Former NASA astronaut Ron Garan, who spent 178 days in orbit and traveled over 71 million miles, has sparked global conversation by claiming that humanity is "living a lie." This realization stems from the "Overview Effect," a profound cognitive shift reported by many astronauts when viewing the Earth from space. Garan explains from the vantage point of the International Space Station, he witnessed an "iridescent biosphere teeming with life," but he saw no borders and certainly no "economy".  Astronauts who recently circled the moon had a similar experience. "When you have looked down at this planet from space, you don't see political narratives. You see one world, whose lives are shared and shaped by billions of people."    For humanity to thrive and achieve unity and lasting peace, we must transition and call for a radical shift in priorities, that is, reverse from a mindset of "Economy, Society, Planet" to "Planet, Society, Economy".  The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.

By acknowledging our deep interconnectedness and the fragility of our paper-thin atmosphere we can go beyond the "us versus them" mentality and experience unity. Are not all nations brother nations, made up of citizens who are brothers “under the skin”? A world wide vision of brotherhood would make all men everywhere act like loving brothers of one big human family.  Is this what we want with all our hearts? Then it is left to each one to make his own personal decision on the issue to be shortly settled for all the earth. Only by paying due respect and love to God's universal sovereignty shall we be privileged to enjoy the “one world, one government, under God’s sovereignty", and live in harmony.  God meant for the human family to be “one world” of mankind, one human society all of the same bone, flesh and blood. This united human society was to dwell over all the earth, this being transformed into paradise as their home forever. Mankind was to have in subjection the fish, the birds and the land animals, but mankind itself was to be in subjection to the sovereignty of the Universal Ruler and Creator, the Most High, God.  When you turn your focus toward the divine - toward peace, purity, and truth, you don’t chase these qualities… you begin to embody them.  Gently, naturally… you become what you choose to hold within.

For this we must detach and look within the self.  We often try to fight and remove every negative thought, but the truth is, darkness doesn’t need to be pushed away, light just needs to be strengthened. When you nourish what is right and consistently choose what is calm, pure, and uplifting within you, everything else slowly loses its hold.  What you keep your attention on doesn’t just pass through you… it shapes you. The mind slowly becomes the color of what it repeatedly sees. The moment you become the observer, you don’t need to fight your thoughts… you just need to stop sitting inside them. Step back gently. Notice what is happening, thoughts, sensations, emotions, without trying to fix, stop, or understand them. Let them come… let them pass. And in that space… peace returns on its own. True strength is not in proving we are right, but in knowing when to stay calm, adjust, and respond with humility, to be 'above it all'.

Let our inner light fuel a world of harmony. As we harness the purity of our thoughts we create the true power to heal the planet. 

When we begin our day by choosing peace—even before we step out of bed and before the busyness starts—we set the foundation for everything that follows. Throughout the day, as challenges arise and distractions call to us, or our minds want to wander into worry or anger, we can return again and again to that choice: to be mindful, to be present, and to be at peace. This practice is about choosing, moment by moment, to bring mindful awareness to our day. When we do this, peace naturally flows into our lives, our words, our actions, and the world around us. 

Sister Chirya is a student and teacher with the Brahma Kumari's
World Spiritual University for over 40 years. She is published globally.