Deck your halls

The Holidays are times that are especially inclined toward emotional violence as we are forced by tradition to spend time with and act courteous toward those we may not particularly care to.
You know, our Loved Ones...

Why do we still attend dinners and such with our families if we do not truly wish to be around them? Why is there this obligation to be offended by the people that offend us the most?

It seems to me that we attend out of a desire to play in the great drama that is Life. We like to say things like,"I have to go or my Mom, that bitch, will have a fit and I'll never hear the end of it". Poor me, I blame my childhood.
Or,"well if I don't show up my poor sister will be there all alone with my asshole brother."
Super Sibling to the rescue!!!
What a load of shit. We go because we know that we are not good enough NOT to go. We know deep down inside that we must be with our own or risk losing that part of ourselves which we so identify with. The part we don't like but can't seem to give up.
If we were not swimming in the same emotional muck as those we complain about, we simply would not deal with it. We would either go and not be offended or we would know that the environment is not conducive to our emotional health and not subject ourselves to it.

I submit that we discontinue our yearly ritual of sniveling about having to attend "The Holidays".
I submit that we decide instead to address the issue within ourselves, at least, and with the others, ideally. Why is it up to "them" to take action towards resolution? Do it yourself, if for nothing more than to be able to feel empowered by yourself. RISE ABOVE.
If you are settled in the mind of "they won't change, listen, understand, etc." then you have not risen above. You have simply changed roles. Do more. Change again. It cannot be anymore painful than the current existence.

Thanksgiving is past for this year. Spend December being thankful that you are endowed with freedom and intelligence. Be grateful that you have the ability to take any situation and make the necessary changes, within yourself, toward improvement. The result may not be immediate but the feeling of "positive forward momentum" is instantaneous. It is empowering. It begets the purity of Love. It fills your heart with true gratitude for everything and everyone. Even your asshole brother.

Right...?

Why are we so driven to be heard? (he wrote in the HUGE SCREAMING example of "wanting to be heard")
But, truly, why are we so desirous of "being right"? I bring this up because I see it slowly decay my relationships and the relationships of those around me. I watch people run their HeadDramas until they don't even know the reality of their partners. They are having an entirely different relationship with a skewed version of their lover, in their head. They live a dream. Why? Because they don't feel like they are understood, justified, acknowledged.
This becomes, in most cases, a battle for "I'm right".
Conversation deteriorates into a pair of monologues as neither party feels "heard" so they both stop listening. We start ranting to each other desperately trying to be understood, never pausing for a single moment in order to understand. We talk at each other.
Why must we be heard? Do our lives fail or diminish if we are not? Does it kill us? Truly?
And why does it justify our discontinuation of listening to and understanding those we are supposed to Love the most? Why does not "being right" make it O.K. to be cruel and cold and disrespectful to the most important people in our lives?
So what if they are not listening right now. Is it really worth the pain you cause to you both by being offended by it?
Do you think that maybe they feel like YOU are not hearing THEM?

I think back on the people that I've lost in my life and realize that it wasn't worth it. I don't really know if I was right or wrong anymore. I don't know if they were. I can't even think of why they are no longer a part of my life. I know, though, that I miss them. I know that I gained nothing by defending my position, regardless of what it was.
I know that our pride was saved at the expense of our hearts.
And I know that none of us "heard" each other at all.
Who was right and about what is lost in the pain of rememberance...
In the end we were all wrong.

Just found it & copied it.

DESIDERATA II

IN WHATEVER RELIGION YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT, HOWEVER YOU HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP, AND HOWEVER YOU HAVE UNDERSTOOD YOUR TEACHERS … On these levels you will understand and grasp this message. It is not enough that this message is believed. It is a message to be lived. The essence of Universal Religion is Peace and Truth, with Love for and Kindness to all the creatures of the earth. Now is the time to explore this essence in your own life. A beginning must be made, and the place to begin is with and in you. You would reform the world? Begin with yourself, brother! The message of the unreformed reformer seldom inspires reformation. The heart of all Religion is love. And righteousness, which is love in action, is the fulfillment of Religion. Love not only family and friends - for love limited is love denied. Seek peace within yourself and seek too, within yourself the Divine Breath of Life. Persist in these things! Do not let up for a single moment! Through your faith and your deeds you shape your life and help shape the lives of others, as well. What a responsibility! The Spirit finds in you its agent and also its partner, and is, to the degree that you are aware of this and act on it, higher than your most exalted dreams. The New Age is coming, and in it the various Religions will disappear. The good, which is in each of them, will have fused and will become the common goal of all mankind. Know that you have the power to choose! Choose love, not hate; choose gentleness, not violence; choose holiness, not evil! Dare to believe that the Reign of Love and Peace is coming soon! Ready yourself for it! Ready yourself for it with deeds of righteousness! Righteousness is the door opener, and beyond the door is love. May power divine enter every aspect of your life endowing it with the rewards of material accomplishment, the treasures of purposeful existence, and the eternal light of spiritual achievement!

