This is the nature of war:
it turns us into enemies. People who have never met kill each other out of fear. War creates so much suffering -- children become orphans, entire cities and villages are destroyed. All who suffer through these conflicts are victims. Coming from a background of such devastation and suffering, having experienced the French-Indochina War and the Vietnam War, I have the deep aspiration to prevent war from ever happening again.
It is my prayer that nations will no longer send their young people to fight each other, not even in the name of peace. I do not accept the concept of a war for peace, a "just war," as I also cannot accept the concept of "just slavery," "just hatred," or "just racism." During the wars in Vietnam, my friends and I declared ourselves neutral; we took no sides and we had no enemies, North or South, French, American, or Vietnamese. We saw that the first victim of war is the person who perpetrates it. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind."
A Personal Peace Treaty
To make a personal peace treaty we can write: "Dear Self, I promise to practice and live my daily life in a way that will not touch or water the seed of violence within me." We are determined in every moment to protect ourselves from negative thinking and to nourish loving-kindness within us. We can also share this commitment with our beloved ones. We can go to our partner, our son or daughter, and say, "My dear, my beloved one, if you really love me, please do not water the seed of violence in me. Please water the seed of compassion in me. I promise to do the same for you."
Source: Daily Om
Jan 11, 2008
The Nature of War and a Personal Peace Treaty
Jul 3, 2007
Revenge - A Different Approach To Anger
There can be times when we get so angry with someone that we find ourselves imagining ways to seek revenge for the hurt they’ve caused us.
Remember, however, that the thoughts you’ve just had are energetic creations.
In order to keep yourself from having to take part in the rebalancing of energy, it is important to release the person and the thoughts into the care of the universe with forgiveness.
Before we allow ourselves to invest our energy into negative thought or action, we can remind ourselves that everything has a purpose.
We can then consider that perhaps the actions of the other person or people may have had nothing to do with us.
If we don’t take their actions personally, it may be easier to release them.
Remembering that every interaction is an opportunity to make a better choice, we can take a deep breath before responding, allowing us just enough time to connect to center and make the choice to respond from our higher self.
We can never know all the circumstances that may have led anyone to do anything.
By not passing judgment on anyone, and instead sending hope for their healing, we may create something positive out of a difficult situation.
We can then release it, since dwelling on it can cause an energetic drain in our system, causing us to really only hurt ourselves.
When we can release our hold on negative events and interactions, we leave it in the ! hands of a wise universe to work out the best solution for all involved.
In every moment we have a chance to make a choice to bring light into the world.
When we bless others with the gift of our positive energy, instead of letting circumstances affect us negatively, we bring a little peace to the world every day.
What do you think?
Source: Daily Om
Jul 2, 2007
Finding Your Joy
Be Happy Every Day
Our lives are rich with potential sources of happiness, but sometimes we become victims of negative thinking because we believe that focusing on all that has gone wrong will provide us with the motivation we need to face the challenges of survival.
When we choose to focus on what makes us happy, however, a shift occurs in the fabric of our existence.
Finding something to be happy about every single day can help this shift take place.
The vantage points from which we view the world are brought into balance, and we can see that being alive truly is a gift to be savored.
There is always something we can be happy about—it is simply up to us to identify it.
On one day, we may find happiness in a momentous, life-changing event such as a marriage or the birth of a child.
On another day, the happiness we experience may be a product of our appreciation of a particularly well-brewed cup of a tea or the way the sun shines on a leaf.
If we discover that we literally cannot call to mind a single joyful element of existence, we should examine the cause of the blockage standing between us and experiencing happiness.
Keeping a happiness journal is a wonderful way to catalog the happiness unfolding all around us so that joy has myriad opportunities to manifest itself in our lives.
Writing about the emotions we experience while contemplating joy may give us insight into the factors compelling us to resist it.
Happiness may not always come easily into your life.
You have likely been conditioned to believe that the proper response to unmet expectations is one of sadness, anger, guilt, or fear.
To make joy a fixture in your existence, you must first accept that it is within your power to choose happiness over unhappiness every single day.
