If you are living, you are giving... so this Thanksgiving, thank yourself for being a giving individual. You may question or doubt whether you are "doing much" but by being a person working toward peace in yourself and in the world, you are truly contributing and  giving to life. You may not appreciate what a smile to a stranger may mean, or what a call or kind word to a friend or a colleague may add to the day. Our worth is not weighable in external reward, and it is not even that important to be affirmed with fame or fortune. Who you are and that you are gives to the whole living family of life.

 

Years ago a theme and song from a well-known film was "Live, Just Live for Life." How we need to remember to join in that journey. Live...Just live for life in all its complexities, its beauty and challenges..you are part of the journey and you fill a niche no other living being can fill...and as Thanksgiving approaches we give thanks for the giving you are and for the giving you do in contributing to the splendor and beauty of life as well as the living process and path toward peace.

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.

How often do you see the "No Fear" signs as you go about your day? There they are on the bumpers of cars, on T-Shirts and signs above doors occasionally. While the slogan really refers to facing athletic challenges of perhaps extreme nature, it can also remind that fear doesn't give us anything but more of itself...as FDR's reminder, "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself."

 

How challenging is it to believe that...to see through the fog of fear when it arises in our midst...to face it and move through it with faith we will make it to the clarity of peace? We need to be a trailblazer every time fear arises and confronts us...in truth, we need to build a pattern of taming fear and walking forward inspite of it. Facing fear and walking forward through it is a practice we have to cultivate. It only evaporates when we refuse to give it belief or power.

 

A dear friend used to tell us "Just pretend you are how you want to be and after awhile you'll believe it." That's a first step through the fog of fear and toward peace. Pretend you are confident and assurred all will be fine regardless of how thick the fog appears to be.

 

Make it a practice. Walk forward through the mist and fog. You're not alone.

 

Peace to you this day.

Peace.

Why do things have to be the way they are, we wonder. What use is this conflict and misunderstanding? Why is this necessary, or is it necessary. Surely there must be something better.

 

How often have we thought this about situations in our own lives as well as in the national and international situations? Wouldn't it be great if we could get all sides together and just decide there are no options but to meet face to face and talk it out? There must be a way to come to a better understanding of ourselves and the various confusions, we are certain.

 

We teter on the brink of frustration, depression and anger when we feel misunderstood and that leads us into a place of defensiveness and sometimes reaction. When we are put on the defensive we are not in a comfortable place and we feel the need to defend ourselves, our principles, our values, and our positions. We lash out from anger and fear too often. Perhaps it is a case of our just being "all too human."

 

Our routine and normal reactions take us in the same old directions every time. We hit the wall. We reach the end of our ropes. We bond with those who agree with us and lash out. Its easier that way. We feel justified and righteous by taking this stance. We don't really have to change.

 

Wonder why we don't realize that if we keep following the same old patterns we will never really have an opportunity to open new pathways and opportunities to create peace in our lives and in our world. Is sticking to the same old pattern really more comfortable in the long run? We seem to be getting nowhere fast with that approach.

 

Wonder why we don't try something else. Paul Tillich, German theologian, believed that to truly be alive we must "live where the risk is." Risk requires courage to be...courage to change. Courage to try something new. As a beginning, take a look at Tillich's book, The Courage to Be. Then read Thich Nhat Hahn's thoughtful book Being Peace.

 

Courage and peace to you this day. Courage and Peace.

Do you have a space into which you can retreat in order to regroup and take a break from daily challenges or crises? We all need a way in which to get away from passing stress, even if for only a few moments. Keep a book of poetry in your desk and open it at random to enjoy a moment of reprieve, or place a vase of fresh cut flowers on your desk and stop to enjoy the fragrance every once in awhile. Hum a favorite song...stretch your legs...look out a window...keep a picture of a pleasant scene or favorite friend or companion animal on your desk...take a moment to enjoy any one of these or anything which gives you a space apart from what you are doing, worrying about, or working on. Build enjoyment into your day...practice enjoyment every day of your life. You must build a space of peace for yourself. It can be a part of your peace work.

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.