I saw this in my Minister's house and googled it. I thought I would share it with all of you.
Namaste',
Seraph

Fall for it!

Where have all the troubadours gone? Why did we so brashly push them way? Were their giddy assertions so insulting? It is funny that we try so hard to stay away from the "L word". It is as if we have forgotten why Love is the stuff of poetry and legends and fairy tales. We poke fun at new lovers. We coo at old married couples still deep in their romances. We downplay our own Love so as not to look foolish.
It seems this disregard is the root of our stagnation in relationships. It is why we discontinue to feel the passion of new love. Our walls keep our pride safe but in doing so, sacrifice our very hearts. We, ourselves, give up our Happily Ever After.
What, I ask, is the shame in being in Love? What is the harm in that particular foolishness? I say look foolish. I have fallen back into love and I revel in it! I twirl around singing about stars and hearts and summer blooms. Not that I ever stopped loving my wife, but there was a time not too long ago when it would have been hard to say if we were in Love or not. So here we are now, back to being "In Love"...back to newlyweds. I don't think either of us can say why. I don't think either one of us cares. We float around each other again, held aloft by clouds of desire. We pine for the other's embrace. A minute is too long to be apart. When she is away from me, I feel her kisses as ghosts on my lips. I smell her body and my skin dances in memory of her touch. I ache for her. And she for me. Call me a fool. Warn me of the treachery of walking along the cliff's edge with eyes aloft to Heaven. I will write my poetry and I will be laughed at.

Will you fall again and over again still? Will you brave ridicule to feel such depth in your own soul? Will you step into the night and gaze dreamily at the moon?
Look at the one you are with now. You loved them once, even if only for a moment, with that deepest love. Find that moment. Go, no, run back to that place. Don't worry about your tiny ego. Be not concerned with possible heartache. Bathe in it. Lose youself in that Love. Don't worry about who's laughing.
All the while, you see, we troubadours have been laughing, at you. We know Our Love is that Love of the deepest Soul. Our Love lives in that moment, in that perfect place.
Our love IS the stuff of legends.

because we can...

Why is it that we look for reasons to be angry?
I sit all day observing people doing their best to find the things in others that upset them. Or they are dwelling on circumstances or situations that aggravate them and are beyond their control.
I have some big anger issues myself. It is a seething type of anger that sits deep inside of me. I do not stomp around being pissed off all of the time, although I do occasionally, but every so often I do become overwhelmed with rage. A powerful violent hatred that consumes my thoughts.
But this is not what I am talking about.
I am talking about the desire to find something to be pissed off about at any given time. We, as a society, will turn on the television and watch the news, not because we seek unbiased information, but rather so we can adopt the opinions of others which we can then cling to in order to allow ourselves to be angered by the opposing opinion when it is presented to us. We establish what we decide are correct values not to live by them but to argue for them. Our common language is riddled with references to war and violence. Phone calls consist of one person complaining for a few moments and the other responding with aggravated agreement or additional gripes to fuel the fire.
We are obsessed with finding the things in life that cause us disharmony. We stomp through flower beds to complain about the weeds.
We anticipate the thoughts of others, always to the negative, and create these false realities to live by. I have actually watch distraught people have arguments with themselves because they are predicting what their partners are thinking and not listening to what they are saying. We get angry at people. We say it is for the sake of other people, but really we need to feel like we matter and anger makes us feel important. We call it defending the innocent, but rarely ask if the defense is desired. We argue with those we claim to be defending in order to convince them that they need our defense, that they should be angry as well.
We search for things, situations, people to pass judgement on but how often do we look for things to praise?
How often do we pursue joy? When do we take the time to feel the good things in our lives? How often do we look for Love?

For...give.

"I feel so desperately sad."
My wife said that to me this morning. She was reflecting on her inability to prove to someone in our lives that she truly cares about them.

