Peace
We usually talk about peace on earth at
this season. However we celebrate the season -- Christmas, Hanukkah,
Kwanzaa, Epiphany, or another way -- many of our thoughts turn to
peace.
John Cali
For many years at Christmastime Chief Joseph and I have talked
about peace on earth. And we're doing it again this year, but with a
slightly different slant.
Nearly everyone wants world peace. Of course, there are many
different, often conflicting, ideas of how to achieve that goal. The
path to peace sometimes turns into a warpath.
Here's Chief Joseph.
Chief Joseph
Peace on earth has to begin within each of you before you, as
individuals or groups, can create a truly lasting peace on earth.
When you're at war with yourselves, you can never be at peace
with your human brothers and sisters.
Many of you were raised in societies and cultures that did not
fully honor the individual human. You were often taught to put
others before yourselves. The result of that was, as many humans are
painfully aware, a lack of self-love. And even self-hatred.
As your wonderful Saint Francis said, where there is hatred, sow
love. Sow love for yourselves first and foremost. Self-love and
appreciation, and then love and appreciation for others, is the
closest you will ever come in your human lives to seeing life the
way your higher selves -- God -- see it.
You will never find peace within, or a way to create it without,
if you do not truly and unconditionally love yourselves.
Love, friends, is the way to peace. The journey to peace must
begin with love. It's truly that simple. Love yourselves first.
Love yourselves wherever you are in your lives, whether you're
where you want to be or not. Just love yourselves and know
you've always done the best you could in the present
moment. Love yourselves for having the courage to even venture into
physical life on Planet Earth.
Do whatever it takes to love yourselves, bless yourselves, honor
and trust yourselves.
That path will lead to peace and joy within your hearts. That
peace and joy will radiate outward to those immediately around you.
Then, like the ripples of a stone thrown into a still pond, your
peace and joy will ripple out to the farthest reaches of the
universe.
The path of love is the path to peace.
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This
Week's
Newsletter Reflection Questions
News Updates
1) Chief Joseph
& John Cali at Crimson Circle's Midsummer Conference
-- we now have audio
CDs and MP3
Files available of Joseph's and John's presentation on
July 17, 2009.
2) We're now doing regular
podcasts with Chief Joseph. You can now download them free.
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