World Peace

The only peace it is meaningful to speak about is world peace.    ~ Dalai Lama                                                                                                                                            I must dispute this as I believe peace starts with each of us as individuals.  As Tom Oliver, CEO World Peace Festival & World Peace Partnership says, “Wars start in the minds of people before they are ever fought on the battlefield, so this is where change needs to begin.”  World peace begins one heart at a time, so to me it is necessary and relevant to speak about peace at every level, and so important at the individual level, which will translate to world peace.   Collaboration rather than competition. War does not encourage peace.  Peace is a lot more than simply the cessation of wars, it is about a lifestyle as much as anything and that is why peace begins with each of us. I make it a priority to live in harmony with my values, bringing compassion along to nurture the souls of those I come into contact with. Feeding my inner peace. I model the behaviour that to me will spread peace.  I  believe world peace is possible one person at a time. 

Saw this as I was surfing the web the other day (no credit was given to the author)                                                                            Facelift                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Want to look ten years younger? No surgery? No downtime? No needles? In the “before” picture, a person is staring into the camera, flat-lined. In the “after” picture, that same person erupts in a broad, happy, eye brow lifting, neck toning grin. There you have it. . .                                                                                                                                                                               Ten years younger.  Plus your smile is contagious.                                                                                                                          Inner peace is what can lead to global peace...brings about connection.  What one person puts out energetically is felt by all. It ripples around the world.                                                                                                                                                          Peace begins with me                                                                                                                                                                      Peace...all about the people – 1 at a time.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about how you can expand your inner peace as you give yourself a facelift with your smile.

Alone together

You're human me too

Alone together today

I'm assuming it

Knowing I am alone together keeps me centered and peaceful. Solitude with and solitude alone.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, remember you are alone together and feel peace flood in.

“Peace does not mean just to stop wars, but also to stop oppression and injustice.”

- Nobel Laureate توكل كرمان Tawakkol Karman of Yemen

Life As An Adventure

The ideal would be to own a business or work in a job that fulfills every desire we have, and to have this business or job allow perfect balance in your life. How do we decide what trumps what? Live to work or work to live? Are you just following the money, so the 9 - 5 ; Monday to Friday grind is fine for you?  I think making a living goes way beyond accumulating a large bank account.   But what about joy, peace, freedom, satisfaction and happiness? I have found the answer in a very simple mind shift. I have habitually viewed what I do in my life, whether that be business, work or personal as hard. No fun. Just must do whatever is required.  Not a prescription for joy, peace,  freedom, satisfaction and happiness. So, here's what I do now. I regard what I am doing as an adventure. If I am doing laundry, looking for a parking spot, talking to a client or spending time with my grandkids...it is an adventure.  I approach it with huge curiosity. What's going to happen? How will I feel? What will I learn? How can I make this fun? And this makes ALL the difference. The mundane is now spectacular.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world, think about your life as an adventure.

Thank Goodness It's Friday

“Human beings are the only animals who have to work, and I think that is the most ridiculous thing in the world. Other animals make their livings by living, but people work like crazy, thinking that they have to in order to stay alive. The bigger the job, the greater the challenge, the more wonderful they think it is. It would be good to give up that way of thinking and live an easy, comfortable life with plenty of free time. I think that the way animals live in the tropics, stepping outside in the morning and evening to see if there is something to eat, and taking a long nap in the afternoon, must be a wonderful life. For human beings, a life of such simplicity would be possible if one worked to produce directly his daily necessities. In such a life, work is not work as people generally think of it, but simply doing what needs to be done.” by Masanobu Fukuoka

What do you think? Is it possible to make a living by living or do we have no choice but to make a living by working?  One of my mentors is teaching me that it is possible to design your "work" around your lifestyle. I do not have this all figured out, but I am committed to this path and am finding harmony and peace at a deeper level between my inner and outer worlds.  I hear people say."Thank goodness it's Friday."  Breaks my heart. This is spirit crushing, not living. I do know when you begin to be curious about possibilities, change happens.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about how you can make a living by living and create more peace in your inner and outer world.

"When you're at peace with yourself and love your self, it is virtually impossible to do things to yourself that are destructive."   Author unknown

Pronouncing Judgment...Hold it

 

 There are so many things that you don't know about me, so don't judge me until you decide to find out.  I had a situation earlier this week where I pronounced judgement on somebody for a recurring situation. Only today did I stop to think; what in this person's life do I not know.  Why do they feel it necessary to behave in this way?  Now, I am not getting all soft and ignoring the behaviour. However, taking a step back is allowing me to see the big picture and pull back from the judgement and come from a place of understanding and compassion.  I may never really like this person, but I can still have loving thoughts towards them.  This feels so much better to me and in face brings me peace. In Martin Luther King Jr.'s words...   "I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

I make judgements on what I think I know, so my judgements are limited and can be downright wrong and misleading.  And from Dr Wayne Dyer, "When you judge another you do not define them, you define yourself."

