Month: May 2015

Crossing the Road for One Another – from Henri Nouwen’s Bread for the Journey

We become neighbours when we are willing to cross the road for one another.  There is so much separation and segregation: between black people and white people, between gay people and straight people, between young people and old people, between sick people and healthy people, between prisoners and free people, between Jews and Gentiles, Muslims and Christians, Protestants and Catholics, Greek Catholics and Latin Catholics.

There is a lot of road crossing to do.  We are all very busy in our own circles.  We have our own people to go to and our own affairs to take care of.  But if we could cross the street once in a while and pay attention to what is happening on the other side, we might become neighbors.

May 22
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it? Take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this day. Be grateful and happy.
Today is a good day to cultivate peace.
Begin with meditation. Go to the place of silence and stillness and focus on your breathing. As thoughts arise, resist the temptation to give them your attention; acknowledge them, gently refocus on your breathing, and let them move away from your field of attention. Continue to do so over and over again, and experience the gentle peace that exists in the gap between thoughts.
Now, bring this practice of being aware of your thoughts to the other moments of your day. Be mindful of what you are thinking and release the thoughts that do not serve you in that particular moment. As much as possible, stay with thoughts related with the here-now, and bring back the same gentle peace you experienced before.
The world is full of problems, and one of the greatest contributions we can give is not creating new ones. Mindfulness — the practice of living with focused attention — helps us in this process, and brings more peace to our lives and the world.
Today, be the peaceful presence that brings peace.
Just do it!
Namaste. ~ Piero

May 23
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it? Look around with the eyes of the heart and see the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles that surround you. Be conscious of all the gifts, and be grateful.
Today is a good day to observe the activity that goes on in your mind, and make progress in the art of living mindfully.
Ask yourself, “What am I thinking, right now?”
Are you aware of what you are thinking?
Our minds are thought producing machines operating most of the time in a state of uncontrolled hyperactivity. We live as if we are under attack. We are anxious, fearful, reactive, defensive. Have you ever asked, “Why?” Well, there is a battle going on all the time. It is a battle for our attention. Our thoughts are attacking us, demanding our attention. With so many things attracting and distracting us all the time, it seems that all of us are living with some sort of ADHD — attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
One of the best things we can do in our lives is to develop the ability to select what we will give our attention to, and stay focused on that one thing.
Practice choosing one thing and staying with it. Practice giving attention to the Here-Now, to the task at hand, to whatever experience you may be living in this present moment. Practice to be aware of your distracting thoughts, and to gently release them by bringing your attention back to your breathing.
This will increase your peace and the quality of your life.
Practice, and get good at it.
You can do it. Just do it! Now!
Namaste. ~ Piero

May 24
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?
Look around. Look at what is big and what is little. Look at what is near and what is far. What do you see? Do you see the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles? It’s amazing, isn’t it? Be grateful. Be happy.
Today is a good day, again, to observe the hyperactivity in our minds, and put ourselves in motion to reduce it by practicing non-judging.
Almost all thoughts produced by our minds –these unstoppable thought-producing machines — are judgments of some kind.
Criticizing, condemning, and constantly stating what we like and dislike, is the activity that, more than any other, keeps our minds busy. If we could stop judging — if we could simply accept reality without judging — we would reduce the hyperactivity of the mind and enhance the quality of our lives immensely.
Observe your thoughts and practice non-judging.
Did you catch yourself judging? If so, that’s perfectly alright. Don’t be mad. Don’t condemn yourself, saying “Here I am judging again! I should not be judging. I’m doing it all wrong!” Choose the opposite response. Congratulate yourself for observing and noticing that you are judging. If you are able to do just that, you are on the right path. That’s all you have to do for now. The next phase, which is acceptance of what is, will come naturally.
You can do it. Just do it! Now!
Namaste. ~ Piero
P.S. Just for today I will not judge, criticize or condemn. I will be patient, tolerant, and accepting.

