Get tangled up for Peace!

Do you want to create Peace in your intimate relationships? Then send the one you love Peaceful thoughts through prayer or meditation!

A recent, thoroughly scientific double blind study showed that partners can physically affect each other by focusing their thoughts on them. See www.npr.org for a story by Barbara Bradly Haggerty called Can Positive Thoughts Help Another Person? The scientific explanation is something called quantum entanglement, which says "once two particles have interacted (as in people in intimate relationships), if you separate them, EVEN BY MILES, they behave as if they are still connected"! Does this not blow you completely away?

If you want some simple, delightful instruction on the benefits of mindfullness and meditation, read Thich Nhat Hanh's book Peace is Every Step. If you would like to read about powerful prayer I recommend Brother David Steindl-Rast's book, Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer.


Entangled and sending you Peaceful thoughts,

Darlene

Peace Agents

Remember Inspector Gadget? He was a silly, fearless cartoon secret agent who bungled everything and still managed, with hidden help from those who loved him, to solve the case! What he had was a very strong intention to create a good result.

Human beings are a lot like Inspector Gadget in our pursuit of Peace and other good results. We keep designing new, complicated, fancy tools, thinking they will do the trick. And behind the scenes, what gets us there is our strong intention, our fearlessness and, of course, hidden help from those who love us!

Peace out Peace Agent! Doodle doo, Inspector Gadget, doodle doodle doo doot doo!

Moving Peace forward by standing still!

How do you move Peace forward by standing still? Well, there is a great little book titled "The Great Silent Grandmother Gathering" by Sharon Mehdi about just that. It is written for children (aren't we all?) and it describes a spontaneous gathering of grandmothers who simply stood in their town square day after day, silently, no signs and no shouting, for Peace.

Read the book and find out what moves forward when you simply stand still. Better yet read it to a child so they will know.

Love,

Darlene

Scruples and Peace!

The original meaning of the word scruple is: a small, sharp stone.
The modern meaning: principles.

Sue Monk Kidd, in her book First Light, tells a story about scruples, that it is akin to having a small, sharp stone in your shoe. It bothers you and you stand anyway. So, you stand firmly on principle, but you stand fast "with tender skin", with compassion for those who can't stand as you do, holding the gentle "balance between love and principle".

You can bring Peace this week by standing for your principles, for what you feel is right and just, while you simultaneously practice compassion for those who will not or cannot stand with you. Both, and!

Peace: Something worth standing for!

Love,

Darlene

The Cost of Anger

"I am angry. I have been wronged." said the young man.

"What is your anger costing you?" asked the crone.

"Nothing. Anger is free!" he proclaimed.

"Are your thoughts loving? Are your dreams colorful and ripe with possibility? Are you compassionate with yourself and others? Are you excited and delighted and do you walk lightly on the earth? Do you wake each morning knowing you are loved and trusted? asked the crone.

"No?" he puzzled.

"Then" she smiled, "that is what it's costing you. Anger is expensive and its price is your aliveness."

Love,

Darlene

You could be dancing, Yeah!

Here's a path to Peace: Eliminate "should" from your thoughts and speaking today!

When you "should" yourself, others, the world, you operate inside a context of entitlement - entitled to things being a certain way, your way (imagine that)! From this place it is impossible to appreciate how you are already blessed. Focus instead on what you are grateful for right now, for air to breathe, for your ability to love, for the Peace that already exists.

Said another way: Always wear your dancing shoes! Then dance with abandon to the music that is being played. Hey, hey, hey! That's what I say! Yip, yip! Boogie on!

Wild flowers for Peace!

My neighbors planted a hill surrounding their property with native wild flowers. Now the rest of the neighbors and visitors have the great gift of turning a corner to be surprised and breathless at the sight of a hill vibrating with color: poppies, larkspur, lupine, tidy tips, brodiaea, clarkia and purple owls clover! Creating, nurturing and sharing beauty, inviting gratitude: That's Peace.

Don't leave your room without being grateful today. If you can't find anything to be deeply grateful for, be grateful for wild flowers!