create peace

My sister-in-law is a Feldenkrais practitioner. Her fiance is a tai chi instructor. They met when she went to one of his classes.

What they’ve discovered is that they can learn from each other. Their unique disciplines have much in common in how energy flows through the body and how to “correct” the flow of energy to bring about healing.

Both of them can astutely observe energy within people and around. At a party all the guests made “chi balls” to demonstrate one way that energy is flowing through us. After spending a week with them, I am ever more motivated to learn more about energy-work, too. My first experience with energy work was when I received acupuncture. I was skeptical at the beginning, but without really understanding why immediately began seeing results. Now I have two more energy “practices” that completely fascinate me!

My sister-in-law has done what are called “Functional Integrations” on me, and those, too, are more powerful than massages.

How does this relate to creating peace?

I believe that having greater awareness about how energy is working around us will play deeply into a greater respect for it and other people. My soon-to-be brother-in-law has amazing perceptions and has formed a group of people that “heal” each other weekly. Meeting that group of people reaffirmed for me that little by little they are changing the world, and thereby, creating peace.

I can’t wait to learn more!

...that to share, spread, and create peace, that you first have to be peace.

I’ve been working hard all month to dig deep, and react from a place of peace that’s already working within me. Of course, there have been failures. But learning and practicing what peace really feels like is really starting to pay off.

I’m excited to keep both these goals – finding and creating peace.

I do not want to repeat cycles of ignorance, apathy, hatred, and anger.

I want to live with peace, understanding, compassion. And hopefully, when I lead with those I, too, will be understood.

Today I send love out into the world. Today I pour out the love I’ve received to share with those who are lonely, oppressed, hurting, and struggling.

Tell me your sorrows, and I will open my arms to you. Share your stories, and I will listen.

I don’t like lies and half-truths and assumptions. Hear enough, and I just want to correct every one of them and dispel the myths.

Unfortunately, I haven’t learned how to do that without such an edge.

That stupid edge.

Creating more discord and disharmony. When my whole stupid goal is peace.

When will I learn how to let go? When will I not care if there are lies or not? When I will I not feel like I have to espouse truth all the time? When can I simply just love?

Peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace.

Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.

God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God.

Humble, humble, humble, humble, humble, humble, humble.

I will keep trying.

I’ve been thinking lately that beside “find peace,” I need to also “create peace.”

Without necessarily wanting to, I’ve become a bit narrow-minded and egocentric. The circumstances in my life currently seem to have forced me further into my shell, seeking, hoping for, even demanding peace.

The humbling lessons that have followed have reminded me that everyone’s got a story, a way that they have interpreted the events of their lives. Some people can identify how they’ve actively contributed to those stories, but many only identify passively, almost as victims of circumstance.

What I’m encountering in thinking a bit more radically about things is that the story is only that. A story. A way of trying to make sense of seemingly random and strange happenings. Who’s to say whose story is right? Or even accurate? Perhaps there’s a way to have the story without so much emotion behind it. Perhaps there’s a way to view it simply as one story of many that can be opened and closed like a book.

Part of empathy and compassion is to look through the eyes and mind of others to see how they see their story. Part of compassion for yourself is to recognize that you, too, have a story. But even with any of those stories, it’s all based on interpretation. Reality can be clear-cut, but it can also be ambiguous. What’s important to look for is what rings true for you and you alone. Stay only in your own business, and leave whatever should’s and shouldn’ts alone. And alas, without even seeking it, there’s the peace. Right there. Simply from letting go and letting it come.

Distress. Pain. Revenge. Discomfort. Anger. Sadness. Depression. Loneliness. So many of these haunt us. So many of these keep us from living. So many of these could let us go if we just re-interpreted the story.

Create peace. Yes, I do believe I need to do this in conjunction with “seek peace.”

I don’t want to continue the cycle of creating more disturbances simply because I feel disturbed.

Hmmm, the quote beside this box says, “Experience is not what happens to you. It’s what you do with what happens to you.”
- Aldous Huxley

How appropriate.