Peace Means Being Fully Alive!

Have you noticed how unsatisfying it is when you hold back in order to avoid failure, how restless you become knowing that something wonderful is possible if you venture out?

We kill Peace when we hold back. To be fully alive and at Peace with ourselves means risking doing and being things that scare us. Paul Tillich, a brilliant 20th Century theologian, describes the great wisdom of an even earlier, less known but equally brilliant 18th Century Romantic philosopher, Friedrich Schleiermacher (say that five times really fast), who said "there is only one alternative to life without failure AND THAT IS LIFELESSNESS without failure."

Lifelessness! Who wants that? So, go create some Peace today; do what old Freddy recommends. Get your Peace game on. Risk some mistakes in service of being truly alive and watch Peace show up. Yeee Haw!

Love,

Darlene

Peace as Art

Nearly every day I forget my commitment to Peace,
when I want to be right more than I want to love what is.

Then, like an artist, I remember that Peace
is a passion and a process; that the creative journey
is as important as the result.

And I take up my brush and begin to paint again.

Love,

Darlene

Embraced by Peace

It is one thing to embrace Peace.
Will you allow it to embrace you?

Will you allow it's silence?
Will you walk with it all day,
gracefully arm in arm,
let it breathe for you, feel for you,
talk for you, and think for you?

Will you dance to the tune it whistles
and laugh at it's jokes?
Will you have a conversation with it about the future
and all of the loving possibilities it sees for you and humankind?

When will you?

Love,

Darlene

Being Fearless for Peace

Montaigne said, "There are so many terrible things in my life, but most of them never happened."; meaning we spend much of our life imagining things to be afraid of! I used to think this was useful, that if I was scared enough I would be sure to avoid those pitfalls. I just had to be constantly vigilant. Fear is exhausting!

Peace happens when individuals (and nations) focus on loving possibilities. Like Gandhi who lovingly and playfully invited the British to leave India, we too can invite the monsters in our imagined lives to leave. We can acknowledge our fear and practice being fearless. We can stop burdening ourselves with fear and find that Peace is light and effortless. Power that had been sucked away by fear is replaced by energy giving love and gratitude!

So, acknowledge and step through (not in!) some fear this Peace Tuesday. Power on dude!

Love,

Darlene

Peace Requires Risk

What risk might you take for Peace today? History is full of examples of people who took personal risks for social Peace; Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa. They are also examples of amazing personal equanimity and grace. When I take personal risks, risk being bold, risk a deeper connection with others, risk seeming foolish, when I stop protecting myself in service of a greater possibility, Peace appears. And I believe it is the Peace of discovering that my fears are illusions!

Would you burst some illusions today to create Peace? I call them "fear bubbles". I believe I hear them popping! Pop, pop, pop, Peace!