What would it be like to be truly at peace — where you no longer feel like you have to fight to be seen and the specter of disharmony no longer creeps in the shadows? For too many of us, we seek peace internally and isolate ourselves from the discomfort of the outside world. But true peace is actually found when we create uncommon connections with people we don't agree with or understand. Michael Ashford is the Director of Marketing at a Denver-based software company, The Receptionist, as well as a podcaster and independent journalist. He has spent years researching leadership, conflict communications, and how to overcome political and social polarization in an effort to chart a path to help us bridge divides and find more common ground. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx