time for peace

it's that time of year when we wish for peace on earth. will our planet ever be free from violence and war? looking at history, i have to say, it doesn't look promising. still, it is worth our most valiant efforts.

Martin Luther King Jr. said:
Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.

i hope that one day people will try to solve all problems without violence. some people are trying. there is a group planning the Gaza Freedom March to take place on December 31. they are using non-violence to seek an end to violence between Israel and Palestine. this group is making a valiant effort.

my effort is mainly for my life, but i hope that by living peacefully it will resonate through the world around me. i do not watch the news. i try to not watch tv or movies based on crime or violence. i write to the tv networks to praise their non-violent shows and ask that they reduce the level of violence they produce for our 'entertainment.'

every little effort helps. what could you do? i'd love to get more ideas to put into practice.

peace be with you.

talking

have you ever noticed how big problems seem when you're imagining all possibilities? we search for a solution before we have all the details. for instance, my husband made a vague comment that sounded negative. i spent hours imagining what there might be behind that comment. had i done something? was i missing something i should have done? so i guessed a few things then went on to imagine how i might improve the situation.

well we finally had time to chat. i had not guessed correctly about the problem. all my worrying was wasted time. the problem was troubling but knowing the details eased my mind. finally we could look at the situation and think together about ways to work through the difficulty. granted, we didn't think of a solution, but talking made the problem manageable. we can move forward together.

i like this quote:

Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.
...Corrie Ten Boom

talk. get all the details. if you must worry, do it together.

stuff

i seem to be posting interesting things that are not my original ideas. i'll continue to do so because these messages support my goal. one of these days i'll add my own thoughts. in the meantime, check out this link:

http://www.storyofstuff.org/

i'm trying to spread information to improve our earth and our lives. i love my life and want everyone to have that same feeling, in the present and in the unforeseeable future.

making the world

this is a poem i received from Go-Gratitude, an organization promoting positivity:

"There is a secret
that almost nobody knows.

I will tell it to you
if you promise
to tell someone else:

The world isn't quite finished yet,
it isn't quite complete.

It's still
being
made.

Everywhere you look
and everywhere you listen,
someone or something

is helping
to make the world."

~ excerpt, Making the World by Douglas Wood.


the smallest thing, like a smile or a kind word, helps to make a better world. what will you contribute?

life is all about...

well, of course i don't know 'the meaning of life' for everyone, but i have ideas of my own. we are here on earth to learn from each other and become the best 'me' we can be. i feel this is true whether you believe in heaven, reincarnation, or nothing at all happening when we die. we learn from each other, not to get into heaven or have better karma in a future life. we learn to have a good life in the present.

all our lives we meet people and learn from them. first our parents give us the basics. then teachers impart knowledge. as we begin working we learn from our co-workers. we even learn from others out in public - on buses, in stores, in parking lots. we learn from interactions. if i smile and get a smile in return, i've learned that it makes me feel good, and so i do it more often. if i talk to someone who complains all the time, i learn that it doesn't make me feel good, and i avoid such people.

the most important learning though, is what we get from the people we choose to have in our lives; the family and friends we choose to spend time with. i've learned this lesson by watching my mother and grandmother as they made phone calls, wrote letters and got together with the special people in their lives. they treated others with love, and got more love in return.

as i'm writing, i'm revising my theory about life. yes, i believe we are here to learn from each other, but the goal is not knowledge. in becoming the best 'me' we can be, the end goal is love; learning as much as we can to feel love for ourselves, love for special people, love for our planet, and love for our fellow humans whether or not we agree with them.

i like this quote that sums up my thoughts:
Love doesn’t make the world go ‘round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
- Franklin P. Jones [ i don't know who this is.]

may you be blessed with such love.

A SPIRITUAL "CONSPIRACY"

i received this in an email. i thought it fit well with my ideas i'm hoping to spread.

A SPIRITUAL "CONSPIRACY"

On the surface of our world right now
There is war, violence, and craziness
And things may seem dark.
But calmly and quietly
At the same time
Something is happening underground.
An inner revolution is taking place
And certain individuals
Are being called to a higher light.
It is a silent revolution
From the inside out
From the ground up.
This is a global co-operation
That has sleeper cells in every nation.
It is a planetary Spiritual Conspiracy.

You won't likely see us on T.V.
You won't read about us in the newspaper.
You won't hear from us on the radio.
We don't seek glory.
We don't wear any uniform.
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles.
We are in every country and culture of the world
In cities big and small, mountains and valleys
In farms and villages, tribes and remote islands.
Most of us work anonymously
Seeking not recognition of name
But profound transformation of life.
Working quietly behind the scenes
You could pass by one of us on the street
And not even notice.
We go undercover
Not concerned for who takes the final credit
But simply that the work gets done.
Many of us may seem to have normal jobs.
But behind the external storefront
Is where the deeper work takes a place.
With the individual and collective power
Of our minds and hearts
We spread passion, knowledge, and joy to all.
Some call us the Conscious Army
As together
We co-create a new world.
Our orders come from the Spiritual Intelligence Agency
Instructing us to drop soft, secret love bombs
when no one is looking.
Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Smiles ~ Kind words
Movies ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Websites
Social activism ~ Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness…
We each express ourselves
In our own unique ways
With our own unique gifts and talents.
"Be the change you want to see in the world"
That is the motto that fills our hearts.
We know this is the path to profound transformation.
We know that quietly and humbly
Individually and collectively
We have the power of all the oceans combined.
At first glance our work is not even visible.
It is slow and meticulous
Like the formation of mountains.
And yet with our combined efforts
Entire tectonic plates
Are being shaped and moved for centuries to come.
Love is the religion we come to share
And you don't need to be highly educated
Or have exceptional knowledge to understand it.
Love arises from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse
Of all living beings.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Nobody else can do it for you.
Yet don't forget, we are all here supporting you.
We are now recruiting.
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have.
For in this spiritual conspiracy
All are welcome, and all are loved.
The door is always open.