I found these sayings on the internet. There was no credit given to the authors so I quote them here in the same way.

Good Judgment Comes with Experience, But Experience Comes from Bad Judgment

Don't be so quick to judge me. You only see what I choose to show.

People are quick to judge, but slow to correct themselves.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about how you can take a step back before judging to maintain your peace. 

 

Peace And The Long Winter

I am anxiously waiting for spring. Winter has been cold and long. The forecast indicates another week of cold before we get to seasonal norms.  I am struggling to maintain my equilibrium. Going for a walk is almost impossible as the sidewalks are filled with ruts, ice and water. What to do?  I have made sure I have lots of contact with people, resting as I need to and staying physically active even if it is indoors. There is a weariness to my spirit right now. The number one thing that is sustaining me is reaching out to people. I have tended to be an island in the past and I know I cannot live like that anymore. I am grateful to know this and grateful that I am honouring myself by acting on it. I do not have peace in my life when I am in loneliness.  And I love having peace in my life.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about what you are doing during this long winter to sustain peace in your life.

Peek-a-boo

What am I doing to avoid doing what I really should be doing?  Focusing on getting things perfect rather than getting it done. For example writing copy for a class that I am giving and focusing on the language when the really important thing is to just get my message out.  Hiding in this way looks as though I am accomplishing something, when I am really not. I am avoiding. I am grateful to a very kind colleague for pointing this out to me. Getting my message out is scary to be sure. That is however, what I want to do.   I will not allow the fear of getting my message out get in my way. I am preparing for a class on "Thoughtful Design" and can now move forward with my focus on my message rather than the specific language.  Feels so much more peaceful.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about how hiding prevents you from getting your message out.

Let's Be Silly!

No, I'm not being immature...I'm having fun.  You should try it.  Unknown Author    

Truth is, being ‘silly’ doesn’t always come naturally for me.  Somewhere along the road, I've gotten serious and forgotten that I was once a kid. Yep, when it comes to intentional and calculated portions of silliness I have to actually try. And I ‘try’ for a good reason – I know it’s healthy for myself and those around me when I am being silly.  Silliness induces laughter. Laughter is considered ‘nature’s medicine’.  So, what are some of the proven benefits?
•Laughter triggers the release of endorphins – the body’s natural ‘feel good’ hormones.
•Laughter relaxes the body and relieves tension.
•Laughter boosts the immune system by decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells and disease and infection-fighting antibodies.
•Laughter protects your heart by improving the function of blood vessels and increasing blood flow, both of which can help protect you from heart problems.

Tell jokes. My grandkids LOVE knock-knock jokes. They may tell me the same joke over and over, and it is funny every time. No matter how lame the joke may seem,  they usually laugh out loud and then of course so do I.

Being silly.  I love words and sometimes my granddaughters and I will make up words and the sillier they sound the more we laugh.

To me, having fun often means being more silly and childish than normal. I put aside how ridiculous I look or sound and I guess I regress to a "sillier" side of myself.  I always feel so good when I do this. At peace. Note to self...be silly more often.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about ways to be silly and increase your peace.

Attachment

What is attachment?  Some of the words the dictionary gives are fixation, adhesion, adherence  extension.  Or an enduring emotional bond.  A connectedness.  Attachment to me is not just a connection; it is also a desire for regular contact with that person and can at time have feelings of anxiety when I am away from that person. 

I was having an email conversation about attachment with my brother. This is what he said to me, "I am increasingly developing a state of non-identification. To myself and others. Perhaps similar to a disconnect but without the lost feeling. The other day my son asked me if I was afraid of dying. I said generally not. Of course I have the survival instinct we all have and would struggle to live in a life or death situation. However I don’t fear death. On the contrary I feel eager anticipation. Something like, “Oh boy, what next?” A part of this is that I am okay with leaving all those I love so dearly. I am also okay with an afterlife where I may have no recollection of them, or the myself of now. As if this life never was. Hopefully having gained from this life and now moved on. To some degree I feel that I have already moved on. Of course love my family as much or more than ever. Just the my part is becoming weaker. The love remains."   

This was my response, "Non-identification...detachment as the Buddha would say.  To me that seems an easier way to live.  Attachment can feel so heavy at times.  I have attachment to people that is very strong and my ego is in there as thick as ever.  You have quieted your ego.  Do you find it easier being in non-identification?  An example of my attachment...My daughter is moving to a city about two and a half hours away at the end of this month.  I have known this day was coming for probably the last year and a half. I have been so torn up about it...felt as though part of me was being ripped out. I have cried a lot of tears and recognized that I was grieving.  So I have allowed myself to grieve. I did not judge myself when I felt sad, when I felt loss, when I felt abandoned, when I questioned why.  Had I not done so I would be in a very bad place with my daughter's moving day being just around the corner.  I am now able to lovingly send her on her way without misgivings or feelings of "she's leaving me".  I will miss her like crazy, but it is now healthy.  I cannot begin to fathom the detachment you have achieved.  I am attached to the physical part as well as the spiritual part of the people in my life. Also, to the physical part of me. To not remember what I experienced  here, now in the physical;  after I have died, is an excruciating thought to me. See my attachment?  If you go back to my previous email, I am even attached to my haiku.  That's okay because that's where I am right now.  Perhaps I will get to non-attachment or perhaps not.  It feels very light when you talk about it."

