I Stand on the Side of Love. Join me.

There’s no bad reason to love someone. Do you love people only because they love you back?

Enjoy this beautiful piece at Thinking Too Hard.

Every Day a Little Death

People tend to be uncomfortable with endings, because every ending is a little death. That's why in many languages, the word for "good-bye" means "see you again".

Whenever an experience comes to an end -- a gathering of friends, a vacation, your children leaving home -- you die a little death. a "form" that appeared in your consciousness as that experience dissolves. Often this leaves behind a feeling of emptiness that most people try hard not to feel, not to face.


If you can learn to accept and even welcome the ending in your life, you may find that the feeling of emptiness that initially felt uncomfortable turns into a sense of inner spaciousness that is deeply peaceful.

By learning to die daily in this way, you open yourself to Life.

Eckhart Tolle, Stillness Speaks (New World Library, Novato, California and Namaste Publishing, Vancouver, Canada 2003), 106-107. 

Peace

Know when you find peace in a place, you brought it with you.

Paraphrased from Montenegro by Starling Lawrence.

Peace and Maturity

In order for the world to become peaceful, people must become more peaceful. Among mature people war would not be a problem - it would be impossible. In their immaturity people want, at the same time, peace and the things which make war. However, people can mature just as children grow up. Yes, our institutions and our leaders reflect our immaturity, but as we mature we will elect better leaders and set up better institutions. It always comes back to the thing so many of us wish to avoid: working to improve ourselves. - Peace Pilgrim -

Here is a link to the Peace Pilgrim website.

Life is this simple:

We are living in a transparent world,
and God shines through in every moment.
This is not just a fable or a nice story;
it is living truth.
If we remember God, abandon ourselves to God,
and forget ourselves,
we may see this truth:
God manifests everywhere, in everything.
We cannot be without God.
It's impossible.
It's simply impossible.
- Thomas Merton -

However, whatever or whomever you call/see God, I believe that what is written above is true. We are all one with the universe, with God. You are my brothers and sisters. We are all creating this world and everything in it together. Be kind to one another.

Choose

We need to change our behavior.

There are two basic methods to effect this change.

Method one is quite popular: (1) We quiet our minds and create empowering beliefs, practice positive self-talk, sharpen our focus, and affirm our power in order to free our emotions and visualize positive outcomes to develop confidence and generate the courage to find the determination to make the commitment to feel sufficiently motivated to do what we need to do.

Method two reflects the warriors way: (2) We just do it.

In a more ideal world populated by saints, everyone would immediately opt for the second method. But in the real world, few people will "just quit" an addictive substance, or "simply exercise more and eat less" to lose weight. Many of us need a period of time and a step-by-step process to adapt to a new way of living. Group support, appropriate programs, and therapeutic processes can serve as transitions to finally "just doing it." the caterpillar doesn't become a butterfly overnight. Some transformations take a little time.

So let's be gentle with ourselves as we turn knowing into doing, and as we learn to use our emotions (instead of the other way around). As Mahatma Gandhi said, "As heat conserved becomes energy, our anger can become a power which can move the world.

From Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman

I'm sure Gandhi was right, and I believe that anger is a tool that hides something about myself that I need to look at, and take responsibility for so that my soul can shine forth. While anger may serve as a catalyst to wake us up, I don't believe that there is a straight line from anger to positive action. I do agree with the underlying theme, we all, always, have the power to choose, now.