Inner Peace, Outer Peace

I have asked myself countless times why it's so important to work on inner peace.  What's the big deal?

The answer is, that peace starts with me, and I start with what is inside.  From there, peace can grow and spread to other areas of my life, to the people I love, and people I don't even know.  Eventually. 

One of my favorite quotes is, "Follow a leader who walks with a limp".  I always interpreted that to mean a leader who's been through the fire, been wounded, and survived.  I imagine a leader like that knows what's at stake, knows the real cost in terms of human suffering, and works to minimize those costs...a person who takes care of other people, and has the utmost respect for them.

I'm not sure you can be a good leader without having been wounded (and healed) yourself.