I am at peace and comfortable with my attachments while at the same time I recognize that those attachments may change.  With some misgiving though.  I don't know how I would live if my attachments to my children was different than it is now. What if they deepened or softened or lessened?  My ego is doing its best to prevent change, so I will trust the universe to carry me as it always does.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about how attachment affects your inner peace.

                  

What Keeps Me Up At Night?

What keeps me up at night?  Sometimes it is as simple as being cold, so grabbing an extra blanket takes care of that lickety split.  Or it might be that I ate too late in the evening. Or perhaps I put on a pot of tea after dinner and now my bladder needs attention. Other times it is much bigger things. Like, what will my life be like as I get older?  Will I be healthy?  Will my kids keep in touch?  Will I have enough money to support myself?  Sometimes I contemplate world issues like poverty or the way patriarchy has dis-empowered women. I prefer to easily drift into sleep and wake up refreshed and ready to take on a new day. At times I feel the heaviness too much to sleep. I wrestle with this and feel as though I am doing something wrong that I cannot let go of it easily. When I look at this in the light of day, I have a different  perspective and realize that I am human and I am okay and not doing anything wrong when I cannot sleep. What I do then is spend extra time meditating to bring peace to my mind. And it comes beautifully.  Thank you universe!

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about what you can do to bring yourself back to peace when there is too much heaviness.

For Today...

Some things to think about for today.

If your understanding of the divine made you kinder, more empathetic, and impelled you to express sympathy in concrete acts of loving-kindness, this was good theology. But if your notion of God made you unkind, belligerent, cruel, of self-righteous, or if it led you to kill in God's name, it was bad theology.

~Karen Armstrong

Never underestimate the difference YOU can make in the lives of others. Step forward, reach out and help. This week reach to someone that might need a lift.

~Pablo Valle

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about how you can act in the world that will bring about inner peace for you and from there peace to the world.

 

Friends

It's been a fabulous day that ended by spending the evening with a friend that I have not seen for quite some time.  And we decided out of necessity that we would make time for each other by scheduling regular times for us to get together. Our friendship is so worth the time. I am thrilled and so blessed to have good friends. Thank you universe.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about what you might make time for to bring more peace into your life.

I know I know...Mother Nature

Spring flows with delight

I can feel it everywhere

Why Mother Nature

Yes, I am commenting on the abrupt change in our weather.  Nonetheless, I am staying centred and grateful. As much as I would have preferred to see the last of the snow for this winter, I am okay with it. I stayed on track by embracing the day instead of resisting what I cannot change anyway.  Thank you universe.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about how you can stay centered when you encounter a bump in the road.

 

Thoughts and Inner Peace...can there ever be harmony?

I remember when I first became aware of thoughts.  They were simple. "I want that toy".  "I want ice-cream not broccoli."  "I want to go outside to play".  "I want to wear my red dress today."  Those simple thoughts were all relevant and mattered to me. As I got older and my world got bigger, my mind became a storage depot for all sorts of things. They just started accumulating. As my experiences expanded so did my collection of thoughts. Unsolicited they came. It was as though my mind had become a spammer. It became like a whirlwind. Imagine climbing a ladder with four arms and four legs. Wouldn't work very smoothly would it? How would I ever sort through all my thoughts?  Should I be examining every thought?   Some thoughts were just too enticing not to follow. So down the rabbit hole I went. That answer I gave in science class really was stupid. And now everybody else knows that I really am stupid. I am stupid.  And before I know it, I absolutely believe that I am stupid.   This is a thought and a thought does not make it true.  Here's the kicker...I have a choice, I can believe this thought or not. I do have that choice.   

Thoughts are a fact of life. The question is how can I have thoughts and inner peace? Here's what I have discovered. Thoughts in and of themselves are not a bad or negative thing. Thoughts are a tool so I don't want to restrict or eliminate them. I have found that when I am aware of my thoughts (in other words I am in a conscious state), rather than allowing them to be a random thing, I can decide which thoughts I want to embrace and which thoughts I will let go of. Kind of like choosing to open an email or choosing to delete an email.  I don't need to stop my thoughts, but rather step out of them to maintain my inner peace. My body lovingly lets me know when I am out of awareness. My gut starts churning, and I know it is time to stop my thoughts and come back into awareness and I have my inner peace back. I have made the choice to live with peace.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about how you can become aware of your thoughts and step into inner peace.