Working for peace is like making a quilt, and the final product is created simply and consistently by adding one piece of work to another with love, care, and dedication. There's nothing immediate, dramatic or even necessarily visible about the process, whether you are working on personal or on social issues. You may envision and plan your final quilt, but often it is the scraps of opportunity and challenge or necessity which come your way  from which you must build your pieces of peace into your quilt. The pattern is not set, often, but is determined by the pieces you have found and transformed. Peace itself, in fact, is woven from and created through scraps we may initially reject or see no use for, or from  pieces which we don't find all that attractive. Our creative energy and our dedication takes what comes our way and transforms those scraps into a whole which celebrates peace as an artistic process.

 

Start by focusing on your own personal challenges , one scrap at a time, or a find a group of peace workers who take one piece...one scrap...at a time and join with them to contribute to the quilt which unites all in one magnificent quilt called peace.

 

Peace to you this day. Piece by piece.

A friend of ours, when facing a problem or issue, always said, "In a hundred years, it won't matter." Well, no doubt it won't, and saying this does give some perspective, but saying this doesn't keep one from being caught up in the issue, and the perceived concern, pain or problem  seems to present in the present moment. It frankly was always a bit confounding to hear that what was most consuming in the moment, wasn't really much of an issue in the long run. It seemed that the issue was too easily dismissed by those words. What really matters is how we deal with a situation in the moment in which we are confronted with it. How do we handle a crisis? On the one hand, everything in our body and mind may go into hyperalert...our physical reaction speeds up, our heart pounds, and adrenalin may race through our system. We are in touch with fear and bracing ourselves for a defensive against the situation.

 

We may also go into denial and avoidance as a way in which to keep from reacting in fear. At some point we will probably have to confront and deal with the situation, regardless. Fear and denial don't really give us a way in which to deal with crises. "Flight" or "fight" don't do much to help.

 

What if when a crisis arises, you acknowledged the fear and the tendency to want to deny it, but that you listened quietly to what it was challenging you to open to and learn from? If you listen quietly and pay attention to the type and kind of challenge the situation presents, and the ways in which it is asking you to grow, you can then participate in the experience as a way to grow and expand your understanding and awareness of yourself and of life. Sure, its difficult and moves you to an uncomfortable place, but that's how we grow...by doing something different from an uncomfortable place.

 

You are not the only person who has had to deal with this kind of discomfort, and you will not be alone with this kind of struggle or the last person who has to deal with it, for sure. Hang in there! Learn from the challenges. Keep a daily journal of the challenges you face, and your awareness of what they are daring you to face. Take a deep breath. You have many options and possibilities for dealing with each situation. Trust yourself to be able to handle this one. You are really more resourceful than you think you are.

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.

Our culture is defined as a consumer culture. Expanding malls and mega-stores have really become the new "candy stores". Where the front porch swing used to be a place to relax,  now the mall has become the primary escape for many. Contemplation and time with oneself sadly has been replaced by aggravated accumulation. 

 

Too often, however, shopping has become a real challenge, and especially around the holidays. The stores send out their enticing invitations  with just enough advance notice to whet consumer appetite.  Have you noticed that when you eat sugar you just want more of it?  Shopping is probably not much different from this.

 

Our addiction to spending has fueled our economy often at the expense of our personal and social sense of peace. The erosion of our communal sense of peace as well as the importance of peace in our lives has rapidly complicated our lives. So next time you get in the car to head toward the mall, consider a different purchase.

 

A porch swing really can put you back in touch with the most important things in life. See you there.

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.

This morning while in a particular state of concern for a friend and his dilemma I found myself getting caught up in the issues he was dealing with. As I drove my car to work I began to feel tense and somewhat anxious about his situation. Then, on a small bush outside the office I caught sight of  a bright yellow butterfly gently fanning its wings in the sunlight. I paused to appreciate the quiet beauty of the moment and realized that even a small butterfly can teach us something about being and becoming more peaceful. Never underestimate what may be right in front of you, ready to help you stop your busy mind and realign your awareness to experience the shift from anxious frustration to beauty and to peace. Pay attention. The teachers are there. You have only to stop and appreciate them. Don't underestimate their gifts to you. You can always return your attention to the issues at hand, but you will (in a moment of appreciation) have recognized and acknowledged these issues and concern are not the only thing there is that is important to life in this moment.

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.

Every moment you have the opportunity to make some time for your own personal space.

 

Every moment you can draw some boundaries and allow yourself some "breathing room."

 

You have the power and the ability to create that space by shifting your thoughts, by taking some deep breaths, going for a walk, or by paying attention to what it is you are overlooking or missing in this moment.

