Passivism vs Pacifism

Sometimes I think we need more words in the English language that can convey what we really mean when we say "peace". Do we mean that we want peace in our hearts? We are trying to keep the peace? Or we are actively trying to build peace? They are all uniquely different things.
Finding inner peace is quite different to avoiding conflict, and different again to being a peace activist.

Many women (in particular) were raised to "keep the peace" and spend the rest of their (our?) lives trying to find themselves and wonder where the discontent comes from. Every human has similar desires and pushing them aside in an effort not to offend others, is simply NOT keeping the peace.
Passivism - the act, or quality, of being passive, is certainly not pacifism, which depicts actively working towards peace (as oppose to violence). Pacifism, to me, is a spiritual connection to peace - and deep, all encompassing commitment to the belief in the dignity and rights of people, the earth and creatures to live harmoniously, ethically and for the good of all. And sometimes being a pacifist disrupts the peace. 

So next time you decide to keep the peace, ask yourself, what sort of peace are you keeping and for who? Is keeping another happy or conflict free, actually keeping the peace? What is stopping you from saying what really matters most to you? Is there a way to do that AND have a peace-full outcome? 
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