 

Spring

Spring is almost here. I can't wait. Everything feels so fresh and new.  The sun rises earlier and higher every day. It's the Goldilocks season to me...the temperature is always just right, the skies are so blue, I can once again open my windows to let the outside in. And everything starts to turn green and beautiful and vibrant. Not to forget the local fresh fruit and vegetables that will soon be available.

winter goes uneasily
flowers bees humans merge now
i spin like a top

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about what spring means to you.

Inner Peace

Inner peace…I believe that as we, one by one cultivate our own inner peace, world peace will grow.  Sometimes I get annoyed, but the saying that what you focus on is what you get more of is so true. If I focus on being upset that I am once again not feeling well, I don’t feel well. When I shift my thinking, I immediately feel better, even though I still have the physical symptoms of aching sinuses or a runny nose. When I grow more peaceful, the world grows that much more peaceful. This is a big responsibility and I do not take it lightly. I hope you will join me in growing your inner peace.

Simplify…To me simplicity is essential to inner peace.  Well really for outer peace too.  Acceptance of what is rather than resisting…often times I am resisting and I don’t even know it.  When I become aware and stop resisting, that thing loses its power. And I have peace. Not resisting does not mean doing nothing. Rather it allows me to think clearly and take the appropriate action.  The other day I was resisting making a phone call regarding my finances. When I came into acceptance, and put my energy into what I needed to do, I made the phone call and the monster was not really scary at all. Kind of crazy, but that’s how it works in my world. There was a stillness inside when I let go of the resistance.

Forgiveness…hmmm I cannot have inner or outer peace without this piece of the puzzle.  I like Oprah’s definition of forgiveness.  To paraphrase it is accepting the past as it was, letting go of wishing for things to have been different.  This has been hugely helpful for me in being able to forgive myself; my ex-husband as well as family members who I wished for a long time had a different relationship with me. It is what it is. Thank you universe. And I have found that not forgiving keeps me connected to people in a way that I do not want to be connected to them. Forgiveness is a way to freedom for me.

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”   St Francis de Sales

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about how you can cultivate your inner peace every day.

Winter...I love you...I Love you not

 

I took this photo at the Forks the day my granddaughter and I spent the afternoon frolicking in the snow. We had the best day ever.  I can and do enjoy winter but only sporadically. Winter is my least favourite season. Days are shorter and nights are colder.  Even my down duvet needs a little extra encouragement (aka another blanket) to keep me warm when the temperature drops to the -30's C. It's not always easy to stay motivated and there seems to be a natural inclination towards hibernation. The cold goes right through me and I get very, very annoyed at the (well-meaning) people who glibly say, "Wear lots of layers and you won't even feel the cold." Really?    I have to psyche myself up to go outside in winter. Well, today was no different. I needed some fruit and allowed myself to be persuaded to walk to the market across the street. Was it cold? Yes! Did I feel the cold? A little as I was waiting for traffic to clear so I could cross the street. Was I glad I went? Absolutely!! The sun was shining and my mood became so much lighter by the time I got back home.  So, thank you to the people who keep telling me "Dress for the weather and you'll be fine."  Not promising I won't grumble about the cold, though.   Maybe I'll be camping in the snow next...NOT!

 

Winter is not easy for me, but I do enjoy the views. Winter creates such beautiful landscapes. A fresh snow looks like a clean, white blanket to me. And the shapes are just so fun. Look at the chairs in the photo above. How can you not feel happy when you see the unintended, beautiful result of  snow?          Art au nautral.  Best ever. Winter is part of my current reality, so I will continue to look for the positives around winter.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about all that you love about winter.

Rituals...do we need them?

What is a ritual?  It is a familiar activity, something we do repeatedly (although not always).  Rituals are ordinary activities like brushing our teeth every morning or going to work every day or the cashier who greets us with, "How are you today?"  And we respond with, "I'm fine, thank you." Or rituals can be done occasionally to mark special events like  birthdays, anniversaries,  weddings or graduations for example. I find rituals make my life simpler in the course of everyday life. I start my day with some energy work. This includes myself as well as family members. I love this ritual. I feels as though I have my ducks in a row and can start my day connected to source.  Then I have rituals for the order that I do my morning tasks. I do Yoga, then check my emails, eat breakfast, clean up my kitchen, shower and then start my work day.   I like knowing without thinking what comes next. It is comforting and I easily keep moving. The familiarity is like a hug from the universe to me.

I also use rituals to make beginnings, endings and changes in my life. I create rituals for a specific situations and probably will not do that same ritual again. I find marking change and transitions with a ritual, supports the change and keeps me on track with honouring it. Rituals are a tool for me to move through the easy and the tough that is my life.

