the price for peace, simply by deciding to use a mediator. If they are ready to take responsibility for their own choices, I can urge them to move forward with an open mind and an optimistic future.
If you’re looking for peace, it actually makes no difference what has contributed to the turmoil, the angst, the tension, and the stress in your life. Whether it’s the break-up of your relationship, your financial situation, your job, your stepchildren, your noisy neighbors, or your in-laws, it’s up to each and every one of us to place our own personal value on what it will take to create peace out of each situation, put a price tag on it, and then start working towards the payment.
If you’ve read this far (and I hope you have), I’d like to challenge you to create a price tag for your own peace, and then commit to making a payment on it every day. A good place to start is by trying to be a little bit more helpful, more tolerant, more generous, and kinder to those around you.
It’s easier than you think.