 

Claim your space. Take a moment and draw some boundaries.

 

Breathe.

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.

Sometimes its not such a bad thing to be speechless. Often, the more we talk, the less we listen and hear what is going on and being said "between the lines." There is certainly a time to put forth your own thoughts and beliefs, but there is also a time and a moment to pay better attention to what is being said, or felt. Buddhist thought and teachings invite us to watch what we are putting our attention on, and to listen deeply to "what is going on." Its more difficult to do that when you are doing all of the talking.

 

Listening well, and not speaking so much may be informative, but it may also be empowering to those to whom you are listening. By listening carefully and thoughtfully, you give others personal acknowledgement and authority as well as value. It may be the best gift you can give. Cultivate the ability to listen at many different levels.

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.

How good it is that there is a humane society where people who care about lost, injured, or abused animals can work together to help them receive shelter and attention. How good it is that there is a place that values and takes responsibility for those unable to take care of themselves, and for those who care to volunteer and care for them.

 

Joining or volunteering at a shelter near you may be an opening to a better understanding of and appreciation for the good humans can do when they come together to demonstrate their care and love. Visiting the cats, dogs, rabbits and other animals in a shelter and reading their individual stories may open your heart and mind to recognizing the need we have to give and to receive from other people who are also touched by them.

 

You may find some insight as well as some peace in the process of becoming a volunteer at your local shelter. Consider the humane society. You may gain some better sense of the human community of caring individuals and perhaps experience the soulful trust of a dog or cat there.

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.

The water lily is the "American Lotus." In an antique shop and above the front door of this shop on The Avenue not long ago we spotted a beautiful gold -framed photograph of a single white petaled water lily. In the photograph each of the cupped petals of the marvelous white bloom seem to collect and hold sunlight in gentle radiance. As a result, each individual petal shows a slightly different color and luminescence,yet as a whole, the picture is the presence of and a teaching in harmony and beauty.

 

We can find the beauty of peace in a moment of attention to simple elements of life. We, too,  like the petals of a lily reflecting our own individual colors and luminescence,  gather, hold, and contain our own sense of reverence for life and light.

 

Joy comes from expanding your awareness. Take a moment to notice beauty. It is a way to peace of mind, heart, and spirit. Of course attention is yours to give or to take away.

 

Peace to you this day.

Peace.

A rainy day is just fine for recognizing the living treasures in our lives. Birds seem to enjoy a rainy day. Flowers are freshened with the coming of grey clouds and trees seem to relax in the moment of quiet stillness. A friend of ours welcomes rainy days with joy. She calls them "no demands" days when she can relax, read a book, or enjoy a cup of tea or coffee without the sense that something needs to be done. A rainy day can, itself, be a living treasure to welcome and embrace in its quiet solitude.

 

The cat curls around and sleeps on the couch much as though it were a warm hearth inviting and then welcoming her repose and relaxation. She half closes her eyes to notice anything which seems worth her attention. Her day is spent enjoying the peace and quiet stillness of a rainy day.

 

Each day is a living treasure. A rainy day can be a welcome gift.

 

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.

We worked with a colleague once who had been told by her boss that she was "easily underestimated." She was a steady, quiet worker who got the job done, but was not "flashy" or easily identified as the outstanding leader she was. As people got to know her, they recognized her strengths and ability as a skilled communicator, and their first impression and assessment of her shifted. What she did spoke more loudly and persuasively than what she said or how she spoke.  She was not one to draw attention to herself. She was indeed "easily underestimated," but she was very much to be taken seriously.

 

Have you "easily underestimated" what your contributions have been to others and to our efforts toward peace? If you are looking for the spotlight to fall on you, and it seems to have not appeared, don't underestimate what you have done out of the spotlight. In fact, what you have done just by being yourself may have made a difference in another's opinion, beliefs, confidence and engagement in peace work. You never know.  You may make a difference even if you can't see it, hear it, feel it, or touch it.

 

You can easily underestimate your contribution. You are part of the network of peaceworkers and the peace movement, regardless. Even more, you are a gift of peace,no doubt, to many, and we recognize and appreciate your contribution daily. You give us hope just by being who you are, and by working for and toward peace in your own life, thoughts, efforts and faith in the vision and accomplishment of peace every day.

