Now and then it is my joy to share with you one of the poems of a dear friend and colleague in my philosophical study group who made his transition to spirit a few years ago.  His poems are a source of inspiration to me.  Hope you enjoy this one too.  I would love to see your own poems about peace!

Peace, Brother

Solitary Sunday.

Mist on muddy canal

Dances ever so slightly.

Crow caws,

A fish rises.

The splash widens in circularity,

Defining a serenity

To be absorbed and cherished.

Jonas Mather

Today I am reflecting about the times when it is better to speak or simply remain silent given the circumstances of the moment as we embrace wholeness in living.   Years ago I had a good conversation with a friend about discovering our inner beauty and he brought to our dialogue some key ideas from Eckhart Tolle in his book ‘Stillness Speaks’.  There, this famous author said, “True intelligence operates silently” and “Stillness is where creativity and solutions to problems are found”.

“Silence is the dignity of a seeking soul”, said Marc Edmund Jones.

I wish to share with you this day my current reflections:

I am Present.  You are Present.  Here and Now.

Slowing down pace in living contributes to the process.

Time of quiet Meditation enhances staying present.

Peaceful listening to music inspires stillness.

Be still and know that PEACE is here!

Be still and KNOW…

Be STILL…

BE.

Wisdom comes from within.

Recently I watched a small movie (http://www.connectingamillionhearts.com/) that brought again to my attention an increasing trend to cooperate with each other for the well-being of our Planet.  I would like to share with you some of the highlights I found most meaningful: (more…)

I feel constantly grateful for the abundance in living, discovered with each step on the way and rejoice at every kind of human endeavor.

These are my commitments to embrace abundance in living. This day I offer a prayer of thankfulness to God for life, for love, for all people in the world and for the ever-growing abundance manifested each moment. Choosing to perceive us all as one, I serve my fellow human beings while fulfilling my unique purpose through the expression of my personality and talents. Today, a complete rebirth from new realization in situations, circumstances and events brightens my path. I rejoice in deeper inner communion with God. In the presence of divine bounty, I communicate to everyone my appreciation for the abundant gifts in our hands.

Would you like to share your own commitments with me?

I really like Diane Dreher’s book, “The Tao of Inner Peace” where she shares her insights and understanding for an expansion of consciousness and oneness. Here are her practical suggestions for a meditation in wholeness and a vision that leads to positive action. I certainly recommend her beautiful book. (more…)

My friend Janine Fafard, who lives in Costa Rica, has shared with me a lovely thought known to come from the Buddha as a prayer of loving kindness, and I wish to share it with you today as we continue exploring inner peace.

“May I be in peace.

May my heart remain open.

May I awaken to the light which is my true nature.

May I be healed.

May I be a source of healing for all beings.”

In response to the Peace Pilgrim beatitude, “Blessed are they who see the change we call death as a liberation from the limitations of this earth-life, for they shall rejoice with their loved ones who make the glorious transition”, someone recently commented, “I have a friend who is 91 years old and she knows her time on this earth is coming to an end. She doesn’t have any faith. I’ve been trying to help her, but I can’t seem to get through to her. I guess I’ll just have to keep on trying. I was thinking about getting her a copy of your book. p.s.— She is my biggest challenge.” (more…)

Charito Calvachi-Mateyko, as we join our efforts in exploring inner peace, asked me in a radio interview transmitted on ‘Radio Centro’; WLCH, 91.3 FM in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States, why is it important to give love to the world?

I would love to share with you some of my comments and would love to hear yours.

Peace Pilgrim, who walked more than 25,000 miles for peace, sharing her core values for an expansion of consciousness, said, “Love is the greatest force on earth. Love conquers all.” She was referring to the great potential each of us has to manage conflictive situations with love. Using the transformative power that love offers. (more…)

To close my blogs about my strategy in managing life challenges, today I would like to talk about some final key elements in my process, which became instrumental in attaining a sense of transcendence and completeness. (For antecedents on this topic please see my previous blogs, Focus is Manifestation – Parts I to IV.)

I would love to hear your comments as you see fit.

In a conversation with a friend, he emphasized that finding the “right moment” when dealing with disease or challenging circumstances is of supreme importance for the unfoldment of health. In my own healing work when I first experienced severe tinnitus I knew that moment had come when I moved from the phase of uncertainty to the stage of rebuilding my life. I still remember the day when the great insight came to me… I realized I had to live… pure and simple… it was a supreme need to live that took me into a firm determination and shift from an approach of “live with it” or “cope” to manage and transcend tinnitus in a renewed spirit of wellness and completeness. Yes, I was going to be able to do so if I could only decide… truly from the depths of my being… that I could do it.

Such initial one moment of supreme importance was strengthened by the realization that pain is for a purpose.

Marc Edmund Jones, founder of the Sabian Assembly, spoke of these things and here are some of his insights:

• Experience is rehearsal. Experience is under continuous reconstruction.
• Every limitation in life is an opportunity for the clarification of one’s direction in a wider perspective, never a set-back or an obstacle.
• The person with many troubles is alive and their contribution may possibly be greater than that of someone with high success in smooth living.
• Suffering is pain with a purpose. When suffering, a person may enter into deeper realms of living and lift life to higher levels of experience and understanding.

Finally, here are a few additional comments to round out Focus is Manifestation, an approach to meaningful living, also supported by insights of another dear friend who made her transition to spirit four years ago.

1. Remember, you receive from it what you put into it.
2. Ask, what can I do with this? — What is it good for?
3. Create! Ask, how can I make this a creative challenge rather than an overwhelming obstacle?
4. Appreciation is a key.
5. You make your reality via the significance you give to your experience.
6. Act “as if.”
7. Be yourself — manifest your full potential!

Once in a while, something happens in our daily routine that truly challenges our ability to manage change in our lives: a severe illness, the loss of a loved one, the ending of a relationship, a major change in the work environment, a new career, etc. That’s what I experienced when I first encountered a severe case of tinnitus (ringing in the ears) some 18 years ago. It became a very threatening situation…. As I lost control of my business and personal activities, I felt I lost control of my life.

One of the most relevant elements in my process was an emphasis on what a close friend of mine used to say, “That which you focus on, you strengthen.”

With time, I developed a series of strategies to adjust to the new circumstances in finding health and learning from experience. Now I’m able to see the situation as a creative challenge rather than as an overwhelming obstacle.

How did I make this transition?

Stage I. Confronting New Reality. When I first encountered tinnitus, I experienced an initial phase of rejection and denial — I refused to believe things had changed.

Stage II. Uncertainty. For ten weeks, I went through a stage of chaos and confusion, with high emotional stress — I didn’t know what to do.

Stage III. Rebuilding. Then I realized I needed to move ahead, so I started developing a series of strategies to create a renewed identity, new goals, and to some extent, a new future.

Each stage provided me with insights that became a step forward in developing new strategies to managing life challenges.

More about each stage in following blogs.