May 25
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?
Hear the songs of nature, feel the breeze, and look at the big and small. Can you hear, feel, and see the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles? We have countless reasons to be amazed, haven’t we? Be grateful and happy.
Today is a good day to practice acceptance and gratitude.
Today is a good day to not worry.
Today is a good day to have confidence that everything works for the greater good always.
Today is a good day to experience great peace.
Go to your place of silence, stillness and solitude, and experience who you truly are. When the right time comes, say to yourself, or even better, “feel” to yourself…
“I feel great peace.
I joyfully accept the life that was given to me. I recognize how wonderful this life has been. I look for all possible reasons to give thanks. I feel very fortunate and grateful.
I refrain from complaining. There are no reasons to complain. In this present moment, every single thing is absolutely right and good. I practice being happy in the present moment. I am happy, content and satisfied, here, now.
Despite all my many fears and worries in the past, I’ve made it to where I am now, and where I am is good. All that I have experienced in the past gives me great confidence to face the future. I do not worry because I have this inner knowing that everything will be all right.; it has always been, and it will always be. I have this inner knowing that the Mighty Forces of The Universe are in control, and everything is unfolding exactly as it should. All I see around me is good. The right people, the right events, and the right things show up in my life at the right time as pleasant surprises that make my life even more wonderful, and fill my heart with greater gratitude.
I refrain from thinking, “I will be happy when… I will be happy if…” I am not rushing to get to some other place where (I imagine) I will be happy. No! This is my life now, and what a great life it is! The acceptance of my life, the practice of living mindfully in the present moment, and the cultivation of openness for even better things to manifest, opened up channels through which all that is good comes to me with minimum effort. It’s truly amazing!
The practice of acceptance and gratitude diminishes my fears and worries, opens channels that bring good into my life, and makes me experience enormous peace.”
Practice and experience this peace.
Just do it! Now!
Namaste. ~ Piero

May 26
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it? Look around and see all the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles that surround you and realize how blessed you are. Give thanks and rejoice.
Today is a good day to revisit the basics of your daily meditation practice.
Let’s start by clearing a misconception: meditation is not what many people think it is. When they hear the word meditation they immediately envision someone sitting on the floor with their legs crossed in a lotus position, chanting “Om,” while incense is burning, and they conclude that this is something for monks and hippies, but not for them. One of the major objections I hear is, “I am too busy. I don’t have time for that.”
Although a meditation session can be as the one I just described, it can also be as simple as you sitting on your living room couch giving yourself some time to observe the activity that goes on in your mind.
So, get back to the basics. Do you have 20 minutes to meditate? Good! No, you don’t? What about one minute? Can you pause for one minute and pay attention to what is going on in your mind? Even this one minute is better than nothing.
So set some time aside today to meditate. Sit down, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Observe what happens when you inhale and exhale. As you do this for some time, inevitably the mind will get distracted with thoughts. Your job is to catch yourself when you get distracted. Acknowledge your thought — become aware of what you are thinking — but don’t continue to give it your attention. Simply invite it to leave, and do this gently. Think of yourself as someone who is sitting by the side of the road watching cars go by; each car carries a thought. See each car passing by, going away, and disappearing in the distance. Do not judge the thought, the practice, or yourself. Just bring your attention back to your breathing. Do this over and over again. Soon the activity in the mind will slow down and you will spend less time with the thoughts and more time in the space between thoughts. The traffic on that road will dwindle substantially.
This simple practice will develop in you the ability to be aware of your thoughts and emotions during the other hours of your day, and allow you to be more selective of what you should give your attention to, and this way of living more mindfully will enhance the quality of your life.
It’s simple, isn’t it? So, do it. Just do it! Now!
Namaste. ~ Piero

May 27
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?
Look around. Can you see all the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles around you? Do you realize how blessed you are? Do you realize how much was given to you?
Give thanks and rejoice.
Today is a good day to reflect on what is important in life, and also on the futility of complaining. So, pause, take some time off, and ask yourself, “What is important in life? Do I complain? What do I complain about? Why? Are the things I complain about of any importance?”
I hope that with some reflection you come to the conclusion that you should not complain; complaining is futile.
I hope that with this reflection you choose to give thanks for what life has given you instead.
Have you ever read Max Ehrmann’s Desiderata?
Have you ever heard the advice, “Don’t compare yourself with others?”
The truth is that there will always be people with more than you. And, guess what? There will always be many more people with less than you. If you want to compare yourself with someone, choose to compare yourself with those who have less material possessions and worldly successes than you. If you are constantly comparing yourself with those who have more, and bitching because “life has not been fair to me,” you certainly will be living a pretty miserable life. Pause again and think… Can you bring to your consciousness those individuals with much bigger problems than yours, and realize how fortunate you are?
What do you want? What do you really need? Remember that in the final analysis no one owns anything; everything we think we own is just loaned to us during our passage through here. When we leave, we don’t take anything with us. So, definitely, in the long term, possessions are not important.
So what is?
Important is to be grateful. Important is to be kind. Important is to help and love one another.
In the end, what we take is the love we make.
It’s simple, isn’t it? So, do it. Just do it! Now!
Namaste. ~ Piero