It is a matter of ego that prevents us from accepting love from others. It is fear of hurt that separates us from each other.

We all play each role in the dichotomy. We are the ones who turn from the compassion of another out of fear and we are the ones who are turned from. It is hard to say which role is the more painful. It is a strong person who can admit the need for love, who can accept compassion from another when they are at their most vulnerable. But often our weakness is greater than our strength. It is a simple act to show love, but a trial to accept it. This is hard to understand unless you have felt it. Maybe it's hard because in the end it is the acceptance of love that is truly the greatest gift one can give.

On the other side, it is painful to give love freely when the possibility of rejection looms so heavily. It is even more difficult after we have been rejected by the other. This often closes off the interaction and ends the relationship. This is the point when true strength is required. It is a rare person who can proceed from here in a positive and constructive way. It is much easier to quit and never attain the true prize of acceptance.

I, myself, am on both sides currently.

So which side is the more difficult? Which side is the more rewarding? Which side is the more painful?

Which side are you on?

Back and to the Left Behind

Well, I have returned from my European hiatus. Though I will miss Paris, it is good to be home again...

O.K., I 'm full of sh*t. In reality I just paid off my wireless provider.
Besides who could miss Paris in this country. The dumb bi*ch is everywhere!

It has been a few months and I have maintained my meditation schedule though I have changed up the mantra. So I am doing what I had been doing prior to starting this blog. I am posting again because I feel that the issue of nonviolence is a recurring presence in my life.
For example, I have a new presence in my life in the form of a child. A 14 yr old child that I had forsaken (youthful misguidance and folly) that I have recently taken steps toward making contact with. Here's how the violence plays out...

Upon contacting her mother, I was concerned that there would be apprehension at best and flat out anger at worst. As it turns out the mother has been holding a torch for 15yrs. which in reality is the worst as this causes "old wounds" in her and guilt and regret in myself. It has also opened a rift in her marriage that had existed but was not aggravated at the time. This all leads to a potentially devastating scenario for a little girl whose life was just fine before I decided I had a right to involve myself in it. My attempt at self reconciliation may, in fact, be the worst thing I could ever have done for this child.

So even in our most innocent moments and with righteous motives we can unintentionally cause emotional violence to those who we wish to show only Love.
I will now focus this blog on those moments in our lives that we take for granted but in fact do deep harm to those in our lives that we care most about.
I will begin with a re-post from another blog;

WOULD YOU DIE FOR THEM?

I often hear people say that they would die for their significant other. What I find interesting is that they say they are willing to lay down their lives but then demonstrate that they aren't even willing to lay down their own preferences. Sure you would die for them, but can you kill your own ego for them. Can you die to yourself? Even though you may not want to, will you go shopping with her? Will you watch the game with him? Will you change your lifestyle because they want to move to Calcutta and become a swami? I see so many relationships teetering because you won't truly sacrifice anything. " I would die for you", is easy because what are the chances of it actually happening? But, guys, how about "I will give up one hour of my life to do the dishes for you", or "vacuum for you", or "go see the chick flick"? How about, "I will sacrifice my ego and try that vegetarian diet you want to try" or "I'll skip camping or the game so you can go to the spa or ballet, and sure if you want I will go with you"?

Ladies, how about, "I will let go of my control issues for one night and trust you to go out with the boys", or "I will give my body freely to you even though I'm not in the mood"? How about, "I will get off your back about (insert random chore) and let you actually take a day off"? Now think about it deeply, if you are unwilling to do these things for the person you love do you really think you would dive in front of a bullet in the moment of truth? Would you really give them the last bit of food or drink of water? Look into yourself and decide if you are willing to Love (verb) the person you say you love or if it is just a pleasant feeling you get from saying the words.

What will you truly sacrifice?

Camping; Apache word for "stress"

There is nothing like a family outing to raise the old blood pressure. So, on a whim, we took the whole family (dogs and all) camping for the weekend. In reality it was only going to be for one night but the rain was so much fun we decided to stay over again. Alright, I had to throw one smart-ass comment in there just for you, My Devi. Truth be known, it was a very good experience for the whole family. It was my wife's idea and it was a good one. The kids had a blast! I think we will be doing it very often.

There was, although, one thing that came dashing to the fore. It became appearant to me that I am not showing any impovement, not externally anyway. My inner dialog has improved but, come to think of it, that also seems to go from one extreme to the other. (more on that later)
I guess I feel like I am being more compassionate but I am being perceived as even more impatient than before.