Rituals can sometimes be spontaneous. When I feel the urge to celebrate a moment of joy or pleasure (I have so many of these with my grandkids) I will honour this with jumping up and down or squealing with delight. Ritual takes the form it takes. I am not stuck on any particular form.

I want to share another ritual with you. Friday night is pizza night for me. After the pizza has been lovingly eaten and enjoyed, I take a slow, leisurely after dinner walk (passegiata the Italian term for this). I look forward to this every week. I will sometimes text my kids, that it is Friday night Pizza night,  and they probably roll their eyes. But the excitement is too much for me not to share it. And if the weather does not allow for a passegiata, my after dinner is taken up with exploring music. So yum!

Gratitude is one of the constant rituals in my life that keeps me grounded. Thank you my sweet universe.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about the rituals in your life that you treasure.

Thoughtful Design

Our homes have changed a lot  since the 1950's. Way back then the average home was just under 1000 square feet. Three bedrooms and one bathroom were standard in most houses.  There was an eat in kitchen and a living room. These were the gathering places for families. Families ate at least one meal a day together. The way people lived back then supported real connections between family members.

Homes have grown to the 2000 square foot range. We spend less time than ever at home, yet we feel we need larger homes. And families are generally smaller today than in the 1950's. There is a disconnect in our thinking it seems to me.

To me a home is there to support my lifestyle.  Things like neighbourhood and demographics are taken into consideration.  Do I want to commute? What services are offered in the community?  Shopping, banks, schools and church are all considerations.  How close do you want to be to your neighbours? Do you want to do yard work or is a condo more in line with you? Is there an organic market close by? Green space? Walking and biking trails? Is it close to a gym? Whether you are an urban single, or a couple just starting your family or a baby boomer there are many things to consider.  Personally I think multi-lifestyle communities are the most interesting   After all living on a street of Joanne clones would get boring pretty quickly. These are all things to take into consideration when deciding where you want to live. But to me, there is a disconnect in our thinking when we build larger and larger homes for fewer and fewer people. To me a home is there to support my lifestyle.How do we bridge this disconnect? This is where my concept of Thoughtful Design that I have developed for my business comes in.

-->Thoughtful Design is living consciously rather than on autopilot.  Autopilot is being sheeple rather than people. An example, a few years back I was working in an office and it was coming up to Christmas. I was sharing with a co-worker that I did not buy gifts at Christmas. She was rather shocked and then carried on to say that her grandparents celebrated Christmas, her parents celebrated Christmas and she celebrated Christmas and her kids celebrated Christmas. She did not have s specific reason why she celebrated Christmas other than her family before her had done so. She was blindly following their actions without questioning.  Now if she had done so, she may have come up with a lot of valid reasons why she wanted to continue to celebrate Christmas. Doing so without knowing why is where disconnect comes in. Thoughtful Design is about questioning why you do what you do

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, begin questioning why you do what you do.

Another Retail Day

I have avoided Valentines' Day not because I am uncomfortable with expressions of love or because I am single, but rather for the shameless retail exploitation that the day has become. And really, being forced to celebrate love?  Need I say more?

I do however see the benefit in having days like V Day to serve as markers or reminders to be grateful for what we have. Thinking about and  expressing love is a beautiful thing in and of itself. It is so easy to take the people in our lives for granted. Maybe V Day could be a day of reflection and re-evaluation around the people in your life. And if it has real meaning for you, by all means celebrate it. Celebrate it with honesty and in the most real way for you. And you know any day can be Valentine's Day.  Will you be my Valentine?

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about how you can express love more often.

Country vs City

There is a part of me that feels attracted to country living. It seems so idyllic with it's quiet, peaceful spaces. Neighbours know each other, fields of wheat blow in the wind and you might see a cow or two. I feel a tug when I drive through a small town, with it's quaint general store and narrow sidewalks.  Takes me back to when I was a kid. I can see myself walking through the streets, greeting my neighbours and as I enter the grocery store, I actually know the person bagging my groceries. And when they say hello, they do not have to look at the name on my credit card.  In my mind it is so idyllic.    Then reality sets in. Who am I kidding? I love the vibe in the city.    Every block I drive by is a completely new experience. A mixture of architecture styles, bungalows, two and even three story houses can all be found in close proximity to each other. Three-story walk up apartments, high rises; small grocery stores and office towers are often times neighbours.  Everything is close at hand. Which is huge for me. I am not a commuter at all. Many older neighbourhoods boast gracious homes of times gone by with front porches or a veranda. To me it is eye candy at every turn. I never tire of driving through neighbourhoods.  And when I walk I am at ground level and get to see some of the stories of the people that live there. People's ages can be inferred by the presence of their artifacts. If I see a house with bikes I would guess a younger person lives there and if I see lots of flowerbeds, I would guess an older person lives there. These are generalizations of course, but it's fun to do.  For me, there is no contest at all. Urban wins hands down. Urban suits me to a T.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about where you feel most at home...country or city.

