Tag: peace

The Beginning of a New Year

nyrefThe beginning of the New Year is seen as a transition for many of us. It’s a time to step back from our life to reconsider where we’ve been and where we want to go. There may be a poignant awareness of the losses and struggles that occurred, as well as an appreciation of our good fortune in celebrating the start of yet another year.

We hope that the changing of the year’s digit will rescue us from past habits and holes that we have dug for ourselves. We dream of changes that will make us happier and healthier. We make a list of resolutions in the hope that our willpower will be strong enough to launch us into a new way of living.

But in moving from one year to the next, take moment to pause. Pause to celebrate. Pause to reflect. Pause to take inventory. And pause to see what you can learn from this past year. Self-reflection is a powerful process. It’s strongly encouraged by many of the world’s great religious traditions and by some of the wisest of our ancestors and has many benefits.

For most of us, self-reflection is a missing piece of our lives. We’re very busy. We’re tired. We look for rest through books, beds, television and the Internet. The idea of spending several hours or more in your living room, sitting quietly and reflecting on the past year, seems strange and a bit uncomfortable. But in the waning hours of the year, we have a wonderful opportunity to excavate our lives and reconsider what we wish to do with the time we have left.

As you reflect on your life, you’ll notice that certain ideas for making changes or doing things differently will naturally arise. You can make note of these, keep them in mind as they can become useful as resolutions or goals.

But for; now, just allow yourself to sit with your life as it is. Seeing our life “as it is” can be more than the foundation of personal change – it can be the basis for faith, compassion for others, and a profound sense that we are loved and cared for more deeply than we have ever realized.

Best wishes as you enter the new year & may God grant you serenity, peace and strength.

Adapted

What is Forgiveness?

forgive-on-stonesPsychologists generally define forgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.

Many of us feel that when we forgive somebody, we’re doing them a favor. Perhaps they’ve changed, or apologized, or maybe we feel that we made them suffer enough. The reality is, that the main beneficiary of forgiveness is the forgiver.

Every time we harbor ill will, a hateful feeling, or persistent negativity towards someone we do harm to ourselves. When we remember the wrongs done to us, we dwell on the ill feelings about those who hurt us. We relive those negative emotions, suffering past pain all over again, this process can affect us not only emotionally but eventually even physically, manifesting itself through our bodies and our health.

To forgive is not always easy, at times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness. However, it is the most important single process that brings peace to our soul, harmony to our life and allows us freedom from the weight of our suffering which in turn brings peace of mind.

So how to forgive a wrong? It isn’t easy, it goes against our human nature. Forgiveness is a commitment to a process of change. Here are some ideas:

  • Consider the value of forgiveness and its importance in your life at a given time
  • Reflect on the facts of the situation, how you’ve reacted, and how this combination has affected your life, health and well-being
  • Actively choose to forgive the person who’s offended you, when you’re ready
  • Move away from your role as victim and release the control and power the offending person and situation have had in your life
  • As you let go of grudges, you’ll no longer define your life by how you’ve been hurt, you might even find compassion and understanding.

Letting go of grudges and bitterness can make way for happiness, health and peace, forgiveness can lead to:

  • Healthier relationships
  • Greater spiritual and psychological well-being
  • Less anxiety, stress and hostility
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Fewer symptoms of depression
  • Stronger immune system
  • Improved heart health
  • Higher self-esteem

There is no guarantee that the offending party will reciprocate, however for you this is the beginning of a positive change in your life.

Forgiveness improves our health, the benefits of forgiveness seem to come largely from its ability to reduce negative affect such as feelings of tension, anger, depression and fatigue.

Forgiveness makes us happier, forgiving others can make people feel happy, especially when they forgive someone to whom they feel close.

Forgiveness boosts kindness and connectedness, those who feel forgiving don’t only feel more positive toward someone who hurt them, they are also more likely to volunteer for a good cause and they feel more connected to other people in general.

As Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said: ” Forgiveness is the path to true enduring peace.”

Thoughts on Patience

It has been said, “Patience is a virtue” and “good things come to those who wait.” Do you get annoyed when things don’t happen fast enough? Do you tap your foot impatiently or keep looking at your watch when waiting in line? When we learn to accept what is, and embrace life in each present moment, our impatience often falls away.

Patience is allowing time to run its course and allowing people, including ourselves, to work and grow at our own pace. Patience moves our minds away from frustrations, expectations or “shoulds” and aligns us with reality.

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them every day begin the task anew. – Saint Francis De Sales

And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. -The Bible

I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. – Lao Tzu

The best days we ever lived were by virtue of patience, and if patience were to take the shape of a man, he would be a noble and generous man. – Omar ibn al-Khattab

The greatest prayer is patience – Buddha

There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly. – Margaret Fuller

Meet the Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. —Matthew 5:9 NIV

We who work for peace must not falter. We must continue to pray for peace and to act for
peace in whatever way we can, we must continue to speak for peace and to live the way of
peace; to inspire others, we must continue to think of peace and to know that peace is
possible. —Peace Pilgrim (1908–1981), born Mildred Lisette Norman

I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit
of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of peace and
contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and
compassion, and elimination of ignorance, selfishness, and greed.
—The 14th Dalai Lama (b. 1935)

As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on
society if you have not changed yourself…. Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of
honesty, but humility. —Nelson Mandela (b. 1918)

If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.
—Lao Tzu (570–490 BC)