Then, each time you discover some new source of happiness, the notion that the world is a happy place will find its way more deeply into your heart.
On this day, find one thing to be happy about and let it fill your heart.
What do you think?
Source: Daily Om
May 22, 2007
Anything Can Be Overcome
I got this is my Email and it seemed to speak to me given my current situation. I thought I would share it with all of you. It is from Daily Om. Enjoy!
The journey that each human being makes through earthly existence can have hardship as often as it is touched by joy.
When we encounter adversity, the stress we feel can erode our optimism, eventually convincing us that the issues we face cannot be overcome.
In truth, there is no situation so dire, no challenge so great, and no choice so bewildering that it cannot be overcome.
Though we may believe that all avenues have been closed to us or that our most conscientious efforts will come to naught, we are never without feasible options.
The best course of action may be veiled in doubt, but it is there.
When we are honest with ourselves with regard to this simple fact, we can overcome anything because we will never stop looking for a solution to the challenges before us.
Self-trust coupled with a sturdy plan is the ultimate antidote to adversity’s tendency to inspire disillusionment in the human mind.
As difficult as the obstacle plaguing you seems, it is no match for the love of a supportive universe that has been a part of your life since the day of your birth and will be with you forevermore.
Try not to be misguided by your fear as this gives rise to the notion that there are problems without solutions.
If you believe in your capabilities and dedicate yourself to the creation of some form of resolution, you will be surprised to discover that paths that were once closed to you miraculously open.
Even if all you can do is change your perspective to turn an impediment into an opportunity to grow, you will have found the hope that is an inherent element of all hardship.
Remember that your destiny is a product of your own creation.
Even when it seems you have nowhere left to turn, there is a solution waiting for you.
The only insurmountable obstacles are the ones you create in your own mind—and these can only exert power over you if you let them.
Uncertainty will always be a part of your existence, but perseverance and mindfulness will never fail to see you through to the other side of hardship where joy can thrive.
Try and remember that no matter what life places at your feet, there is absolutely no situation that cannot be resolved with time, love, and friendship.
What do you think?
Jan 2, 2007
The Vibrant Moment: Review Last Year–Show Up This Year
The Vibrant Moment: Review Last Year–Show Up This Year
By Dr. Doris Jeanette
Each year is a step forward toward your purpose in life. If your physical body and emotional body do not reflect back to you--a Big Difference from the body and emotions you had last year--this means you are not growing toward your soul's desires.Self improvement is not permanent until your physical body reflects the changes. You may think you have changed, but if you cannot see a difference in the mirror, the energy is not there. You must see your energy field radiate out more love and light when you look in the mirror. Others can see you, feel you and sense you. So take a loving look at yourself.I do not want you to waste your precious life another moment in mundaneness and ordinary consciousness. You have innate talents, skills and abilities which need to be used for the highest good. If you are not using them, they are being wasted.
Dec 21, 2006
Come Reminisce with Me
Come Reminiscence with Me
Do you ever sit and wonder, what happened to Christmas's Of Yore?
When papa cut a real tree and a homemade Wreath was on the door. Mama, was in the kitchen Singing softly as she baked,cookies and pies, and even a Poor mans cake. The kids all joined in to help. With stars shining in their eyes. Sis was stringing popcorn to adorn the tree, and the little ones, with shears and paste and colored paper too make a rope so long it reached across the room! There were no ads on the TV telling you what to buy. We made a list of wishes and sent them up the flu and hoped that Santa got the note, that went from little hearts so true. No one ran a shopping cart into your shins. You made the presents that you gave, And followed your own whims.
Now a days, the kids all yell, and cry, and shout, gimmy, gimmy, gimmy. while mothers are on their cell phones and there's a plastic Santa on the chimney. Deer's and lights adorn the lawn and drummer boys galore,A plastic tree stands in the corner all grand with lights that twinkle and a star atop, that sure has been A beacon to us all. Now all we do is plug it in no trouble, after all. I do not need presents,I have everything I need.I'm just reminiscing,on the way it useto be. And want you all to realize you all mean the world to me.
