Give Peace a Year – Meeting twenty two

 Transforming violence and conflict of needs  in life, one word, thought or deed at a time.

Give Peace a Year posts are the notes from in person meetings aiming to transform the surprising levels of violence I found had crept into my everyday suburban life. I invited people to join me to Give Peace a Year. We started in February 2016 and ran for 3 years. Many surprising transformations to our stress levels, health and relationships were had. You can read the whole story of how it all began with my hair conditioner here.

Reports from a group meeting fortnightly for a year, this was week 22

With the aim of peace everywhere,

 starting here and now, transforming violence and conflict of needs  in life, one word, thought or deed at a time.

And because

it’s not the slog that will get us there, it’s the joy

for balance, things that warmed our hearts and made life a pleasure.

Mistake when booking tickets

Taking great care when booking train tickets and still booking the wrong date. The comments towards myself were not kind.

Empathy needed for the pain of the mistake and inconvenience of sorting it out and for the berating.

Starting with ourselves

This from Mary Mackenzie of The Nonviolent Communication Academy. It’s what we’ve been doing this year.

Many years ago, I felt utterly despairing that world peace was possible. And, then I realized that I was looking for it outside of myself – in my political leaders, supervisors, friends, ministers, and others. And, while I was looking for it outside of myself, I myself wasn’t acting peacefully in my everyday interactions with my family, friends, and others I encountered.

That was the moment when I realized that I can’t hope for world peace if I don’t hold it in my own heart, and that I didn’t need to be a powerful world leader to make a difference. My work is to bring peace to my own heart and extend it throughout whatever sphere of influence I have. Anything beyond that is someone else’s work. With this revelation, my despair was lifted and my focus clear.

What about you? What is your sphere of influence? Maybe in this moment bringing peace to your own heart is all the energy you can muster. I say yes to that! Maybe you want to dabble in bringing a new attitude to your workplace that will promote greater peace. Yes to that! Maybe you’d like to greet your partner or family with a kinder heart. Yes to that! Maybe living in compassion or forgiveness for yourself is where you are. Yes to that!

Mary Mackenzie NVC Academy

 

And the joy this time, much savouring has been had.

Pudding for breakfast

The Christmas mode that contains decadence in many ways. Brandy butter on toast for many days after Christmas until the tub was empty.  Lemon tart and cream for breakfast until it was used up.

Late afternoon DVD watching. 

Pootling. Letting things take the time they take and going at them in a really relaxed attentive way not the busy, brisk way of a normal day and enjoying the settled feeling and greater connection with things coming from that.

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