Expressing My Thoughts

Pain comes with secrets

Banish the glow.  Lemon tea 

On a snowy day

Light glimmers on snow

Shadows long and shapely  Lily

Pads emerge aware

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about what new way you can express your thoughts.

I Love Ironing

I iron. Yes I do. I like the crispness that ironing gives to clothing. I do iron t-shirts, and pyjamas, but not pillow cases or jeans.  I like to think that I am reasonable about what I iron, but as I see this in print...maybe reasonable is not quite the right description. Maybe peculiar or weird is more accurate. Nonetheless I stand by my ironing choices.  I find ironing somewhat therapeutic and definitely satisfying to see the wrinkles disappear.  Kind of like working out the kinks in my life.  If only they disappeared so easily.
I remember  how my Mom ironed when I was a kid. We lived for a while in a remote village where we had no electricity, so she use the old sad irons.  We had a wood stove and she would heat them up and use one until it was too cool and then grab another one while the first one heated up again.  Now that would be drudgery to me.

Later when we moved to where we had electricity, but no steam irons, she would dampen the clothing, let them sit overnight and iron them the next day. And make a solution of starch with corn starch and water. That was really crisp.
And if ironing is just not part of your vocabulary, you can always throw that shirt in the dryer for 10 minutes on low with a damp sheet of fabric softener and face the world looking perfectly pressed.

Do you still iron clothes? Why or why not?

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about what kinks you may want to iron out of your life.

I'm Home

What is home? Home is where my heart sings. Which can be at various locations and with various people. Home is where I feel I belong, where I share experiences, where I feel safe, and loved.  Home is my own physical space where I am represented at every turn.  By the splashes of red, the angle of my meditation and EFT chair, the art I have hung on the walls, the familiar feelings and smells. Home is a where I learn, I teach, I love, I play and express myself any old way I feel like. Home is a blend of the relationships, experiences and even the structures that surround me. Home is the best friend who knows me really well. Home is inside me. Home is many things to me and I need all these aspects of home to really be me.  Home is a beautiful grounding force in my life. My heart is singing "Take Me Home." by John Denver.

Where do you feel most at home?
How do you make yourself feel at home when you’re not in the actual place where you live?
Who are the people and where are the places that define home for you?
What does home mean to you?

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about what home means to you.    

Love this quote‎~This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before."

~Leonard Bernstein

Learning to Drive

I was doing some reminiscing today. Back to when I was 16 and learning to drive.  I am not quite sure how my parents thought it would be okay, but one of my "teachers" was my brother who is 1 year older than me. So he had been driving for approximately a year. Surely that is enough driving experience to teach your younger sister?  And he taught me on a car with a standard transmission. As a parent who has gone through teenagers learning to drive, I cannot quite connect the dots with that decision. However, my brother and I survived our driving sessions quite well, so maybe my parents knew what they were doing after all.  I also had a few lessons with my Dad. It was a great frustration to him that the rear view mirror was always in the wrong position for him, when he go into drive. There was my Dad, my Mom, my two older brothers and me driving the same car. Did Dad really think the mirror would never be moved?  Funny thinking back on that.  The lessons with my Dad do not really stand out for me.  Most of my driving training was through Driver's Ed. I feel that the reason I am such a good driver is because I was so well taught by Mr Forsythe.  I say this a little bit tongue in cheek, but do feel I am a safe driver thanks to my training. And my big coup was that I passed my driver's test first try and some of the guys in my class did not!  I was a quiet, shy young girl at that time and found it a real stretch to take Driver's Ed. I knew I really wanted to drive and that desire was stronger than my discomfort.  Many times when I look back, I see that I always had an incredible inner strength. I was not aware of it for a long time, but this inner part of myself has served me well over the years. I could say this inner strength has been "driving" me for 60 years now.  Love my inner strength.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about your inner strength and how it has driven you.