Dec 20, 2006
Is Your Hut Burning?
The only survivor of a ship wreck was washed upon a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. Then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied. It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God. For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it: You say: "It's impossible." God says: All things are possible. (Luke 18:27) You say: "I'm too tired." God says: I will give you rest. ( Matt 11:28-20) You say: "Nobody really loves me." God says: I love you. (John 3:16 & John 13:34) You say: "I can't go on." God says: My grace is sufficient. (II Cor. 12:9 & Psalm 91:15) You say: "I can't figure things out." God says: I will direct your steps. (Proverbs 3:5-6) You say: "I can't do it." God says: You can do all things. (Phil 4:13) You say: "I'm not able." God says: I am able. (II Cor. 9:8) You say: "It's not worth it." God says: It will be worth it. (Romans 8:28) You say: "I can't forgive myself." God says: I forgive you. (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1) You say: "I can't manage." God says: I will supply all your needs. (Phil 4:19) You say: "I'm afraid." God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear. (II Tim. 1:7) You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated." God says: Cast all your cares on ME. (I Peter 5:7) You say: "I don't have enough faith." God says: I've given everyone a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3) You say: "I'm not smart enough." God says: I give you wisdom. (I Cor. 1:30) You say: "I feel all alone" God says: I will never leave you or forsake you. (Heb. 13:5)
Sphere: Related ContentNov 14, 2006
Being Aware Of Your Thoughts
Curative AttentivenessBeing Aware Of Your Thoughts
Few people enjoy the company of individuals whose attitudes are persistently negative. Yet many of us tolerate the critical chatter that can originate within our own minds. Since we are so used to the stream of self-limiting, critical consciousness that winds its way through our thoughts, we are often unaware of the impact these musings have on our lives. It is only when we become aware of the power of such thoughts that we can divest ourselves of them and fill the emptiness they leave with loving, peaceful affirmations. Many people, upon paying careful attention to their thinking patterns, are surprised at the negativity they find there. But when we take notice of involuntary thoughts in a nonjudgmental way, we initiate a healing process that will eventually allow us to replace intimidating and upsetting self-talk with positive, empowering thoughts.While the occasional downbeat or judgmental thought may have little impact on your contentment, the ongoing negativity that passes unnoticed can have a dampening effect on your mood and your outlook. When you are aware of the tone of your thoughts, however, you can challenge them. Try to be conscious of your feelings, opinions, and judgments for a single day. From sunup to sundown, scrutinize the messages you are feeding into your subconscious mind. Consider your thoughts from the perspective of a detached observer and try not to judge yourself based on the notions that come unbidden into your mind. Simply watch the flow of your consciousness and make a note of the number of times you find yourself focusing on gloomy notions or indulging in self-directed criticism. As you become increasingly aware of your patterns of thought, whether positive and negative, you will gradually learn to control the character of your stream of consciousness. Endeavor always to remember that the images and ideas that pass through your mind are transient and not a true representation of who you are. In training yourself to be cognizant of your thoughts, you gain the ability to actively modulate your mood. The awareness you cultivate within yourself will eventually enable you to create a foundation of positivity from which you can build a more authentic existence.
Nov 7, 2006
The Power Of Not Knowing
An Empty Vessel Can Be Filled
There is wisdom in not knowing, and it is a wise person who can say, "I don't know." For no one knows everything. There are many types of wisdom - from intellectual to emotional to physical intelligence. Yet, even deemed experts in their fields do not know all there is to know about mathematics, yoga, literature, psychology, or art. It is a true master who professes ignorance, for only an empty vessel can be filled.
We would be wise to respect people who freely admit when they don't know something. They are being honest, with us and with themselves. And we, too, should feel no shame in saying, "I don't know." In doing so, we open ourselves up to the unknown. We can then discover what lies beyond our current levels of understanding. It is the wise person in life that answers questions with a question and inspires the pursuit of internal answers with a funny face, a shrug, and a comical, "I don't know."
www.dailyom.com/articles/2006/2014.html