O.K., let me clarify. I think that others (my wife and kids) are seeing me as less patient and caring than I was last week. (I don't know how they actually "see" me. They could be thinking "dad's a saint!" but if they are they have failed to relay the message)
This is what I am feeling from them as of now.

Now, there are a couple of explanations for this. One is that I am, in fact, being less patient. That would really suck but it would make sense as I am trying to be conscious of my reactions and thereby causing myself additional stress. More stress=less patience. Another is that I am being more patient but because I am more conscious of my reactions, I am harder on myself and am blowing them out of proportion. Another is that whole "Murphy's Law" thing. I have often read that when you decide to work on a characteristic of the soul, the Universe will "help" you by dumping a bunch of challenges on you so you can "practice" getting it right. I, too, fail to see the logic in this but I think we can all agree that God/dess is not known for working within the realm of logic. In a nutshell, this says that the more patient I am the more my patience will be tried.

I'm kinda thinkin' this is the one, folks.

So with that in mind the ratio of "Pissed-off" to "Reasons to be Pissed-off" is looking great, but the actual "Pissed-off" is greater than it was this time last week. Therefore, I am definetly improving but there is no external evidence of improvment.

Wow, that was truly written with sincerity but it sure reads like a load of crap!



O.K., so...On the inhalation; "nonviolence". On the exhalation; "respond with Love"....

For the trees

"suddenly I stop, but I know it's too late. Lost in a forest; alone" - the Cure

It is interesting how we come to perceive things. We look at the world through our own filters of logic and experience. We believe we are objective to the point of being an authority on the truth. But what really is "truth" in any situation.
I believe I am the best judge of reality. I have seen it with my own eyes. I have read all the proper books on the subject. I have extensive experience in the matter.
You perceive me as jaded by my past. You know that I always skew my recollection along the line of my own beliefs. You have read other books, had other teachers, who do not agree with my own.
Who is right? Is anyone actually wrong?
We perceive ourselves, our lives, our histories, our relationships as our reality. Do we experience ourselves? Do we really see ourselves? We look at all our lovely trees; "I am kind", "I am spiritual", "I am loving", "I am strong", "I am moral", "I am right ". We feel good about ourselves. We do not see the true state of our forest for we are lost down in the trees.

The point of meditation is to allow us to connect with something that gives us the power to see the forest, above and beyond the trees. It puts us in the mind of the "Seer of All". When I meditated daily I made this connection but seldom had reason to put it to use. Or seldom realized that I had reason. By placing the title of "nonviolence" on my purpose for meditation, I gave that sight a laser-like focus. I enabled a reference point for my higher self to guide me from. It is like opening a map and then after a while of confusion a "you are here" star suddenly appears and you see the truth of your situation. Meditating with purpose is proving to be a more effective tool than meditating without. I am starting to see a clearer reality in which I am not as I have thought myself to be. I have been gaining a different kind of clarity.

We are all looking at our own trees. Make the connection. Rise above. You will see the true condition of your forest. If you are like me, you will see that it requires a thinning of the trees. If you are like me, you will see that it requires tending and nuturing and love. Look into it. It is who you are.

Murphy's Law of Attraction

It is a little known law of Mr. Murphy's that when one tries to improve oneself by taking on the practice of Patience, one immediately gains the unique ability to attract all the bad luck within a 100 mile radius directly to oneself. For example, I have just made 10 (yes 10) typing errors in that last sentence. My "backspace" key is nothing anymore but a faded arrow with a large "E" at one end and "spac" at the other. (the "e", I believe, quit without notice shortly after I received the keyboard)
My patience has been tried repeatedly over the last few days. I actually have a little sample spoon dispenser stuck to my chest "for your convenience". I will not go into detail but suffice it to say it it were not for bad luck, I would have no luck at all.
How is a man supposed to maintain a calm demeanor when surrounded by all this stress?
I don't know either but I have been doing it!
Yes, you read that right, I have been maintaining. That is to say I have not really lost it even in the wake of all this "caca". I have gone from about 200 push-ups a day to around fifty ( not bad, huh?). Note: the push-up thing has been in effect for about a week. I just didn't let you know about it =)
I have gone almost a full day now without yelling at any of the children...wait...B.R.B......O.K. scratch that one. Well I do have four children! FOUR (4) and all under 10 yrs. old!