Turned Inside Out and Scraped Raw

2012 was the year I began truly honouring myself. I allowed myself to come completely undone. As per my usual way of carrying on, I did not let my family know what I was going though.  Always taking the toughest road possible. While I was coming undone I participated in family occasions, had my granddaughters over for sleepovers, arranged a family reunion, welcomed a new grandson, worked on my business (without alot of enthusiasm or insight) and watched alot of TV. TV was my means of escape.   
This undoing was a long time coming. I never felt valued throughout my childhood and this carried on into adulthood. I literally hid for years. Never daring to be the real me.  I was nobody, really.  Just a shell. Believing that I was unworthy of anything good, I clung to unhealthy relationships. 
As I felt the undoing approaching, I made the conscious decision to embrace it and allow it to come. I knew from deep inside me that if I did not embrace this, I would never be able to move forward. So I hunkered down and plunged. It felt to me as though I had been turned inside out and scraped raw. It felt as though it would not end, but again somewhere deep inside me I knew that I would emerge stronger and more alive than I had ever been before.  My acceptance of this undoing allowed me to come from a place of openness. I began to question many things and found answers, so many answers. Alot of my questions were around how I lived in my space and how I could live better, happier. Live in alignment with my values. Harmony and balance. I am now on the back together side of this adventure (I came out intact unlike Humpty Dumpty, who did not fare so well). I learned many things while coming undone. One big change for me is that I am much more open to connecting. I am seeing connecting as my friend rather than something difficult and not fun at all. I have a new energy. I wake up buzzing with excitement for a new day. I tackle problems differently and with the knowing that I have the answer inside me. I honour myself and allow the real me to shine and be seen. I am using my voice. I am honouring myself. Thank you my sweet universe.

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about coming undone as the road to wholeness.

Playing While Feeling Guilty

I wrote about play a while back.  Play and fun have been on my mind alot as of late. I still have to work at being playful and having fun.  The question "Can I have fun when I am feeling guilty?" came to me today. I tend to be hard on myself at times. Every now and then it seems guilt comes out of nowhere. I haven't even done anything to feel guilty about.  I am going to try an experiment. When feelings of guilt come up, I am going to accept them and allow them to move through me. Just like I accept things like an invitation out to dinner or a new client or perhaps a new insight that changes my life ( I consider all these to be positive things in my life).  I will let you know how this exercise unfolds and look forward to being a playful old lady!

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about letting go of your guilt. Are you able to accept it and allow to move through you?

Organizing is Boring

Is organizing  boring?  Or is it simply something that you want to avoid? I hear this from time to time. To me it is not boring at all, but rather I find it stimulating and exciting figuring out what to put where. And the whole part of which container and what type of container...well that is like heaven to me. It's an adventure. Will everything I keep fit into the space I have? My creative juices flow unimpeded. I love coming up with new solutions. It's like a puzzle and when that last piece is put into place, it's time to do my happy dance!When I hear that organizing is boring, I wonder is that person maybe afraid of failing?  Or maybe they think they won't be able to do it perfectly? Or maybe they won't be able to maintain it so why even bother? There are alot of emotions that come up when you are organizing, so maybe it is too painful to face those emotions so saying that organizing is boring is a way of protecting yourself.   What are you telling yourself?  Do you tell yourself that you are not smart enough to get organized?I have found that the thoughts we have around doing an activity that we are unsure about are worse than the actual doing.  The mechanics of organizing are what they are, however you can jazz it up. You could invite a friend to join you, or you play your favourite music while you organize. And when you complete your organizing reward yourself with a dinner out or a yoga class or whatever might be special to you.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about what you are avoiding and then think about taking baby steps to face it.  Creativity awaits, I promise!

Simplicity

Path to Clarity made easy

               I breathe easier just looking at this picture.                

Simplicity

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about how you can bring more simplicity into your life.

Alone on a Desert Island and Only One Thing to Bring

If I was alone on a desert island, what would I bring?  Hands down without a second thought, I would bring is a limitless supply of paper and pens.  I could not live without being able to write.  Writing is my biggest muse. Writing keeps me. Writing is me. Writing is how I figure out who I am. Writing is how I solve problems. Writing is my love. Writing is transformation and connection and allows me to feel. Writing is like my secret code. Writing is complete freedom of speech..haha!

As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world, think about the one thing that you cannot live without.

Can I be a Peaceful Warrior ?

I often hear the word warrior used in a spiritual context. When I hear the word warrior, the stereo typical idea of a warrior comes to mind...fighter, soldier, combatant.
“I came, I saw, I conquered.” — Julius Caesar
“Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.” — Winston Churchill

I have to say I am really not comfortable using the word warrior in a spiritual context. It seems to me to be in complete opposition to peace.  I decided to do some research.  Maybe I can reconcile to this word. I do not want to feel this resistance inside me.

Some things I found were that a warrior is someone who strives to be the best they can be or someone that has the discipline to change their behaviour or someone who engages in battle (spiritual or physical) out of personal conviction rather than out of obedience to orders or a warrior understands the horror of war and will not deliberately chase war or a warrior is capable of moral judgement.  
Hmmm...I did not find conclusive evidence to make me comfortable with the word warrior. The connotations are overwhelmingly negative.  So I will not be using the word warrior in a spiritual context. To me it is very obviously a misuse of the word.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about the words you use.