 

So peace and gratitude to you this day. Peace.

One Summer we worked at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone Park. If you have been to Yellowstone, you are familiar with the variety and beauty of the Park and the spontaneity of the land. Geysers appear in the midst of major roadways at evening, and vanish by the next day. Elk, moose and deer freely roam the fields of high grasses, and race in large, thundering  herds across the valleys-- seemingly "out of nowhere".

 

Black and Grizzly Bears loom in the background and foreground of the Park's  hills and woods as picnics are spread, as well as at dumping sites throughout the Park. One evening we returned from a movie-- on foot to our living quarters --to find bears our companions on the walk home. This night they were preoccupied with the findings in nearby garbage cans, so we didn't concern ourselves too much. You often hear them before you see them. The bright stars and the quarter moon illuminate the dark shapes lumbering nearby.

 

One day while walking up a hill of shale, a wolverine appeared as we turned a bend. The large, swift weasel-like animal was as shocked as we were, and we both turned in opposite directions and raced away. Unpredictability, unmanageability, and "uncontrollability" are the constants in Yellowstone. Inhabitants of all species learn to live with change and spontaneity as a given.

 

Spontaneity can be a wondrous or challenging experience, depending on one's perspective. Things happen. We often have little or no ability to control the outcome. We learn from the changes and shifts in the landscape if we are thoughtful.

 

We ourselves are as changeable as the landscape in the movement of our thoughts, our feelings, our visions and our hopes. Our own energies ebb and flow, and shift and settle as much as the changing terrain in Yellowstone Park. Recognizing our participation in the changing landscape of our lives allows us to value our role and recognize that while we may seemingly have no control over circumstances we, like geysers, sometimes can, merely by being who we are, break through established pavement or stream beds and thereby change the course of rivers. We measure our success by who we are rather than by what we can see that we have done--by our qualitative rather than our quantitative accomplishments. 

 

We may never know the ourcome of our efforts, but we can trust in our contribution to the natural, spontaneous course of life and those who work for peace. We can change the course of rivers by being peace.

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.

 

Have you ever been to Cape Cod? During the "off season" the traffic is not bad, and the magic and beauty of this area can be more easily enjoyed. Drive out to the far tip toward Provincetown, and pass the high sand dunes covered with beach plums. Watch the seagulls as they capture clams and other small shells, then move to hover over the sandy beach at Race Point where they drop their catch onto rocks, as shells break and the gulls dive to consume their meals. The sound of waves and the cry of gulls harmonize your own energies as you walk the long beach, bending to pick up small smooth stones of many colors and patterns...here a black..there a white...then a red and green patterned stone washing up with every wave that breaks upon the beach...stroll...let the salt spray wash your thoughts and concerns away and carry them back to the ocean, from which life comes.

 

Provincetown moves to its own rhythms and makes space for every lifestyle...it is a festival and feast for a space apart...artists, writers, sculpters, actors, musicians...all have found space in which to breathe more easily and to create from within their own life's heart...capture the feeling. Believe in the peace and the place within your own heart. Stroll the beaches...savor the freedom. It is a place apart from the mainland...a breath of fresh sea air...become your own Cape Cod. Become peace.

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.

So much heated rhetoric back and forth on both sides of the argument about the necessity for war. On and on it goes, each side believing it is in the know and in the right. The righteousness of the positions of each side plays out each evening on the various news programs and shows. You can read and follow it in the newspaper. Call- in talk shows invite the less powerful to participate and share their opinions.

 

There has always been debate, but increasingly there is staunch polarization of opinion and rhetoric from the politicians.  You hear stark opinion from the left as well as the right. What is one individual citizen to think or to do? What can one person do about what political leaders decide must be done?

 

During the Vietnam War there were a number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea as the backup military divisions that often were transferred to Vietnam when their units were dispatched. Young men in their late teens and early twenties found themselves in an unfamiliar culture and country playing the part of soldier, sailor, or airman. One day at a missle site something went afoul and a large warhead began to poise itself for launch. The huge rocket lifted from its bed and moved to a 45 degree angle before troops noticed what was happening and took control of the near auto-launch. Two young soldiers noticed it. The situation was brought under control, fortunately. How many times has this happened? Who knows? We were present to witness it this one time. No one in Washington heard about it, we're sure. The difference that time was determined by two men in their late teens who halted the progress of a potentially lethal launch. They made the difference, not the politicians or government officials.