~ Author Unknown

determination

a friend and i were talking about health struggles. we are both very determined to live our best lives and to overcome those struggles. we are both very positive thinkers, also. it is amazing how important determination and positive thinking are to enjoy life and overcome struggles. there are lots of people, actually, probably all people, who have obstacles to face. the people i meet who don't have determination and positive thinking, seem to have difficulty with both enjoying life and conquering their obstacles.

so i challenge everyone to think about problems as puzzles to solve. if you find no solution, try to figure out how you could live happily in the presence of your problem. it is easier said than done, but it IS possible. best wishes!

sky

the sky has always been a symbol of spirituality for me. the space beyond our world makes me feel part of something bigger. i love the light of the moon and staring up at a sea of stars. sunlight has become more important to me in recent years. lately, clouds have been catching my attention. i'll sit and just watch the clouds go by - they are quite a sight through our 10 ft high windows.

i imagine that God looks like the bright sun breaking through clouds. even if you don't believe in God, i don't think you can deny that this world we live in is a beautiful place. so, when your mood needs a lift, look up. if it's a gray day, think of it as the universe commiserating with you. you are never alone. nature is all around you.

i'm in good company with this thought:

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be ...Anne Frank

new environment

it's been a while, partly due to the fact that my husband and i moved. we had lived in a suburban colonial house w/ a lawn and no sense of community. we now live in a high rise apartment in a city working on revitalizing itself. we live a block from a riverfront w/ lots of things to do. there is a college campus nearby. we are 2 of over 600 residents in a building that was once a factory that built victrolas. i haven't met our neighbors yet, but i look forward to it. it is exciting to live here.

another great thing about our new home is the design. we have 14 foot ceilings. every room faces south and we have 10 foot windows to let in that great sunlight. you know how i feel about sunlight. it is a very happy place to live.

now that we're mostly settled, i hope to do more writing.
sending lots of positive energy out to all!

our earth

i always feel like a recycling 'meanie' - nagging everyone to put waste in the right place. i also nag about conserving water and turning off lights. well, april 22 is a day when i feel like a recycling 'goodie.' earth day is celebrated every april 22, though i have friends who say every day should be earth day.

i'd seen a couple commercials about 'earth hour.' i just read a bit online and included the links here - to the right. important info: turn off all your lights from 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm on saturday, march 28.

just a friendly nag to help our earth.

avoiding confrontation

do you ever pick a fight with a loved one when you're stressed? it's odd though. if we're so stressed, why do we add a confrontation to an already difficult situation.

i always think about what i'm going to say and ask, "is it helpful? do i expect a positive change? or will i simply vent a frustration and create more unpleasant feelings?"

today i found myself asking those questions. my husband did something that made me angry. i thought that if i didn't tell him, the anger would eat at me. then i thought, "what's done is done. i don't need him to change anything. adding my anger now will just create more stress." so i vented by writing a letter. i still want him to know what bothered me. now, i can let him know at some time after our current stressful situation ends.

i expressed my feelings and avoided a confrontation. our day will be at least that much less stressful. see if you can ask yourself those questions the next time you're angry. you could make your life a little more peaceful.

point of view

a couple of months ago i watched a movie called "vantage point." it told the story of an event that took place in 30 minutes. you saw the same half hour from 6 people's vantage points. it brought me to an interesting realization. no 2 people live in the exact same world. our personalities and experiences give us each a different foundation of understanding the world. so even if we spend time together, our perspective of that activity is colored by our past.

for instance, bill and i watched a movie about a father dying. at the end, bill was sad, but i felt more resolute about having important conversations with my dad while i can. there, our activity was the same but our perspectives were not.

i'm not sure what will come from this realization. i hope it will help me be more understanding of people. trying to see things from another's perspective can help us get along. that can make the world a better place. that's my goal.

grateful

i just watched a movie about love between men and women and between parents and children. i have to express how grateful i am to have been given the wonderful kinds of love in my life. i am loved by parents, family, friends and my husband. i can think of any person in my life and feel one kind of love or another.

i am most grateful to my mom and to my grandparents for showing me that i am worthy of love and for showing me how to love. i watched their interactions with myself and others. i listened to what they said. i felt their love and so adopted their ways of giving love to those around me.

today, my life is filled with love. i hope i make my friends and family feel the same way.

while it is a different kind of love, i send loving thoughts out to humankind. the world needs as much love as it can get. i hope that everyone tries to give as much love as they can.

love

You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.--Buddha

in the new year and always, treat yourself lovingly.