Mother, what was war?

“I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, ‘Mother, what was war?’”
~ Eve Merriam

From Spark to Flame

When my now 19 year old daughter was in Grade 3, all of Mrs. Mathews’ students were given a small pot with a bean seed to plant. Green string beans it seems are pretty hardy and the perfect seed to use when promoting green thumbs in young children. That same plant was also a most unexpected source of understanding and insight for me.

Once the bean plants had sprouted and flowered, their teacher allowed the kids to carefully transfer the precious cargo from school to home. Once home, Shanna scouted around for the perfect location and settled on a sunny south window sill and then proudly declared, “Soon I can feed the whole family!”

Shanna’s sisters were envious and even our cat looked intrigued which should have been a warning to me because when I woke up the next morning, I saw that the bean plant had been maliciously knocked off the window sill and ripped from it’s pot. It’s leaves were frayed and except for a limp thread of stem that still connected the roots to the flowering top, it was quite unrecognizable from the day before. The plant, it seemed, was a goner. Read more

Will You Be Walking for Peace?

The World March will begin in New Zealand on October 2, 2009, the anniversary of Gandhi’s birth, declared the “International Day of Non-Violence” by the United Nations. It will conclude in the Andes Mountains (Punta de Vacas, Aconcagua, Argentina) on January 2, 2010.

Visit the website to find out more: www.theworldmarch.org and watch the video: Read more

How to be Loved

Our highest purpose in this life is to learn to love, and to learn to do so in ever greater measures.

10 Million Clicks For Peace is an example of what can happen when one person strongly desired to help two other people who happened to be in a war zone. It is a good example of love in everyday life, and an illustration that we are far more capable than we think we are of loving on a larger and more magnificent scale.

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, it is possible for you to experience love in greater measure. But, we cannot discover how to do this unless we first ask “How?” Read more

The Dash

This is a nicely done little video of the famous poem by Linda Ellis. If you’ve never read The Dash this should really get you thinking about a life well-lived. Enjoy “The Dash”!

Validation

If you’ve ever forgotten what the magic of life is all about, this short, masterfully produced, award-winning film should serve to make you smile and perhaps even shed a tear of joy. We certainly hope this is the case.

Enjoy “Validation”!

The Divine Contract

There is no other in this world given the right or the power to define who you are.

No one shall rob you of your value, nor shall any other determine your worth.

None shall steal your integrity, decide your character, or destroy your authenticity.

No other shall discredit your success, seize your potential or dismantle your honor; and no one shall discourage your dreams, erase your spirit, or dissuade you from your truth.

None are given the power to diminish your love, shatter your confidence, efface your trust, or extinguish your passion. Read more

Could You Go For a Daily Peace of Mind Fitness Routine?

If you want health and vitality in your life, besides working out in order to stay physically fit, I would suggest that you also practice an emotional/mental fitness regimen to create peace of mind and conserve and replenish your energies.

Below is a workout that I suggest that you do daily:

a) Frequently, in your day, be aware of what you are feeling and if you are caught up in fear, anger, worry, etc, let them go and choose something else to focus on. Negative thoughts wreak havoc on you physiologically and emotionally as much as, if not more than, a poor diet and no exercise do.

b) Seek to experience happiness no matter what is going on. Rather than resigning yourself to making the best of a situation: Make it the best! Read more

The Nobel Lecture - The Dalai Lama

“I believe that to meet the challenges of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for oneself, one’s own family or nation, but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace.

Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular job. It lies with each of us individually. Peace, for example, starts within each one of us. When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us.

Peace, in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience. It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighboring country. Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free. Read more