 

 

While we are busy arguing the whys and wherefores of military engagement, young soldiers busy with their own personal battles and struggles are "manning" the missles which could deliver death to those within their targets. It could be a mere malfunction of equipment or the lack of attention to detail which ignites a war. The whys and wherefores may not even matter on a given day and in a given place.

 

 

It often comes down to those most immediately present in the situation, rather than to those "talking heads" in whatever position of "power" they may be.

 

 

In the final analysis, the unsung heroes are the individuals who are present when a crisis occurs and who take action to curtail, transform or halt it. What can one individual do?  Bring perspective to a heated argument. Invite both sides to listen. And perhaps, at any given moment,stop a rocket from launching. You may have the opportunity to do that this very day.

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.

 

 

 

"May God hold you in the palm of "his" hand..."

 

So ends the familiar Irish Blessing...you know the one, "May the road rise up to meet you..." It has been embroidered on wall hangings, printed on greeting cards, painted and framed in any space or spot in need of a gracious welcome or farewell, often to guests coming and/or going.

 

The feeling of peace permeates the blessing and a gentle warmth pervades the soft images of rain falling gently upon fields, and wind always at one's back. The promise is that the receiver and the sender of the blessing will "meet again" and until that time, "May God hold you in the palm of "his" hand."

 

The wish of goodwill to a fellow traveler sends us on our way and promises we will return to meet again. Its an embrace in words. We can carry the promise of that embrace within us, and we can share it with those we meet as part of our commitment to peace along the way. We could hardly do better than to hold that promise in our hearts and minds and share it with those we meet on St. Patrick's Day and every other day. "May the road rise up to meet you".

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.

How do we get to the heart of peace? Are there directions or guidelines for reaching it, whether it is personal or social in nature? Are there markers and signs that point "This way to the Heart of Peace?" What is at the center...at the very heart and center of peace? Is there one way, or are there many ways to peace? Is the notion of peace itself too simplistic, or is it just too complex?

 

The lens through which we look to find the heart of peace defines where we will find it and what it will be. Like a flashlight illuminating only the spot on which the stream of light lands, we will usually only see the small area on which we are focussing.  The rest remains in darkness, we believe, though the heart of peace may also be in these dark spaces. It is a matter of perspective.

 

Our own vision of peace is also a mirror reflecting back to us our own conception of peace. We must look beyond the surface of the mirror to the deeper meanings of peace if we are to come to the heart of peace itself. What if the heart of peace is the heart of life itself, and the way to it is through the small daily moments and events which ripple accross the surface of our hours, perhaps disturbing and challenging us? The way is not simple, and it is often laden with obstacles, but the journey is not solitary, and the heart of peace is present within each moment if one looks more deeply and far below the surface. There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.

 

The heart of peace is present here and now. Peace to you this day. Peace.

 

 

Some years back we saw a notice that read "Something is about to happen; something is always about to happen." We were amused at the obvious nature of the statement, which seemed not to need mentioning. Something is always about to happen--it  is indeed the case--and should seem obvious,we thought.

 

"Life Happens" was on the bumper of a car we were behind the other day. Yes, indeed, "Life Happens." These two statements seem to speak of life's possibilities as well as the uncontrollable nature of reality. The statements acknowledge that we  can't manage some things. Things just happen sometimes. Regardless, we can manage our responses to the things which happen. There is control of our reactions and our responses to what happens, and in that there is a moment for insight and understanding rather than a sense of helplessness and emotion.

 

Joan Didion has written about her husband's sudden death in her book, The Year of Magical Thinking. In one ordinary-seeming moment her life changed tremendously. The book is Didion's way of working through things which happened. The book is her response to what happened; the writing allowed her to respond rather than to react to this major upheaval in her life. With time and through the writing process, Didion puzzle-pieced a new and different life together. Her response allowed her to stay on the emotional balance beam of life. Her response was under her control, though it was a struggle to maintain and manage it.

 

 

Life is change. Nothing never happens. We are involved in a process of change as a part of life, and we are also involved in a process of working toward  peace that is important.  Life is important. Peacemaking is important.

 

Peacemaking is a process. It is a life process. Life happens. Peace happens. Make peace with that.

 

Peace to you this day. Peace.