Alright, if I'm being honest, I see improvement but I guess I still have a long way to go. The positive is that I have seen improvement and it has only been a few days. That alone is cause for celebration. It means that I can achieve my intended goal. It means that this is not a futile effort. It means that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is most likely not a train.
It means I am capable of becoming a better man.

Just a day

Had an O.K. meditation this morning...little restless. I couldn't stay focused and actually adjusted my position once. It is incredible what the mind does when you give it nothing to play with. The thoughts that pop up out of nowhere are shocking. It is as though they are twisted by design. Like the ego is trying to shock you back into the three dimensional world. On my inhalation, "nonviolence" became "want violence" with accompanying graphics. On my exhalation "respond with love" became "not enough love" with a healthy dose of self doubt on the side. I watched a scary movie a few nights ago and all of the sudden scenes from it started popping into my head for no reason at all. I guess that's why monks don't partake of the horror genre.
In addition to this there was sleepiness to battle, but I made it through. I think I will start changing it up a little bit, though. In addition to "nonviolence" I might toss in "peace" or something. And maybe "kindness" or "compassion" on top of "respond with love".
On the other hand, perhaps the images and random thoughts are signs or rather attempts of the ego to get me to "change it up". Maybe that will defeat the purpose in the long run. Dull might be the key to the goal. O.K., it remains as it is. I shall not waiver! (cue trumpets and tympani)

In other news, I have decided that I will do push-ups whenever I cuss at the kids, push-ups being my preferred form of punishment. I told the children they may tell me (not in the heat of the moment, though) when I am using inappropriate language and I will do ten push-ups for each bad word.
They are having a blast.
My chest is killing me!

Its not me...

What is it about me that makes me feel like everyone else is not paying attention. Why is it that there is a need to "wake them up". I had written once before in a journal about this drive I have to control my children. I have all these ideas of how they should act. Things they should get in the habit of doing that will make their lives easier. But who am I to determine how anyone should act? I, who have had to conquer addictions, had failed relationships, been incarcerated, lost control on numerous occasions. In a nut shell, I am quite a failure at "Life".
But, who better to tell them what not to do?
I who have conquered addictions, survived failed relationships, been rehabilitated and regained control. Who else could claim such success in life?

I can watch someone for a few moments, or hear there stories and tell you what they are going to do next, and why they should or shouldn't do it. And what they expect from the outcome and what they will get. And how they will feel. I have felt it.

So if I say, "hey there is a big freakin' hole in front of you. If you don't stop walking you going to fall into it and break your leg and feel like a dumbass",why do I get the blank stare?
And why do I expect not to get the blank stare? Why do I assume I should be heard and heeded?
Hm...I just had a thought.
What if I'm walking along staring blankly.

Not so much...

Had a very rough time this morning. Couldn't get comfortable on the cushion. Couldn't get my mind quiet. Couldn't keep up the mantra/breathing. It was one of those sessions that cause people to say "I can't meditate" and quit. It was a "mad"itation.
I didn't wake up when I wanted to (which is much earlier than I need to, so it is a total act of will power to get up then). That got me a little ruffled. I rolled over to kiss my wife and after a moment she shrugged me off. Now I should understand that it is REALLY early and she doesn't want to be cuddled. But I don't, I just get offended. I got through my shower O.K. and as I exited into the other bathroom I walked into a spider's web. That never fails to piss me off. I go to feed the dogs and they start fighting. That was the straw. I grabbed my boxer who was aggressing my wiemaraner and shoved her head to the ground while barking "no" into her ear (I am making this sound much less vicious than it was). After we all calmed down I gave her tons of love and apologized, but the damage to her and I had already been done. I was very disappointed with myself.
I took all of this to the cushion. "Mad"itation.
That is, though, what meditation is. It is taking the time to realize that this disharmony is occurring in your head and trying to understand why so you can put an end to it. It isn't always perfectly peaceful, especially when you are not.

On the other side of the coin, I had a good experience yesterday with my 7yr old daughter. She had put herself into a situation where she was doing the wrong thing for the right kind of reasons. I walk in on her "helping" her little sister get undressed. She is doing this by pinning her little sister down and systematically stripping clothes off of the screaming child. When I came in it took her a moment to see me. When she did she jumped because she knew she was in trouble. Here comes the good part. Normally I would have screamed at least and spanked at worst, depending on my mood. Instead I asked her what she was doing. A little firmly but not mean. I listened to her and then explained how her sister probably felt about being pinned down and stripped. She got the point and went on her way. I felt controlled. I felt successful as a father. I had taken a moment of chaos and turned into a moment of learning and love.
I heard her from the other room talking to her mom (my wife, who views my parenting skills as a bit...um...neanderthalic. new word).
She doesn't say, "daddy loves me". She doesn't say, "daddy" handled that really well. She cries,"daddy scared me!"
My eyes cross. My ears get red. Chaos insues.
Back to the drawing board.

