What Finding Peace Really Means: Lessons from the Monks Who Walked Through Raleigh

If you were anywhere near downtown Raleigh last weekend, you may have witnessed something extraordinary. Buddhist monks, walking barefoot in freezing temperatures, making their way from Texas to Washington, D.C. on a 2,300-mile journey they call the Walk for Peace.

Thousands of people lined the streets. They stood outside Apex High School at 6:30 in the morning. They gathered at the State Capitol in the bitter cold, some waiting for hours just to see these monks walk by. And when you look at the images from that day, when you hear what people said about why they came, you start to understand something important about what peace actually means.

I want to share with you what struck me most about this event, because it has everything to do with the work we do here at The Walls Law Group.

What Peace Isn't

Let me be very clear with you about something. Peace is not the absence of problems. It is not a life where nothing goes wrong, where no challenges arise, where you never face difficult decisions or painful circumstances.

The monks who walked through our community understand this better than most. Their journey has not been easy. They have walked through ice and bitter cold. They sleep in tents. They own nothing beyond what they carry. Yet they walk in peace.

Here is what I noticed about the people who came to see them. When asked why they showed up in the freezing cold, one woman named Pam said something that stopped me in my tracks. She said, "When I first saw them, I burst into tears because we need them so much right now. This is a time filled with hate and we need that sort of dedication, love and intentionality that they have to offer."

Peace, real peace, exists alongside struggle. It exists alongside uncertainty. It exists alongside everything else that makes life complicated and difficult and unpredictable.

So what is peace, then?

Peace Is Having Your Affairs in Order

This is where I want to talk about something that might surprise you. Peace, in its most practical sense, is about preparation. It is about knowing that the people you love will be protected, no matter what happens.

One of the speakers at the Capitol gathering, Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, said something profound to the crowd. He looked around at the thousands of people who had come from different backgrounds, different faiths, different skin colors, speaking different languages, and he said, "We are able to come here together in this weather in front of this Capitol, just to support the mission of peace. It means there is no difference between all of us."

But here is what I have learned over many years of working with families and business owners. You cannot show up for something larger than yourself when you are consumed with worry about what will happen to your children if something happens to you. You cannot be present for the people who matter most when you are stressed about whether your business will survive if you are suddenly not there to run it.

Let me walk you through what this looks like in practical terms.

The Hard Truth About Peace and Planning

I am going to share something with you that honestly concerns me every single day. Roughly two-thirds of American adults have no estate plan in place. That means the majority of parents have no formal plan to protect their children. These are people who spend countless hours planning birthday parties, scheduling playdates, saving for college, but they have never put in writing what happens if both parents die or become incapacitated.

This is not about being morbid. This is about having peace.

If you have minor children and something were to happen to you and your spouse, who would raise them? Who would manage the money you leave behind for their care? What values would you want that guardian to instill in them? These are not hypothetical questions. These are real decisions that need to be made, and if you do not make them, a judge who has never met your family will make them for you.

Governor Josh Stein said something at the Capitol gathering that resonated with me. He told the monks, "You are bringing people hope. You are inspiring people at a time when so many are in need for inspiration." And I thought about how many people I have worked with who found hope simply by getting their estate plan in place. Not because the plan itself was magical, but because they finally had certainty. They finally knew that their children would be cared for by the people they chose. They finally knew their life insurance would go into a trust that would protect those funds rather than being turned over to an 18-year-old who is not prepared to manage that kind of money.

What the Monks Understood That We Often Forget

Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said something at the gathering that captures what I am trying to explain here. She spoke about the Buddhist tradition and said, "All beings, human and otherwise, are integrally connected with each other in ways we can hardly imagine."

That connection is what makes planning so important. You do not exist in isolation. Your decisions affect your children, your spouse, your business partners, your employees, your extended family. When you fail to plan, you are not just leaving your own affairs uncertain. You are creating potential chaos for everyone who depends on you.

The monks understand this. That is why, when people gave them flowers along their journey, they would turn around and give those flowers to someone else. In their social media posts about the walk, they captured this beautifully, explaining how the flowers stayed the same but the peace and happiness multiplied with each act of giving.

This is exactly what happens when you get your estate plan in place. You are not just protecting yourself. You are extending peace to your children, your spouse, your parents or siblings who will not have to make impossible decisions about your care or your children's guardianship.

The Urgency of Peace

I want to address something that people often do not want to think about. The monks faced real danger on their journey. One of them lost his leg when their escort vehicle was struck in an accident. These are not abstract risks. These are real consequences that happened to real people.

Life is the same way. We do not like to think about death or disability. We do not like to imagine scenarios where we cannot be there for our children or where our business suddenly has no one to run it. But ignoring these possibilities does not make them go away. It just means we are unprepared when they happen.

I have worked with clients who have gone through audits, lawsuits, bankruptcies. I have worked with families who lost a parent unexpectedly and had no plan in place. And what I can tell you is this. The people who have peace are the ones who prepared before the crisis arrived. The best time to implement asset protection strategies is before any legal or financial threats arise. Once a lawsuit or creditor claim has been filed, your options become extremely limited.

What You Can Do Right Now

So let me bring this back to something practical. If you watched those monks walk through Raleigh and felt inspired, if you felt something stir in you about the importance of peace, I want to encourage you to channel that inspiration into action.

Ask yourself these questions:

If something happened to me tomorrow, who would raise my children? Have I put that in writing? Have I established a trust to manage the money I leave behind for their care?

If I became incapacitated and could not make medical or financial decisions for myself, who would make those decisions for me? Do I have a health care power of attorney and a durable power of attorney in place?

If I own a business, what happens to that business if I die unexpectedly? Is there a succession plan? Do my business partners know what to do?

Have I reviewed my estate plan in the last three to five years? Do the people named in my documents still make sense? Do the guardians I chose for my children ten years ago still make sense today?

We Are Here to Help You

I want to strongly encourage you to not leave this up to chance. Do not cross your fingers and think that everything will somehow work itself out.

The monks who walked through our community traveled 2,300 miles to bring a message of peace. They walked through ice and cold. They walked after one of their brothers lost his leg. They understood that peace is worth the effort. Peace is worth showing up for, day after day, mile after mile.

Your family deserves that same commitment from you.

If this resonates with you, if you recognize that you need to get your affairs in order, we would be happy to help you. We have worked with hundreds of families right here in North Carolina to create comprehensive estate plans that provide genuine peace of mind. We can walk you through the process, answer your questions, and make sure everything is set up correctly.

If we can be of assistance to you, please reach out to us at 919-647-9599 or visit our website to schedule a consultation.

The monks will move on from Raleigh. They will finish their walk in Washington, D.C. in a few weeks, and then they will return to their monasteries. But the lesson they brought to our community remains. Peace is not something you find. Peace is something you create through intentional choices and deliberate preparation.

You can make that choice today.

Disclaimer: This blog post is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information contained herein is general in nature and may not apply to your specific situation. Estate planning, asset protection, and business planning laws vary by state and are subject to change. No attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this blog post or contacting our firm for general information. For specific legal advice tailored to your circumstances, please schedule a consultation with a qualified attorney. The Walls Law Group is licensed to practice law in North Carolina.

The Walls Law Group represents estate and business planning clients all throughout the great state of North Carolina. If you are ready to create a comprehensive plan that protects your family and your legacy, contact us today for a consultation.