Comfort Zone

I like to think I am all about stepping outside my comfort zone.  Don't know if that's really what I am all about. But I do definitely step outside my comfort zone, at least once in a while. My latest stepping outside my comfort zone is making videos of myself for my business.  I have tended to hide who I was internally as well as externally. So I am ecstatic that I am able to do this.  I am growing and evolving! Right before my eyes and yours.  Now, I did a few practice videos before actually posting one (that's okay right?). I don't see myself as others see me, so this exercise is hugely helpful. Maybe I'll end up on the big screen...who knows. That is not part of my vision at this point, but you know what "they" say, "Never say never."  Life is good and gets gooder and gooder every day.  Thank you my sweet universe!

As you take two minutes to think about peace for our world today, think about stepping outside your comfort zone.

Anticipation

I still feel like a kid when I am looking forward to something. Today I am spending the afternoon with my brother and sister-in-law.  And I am so excited.  I just can't wait.  This morning I was in the middle of my daily workout and I received a text. Well, what to do?  Wait until I  completed my workout or check right now.  Nope, could not wait.  Stopped my workout and wow, what a nice surprise! A text from my far away brother.  That was definitely worth stopping my workout for!  Anticipation is like a gift. And opening it such sweet delight. The longing to discover is so intense. I am in the moment waiting for the future. It is really beautiful and agonizing at the same time. I find anticipation nurtures my soul in a seductive manner. I think anticipation keeps me young.
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about anticipation.

Collectively

I saw this verse the other day (can't remember where, though) and loved these powerful words.

Peace not war
Generosity not greed
Empathy not hate
Creativity not destruction
Everybody not just us
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, think about peace, generosity, empathy, creativity and everybody.

Not Fixing Not Helping But Serving!

I am a lover and user of Google. During one of my many Google searches I happened upon an article written by Rachel Naomi Remen. I do not remember anymore what I was originally searching for. I was so blown away by the article Rachel wrote on the difference between serving, fixing and helping.  She stated it so beautifully and with such clarity that I felt compelled to write about it here.  She makes the point that when we see ourselves as fixers or helpers we see the world as broken or less than we are. Serving comes from a place of wholeness...my wholeness and your wholeness...equals.  Wow...that resonates so perfectly with my soul. 
Rachel goes on to say that helping incurs a debt and fixing implies that there is brokenness.  Fixing and helping create a distance between me and the person I am fixing or helping.  Helping and fixing are about curing while serving heals. Serving comes from gratitude and wholeness.  Such a difference. Serving connects. Really, how can I serve when I am not connected? Fixing and helping are outer actions, while serving is an inner attitude.   
I am taking this all in. I am already changed. My perspective has shifted. A new paradigm. My heart has expanded once again. Thank you my sweet universe!
As you take two minutes to consider peace today, think about how serving will change you and those you serve.

Play

Johan Huizinga...Dutch historian and professor, identifies 5 characteristics that play must have:

1. Play is free, is in fact freedom.
2. Play is not “ordinary” or “real” life.
3. Play is distinct from “ordinary” life both as to locality and duration.
4. Play creates order, is order. Play demands order absolute and supreme.
5. Play is connected with no material interest, and no profit can be gained from it.

I have found that when I am in a playing mindset,  I am much more creative than when I am in a working mindset. I lose track of time and am completely in the moment. Just recently, when I was preparing a workshop on Thoughtful Design, I was so excited about the content. The workshop just appeared, almost by itself. It was amazing. And pure fun! Even though it was technically work.  My dilemma is that I seem to resist this and buy into the belief that work must be hard and tedious. Can productivity and fun be a partnership? Oh yes they can. My little granddaughters teach me this all the time. I get down on the floor with them and the connection, the laughter, the joy is spontaneous and pure fun. And learning is just naturally part of our games. Games like penguin or flower or baby (they have a little baby brother). Our spirits are lifted and our imaginations are stimulated. 

For the most part I have exchanged play for work and responsibilities.  I am on a mission to really learn how to play again.  You know the whole balance thing. And apparently there is evidence to show that play may be an antidote to violence. And that really makes my heart sing. 

So as you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, will you join me in giving yourself permission to play today?

Rest is a Necessity

It  seems that rest is a discipline more than a luxury. Practicing the discipline of rest requires  requires some deliberate choices:  

~Choosing not to over commit
~Choosing to enjoy the moment and be present
~Choosing to to take care of our mind, body and soul everyday

Just like there are seasons in nature, we are designed with a rhythm as well.   Rest is not a luxury, it is a necessity!   it is a principle that is pretty much bypassed with our philosophy of achieve and acquire. To do nothing will probably be met with flack. I still struggle with this, despite knowing how important  rest and play are to creativity. And I am all about creativity. My recent bout with the flu got this message to me loud and clear. In order to have a smooth ebb and flow to my life, rest must be a part of it. I am learning the importance of pacing myself.   At times I feel guilty, anxious and uneasy, but I am carrying on with my downtimes and accepting the healing and restoring that results.  I recently heard somebody say, "Rest like you mean it."  How about that for a mantra?  
As you take two minutes to consider peace for our world today, rest like you mean it!