This morning I had a rough start. Had to go to Wally mart 1st thing ( no I do not want your opinions on wally mart) which is never fun and came home only to realize that my plans for the morning were not going to pan out.
On the weekends I often meditate in the middle of the day when everyone is up and about instead of early morning when I am alone. I started doing this after listening to an audio book by Caroline Myss. While talking about meditation she says that be able to sit still in a quiet dark room with pleasant music playing is not, to her, an impressive meditation practice. She goes on to suggest putting on your least favorite radio station or sitting in the middle of the mall and trying meditation that way. So taking her advice I often reach for peace in some very awkward environments. This morning I decided to take my exasperation and sit no cushion (my wife was snoozing on it), bare floor (cheap carpet), hands on knees (murder on my shoulders) in the "compassion mudra" which is thumb and middle finger touching, while the 4 children are a single room away playing (fighting over) a game.
After ten minutes or so I had gotten deep enough that all of the sounds coming in sounded ethereal, like I was reading thoughts and not actually hearing voices. This can get very interesting as my children say some very unusual things.
"you lost the two small ones so now we have to make it some other way"
"I don't know why she's naked"
"I'm going to tell daddy what your doing" and "no, no, I stopped!"
The 1st two are strange and curious. That last one almost broke me.

(Inhaling "nonviolence"; exhaling "respond with love")

After twenty minutes the internal visuals of the eye and the beautiful blue light had me in a deep bliss so my body decided to rebel. My ankles, hips, back and shoulders all began to throb at the same time. The "there's a bug crawling on my face" sensation came on instantly and with a vengeance. Another undertaking of mine is not allowing myself to fidget due to discomfort or phantom itches. At this point it was almost unbearable. I wanted to jump up screaming. I wanted to slap at my face and shake out my arms and legs. I refrained. And I ached.

(inhaling "nonviolence"; exhaling "respond with love")

I was suddenly inspired. I began to "respond with love".
"I love you make aching hips, I will give you relief as soon as the bell rings. I know you are strong enough to hold on for a few moments more. I love you my restless mind. Even though you are running around like a caffeinated ferret, I will still appreciate all that you have done for me."
It worked! My body relaxed and I got some relief. My mind settled. The beautiful blue light returned. The bell finally sounded.
Lesson number one.

And so it was...

This mornings meditation (and the next 6+ weeks) was approx. 5min. of mindfulness and then I began "nonviolence" on the inhalation and "respond with Love" on the exhalation. This is a very enjoyable exercise and brings deep peace very quickly. I take a basic sitting posture, on a cushion, in a half lotus. I focus my energy on the "3rd" eye without straining. Due to time constraints I rarely get more than 20-30min. of meditation time. In about ten minutes I saw, in my mind, an actual eye. I have to admit that even though I have meditated irregularly for YEARS and regularly for two+ years now, I have never seen an actual eye in my mind. It was lidded and closed. It then struck me that it was supposed to be open. After about 5min. more the eye opened and the iris was the beautiful purple/blue orb that is commonly supposed to be seen during meditation.
This was a very moving experience and a great way to begin. The feeling stayed with me most of the day. I look forward to tomorrow.

Genesis

My name is Tim I am 36yrs old and I am undertaking a 40 day exercise in nonviolence. I practice meditation daily and beginning July 14th, 2007 I will meditate only on nonviolence. My intention is to describe how this meditation effects my personal life. Specifically in regards to the way I react to my children and strangers. Kind of both ends of the spectrum.
In addition, my wife and I will be attempting nonviolent communication in an attempt to improve our relationship which is already good. We both are striving for "GREAT".
I decided to blog this experience after a friend of mine did something similar regarding quitting smoking. So...I am a copy cat. Thanks, D~
My hope is to provide reference for those interested in beginning a practice of nonviolence. I also hope that a fellow parent and/or spouse might find inspiration for self improvement even if they feel none is currently needed.
Friday Aug. 16th will be my last day regarding nonviolence. If the blog is well received I will continue and I will take suggestions on the next subject for meditation.