May 28
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?
We are so fortunate to live in this beautiful planet, aren’t we? Look around with the eyes of the heart. Do you see the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles around you? Do you realize how blessed you are? Do you realize how much was given to you?
Give thanks and rejoice.
Today is a good day to reflect on pain and suffering.
Pain is inescapable, but suffering is optional. Pain is a condition of being human; it is inevitable. But suffering is how we carry our pain, and fortunately we have some control over it.
What do we do with the pain? Do we avoid it? Do we try to run away from it? Do we revolt against it? Do we feel unjustly treated by life, and feel sorry for ourselves? Do we create a victim narrative and choose to tell our sad stories as if those stories defined who we are? Haven’t we already learned that we are more than the stories we tell about ourselves?
Is there a different way of carrying our pain? Can we accept and befriend our pain?
Meditation, creative visualization, positive affirmations, and mindfulness are of great help in making our pain more bearable. As fruits of these practices you may be able to say to yourself…
“I am not my pain. I am the one who observes this pain.”
“I accept my present condition, knowing that it is not permanent, simply because nothing is.”
“I befriend my pain. I treat it kindly and gently.”
“I focus on my breathing, and treat my pain the same way I treat my distracting thoughts and emotions during my meditation; I gently invite it to leave.”
“I have the power to choose what I give my attention to. I can focus on the part of my body that is in pain, or not.”
“I am a pure channel for the intelligent and healing Life Force Energy. The universal, loving and healing Life Force Energy runs freely through me. It heals me. It purifies me. It protects me. I can focus on the part of my body that is in pain and mentally send it healing and pain-soothing energies.”
“I remember that the human body is a fantastic self-healing organism, and that it will take care of healing itself. I can help the healing, or I can make it more difficult; my attitude is a determining factor in this process.”
“I see myself totally healed, healthy, without any pain, and much better than before.”
“I am healed. I am protected. I am purified.”
“I am healthy. I am happy. I am terrific.”
“I look for whatever is positive in the condition created by my pain, give thanks, and rejoice.”
There are many opportunities for personal growth in this process of dealing with pain. The development of resilience, patience, compassion, self-control, and a better understanding of the Mystery of Life are some of the fruits waiting to be reaped by those with the right attitude toward pain and suffering.
I hope this helps, not only to deal with your physical, but also with the mental, emotional, and spiritual pains in your life.
Choose the positive way of carrying your pain.
Just do it!
Namaste. ~ Piero

///

Let’s keep in touch.

Like Peaceful Ways on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/peacefulways

Learn about upcoming workshops and retreats at the Peaceful Ways website www.peacefulways.org

///

Let’s keep the conversation going. Buy my books at the Peaceful Ways online store. Thank you!

http://peacefulways.org/store/

– “Peaceful Ways – The Power of Making Your Wishes Come True”

///

– “Pay Attention! Be Alert! Discovering Your Route to Happiness”

///

– “Silent Peace Walk”

///

www.PieroFalci.com

www.SilentPeaceWalk.org

www.peacefulways.org

www.DAPAdiversity.com

Leave This Blank:Leave This Blank Too:Do Not Change This:

Your email:

 

May 15

Good morning!

Today is another beautiful day in paradise, isn’t it?

Look around with the eyes of the heart and take in all the beauty that surrounds you. This is our Garden. This is our Playground. This is Heaven, if we want it to be. Can you see? Let us rejoice and be happy!

Today is a good day to enhance our inner peace by practicing present moment awareness.

Let’s begin with meditation. Pause, close your eyes and direct your attention to your breathing. Observe what happens when you breathe. Don’t do anything else; just observe. That’s all. As you are doing this, observe also how your attention shifts away from your breathing to your thoughts. We are, by nature, thought-producing machines that produce tens of thousands of thoughts a day. We operate in this world with a constant background noise generated by thoughts that have nothing to do with the present moment. Well, during our meditation, our job is to become aware of our thoughts. When this happens, we don’t engage with them; we don’t start a mental conversation. We simply acknowledge them, and gently invite them to leave. We release them and bring our attention back to our breathing. We do this, over and over again. This is a very basic and easy form of meditation that we should do for twenty minutes, twice a day, everyday. Why? Because this gives us control over our minds, and, in the final analysis, control over our lives. How? As you practice you will develop the ability to observe yourself, your thoughts and your moods. You will develop a present moment awareness that will help you stay with what is important while releasing what is not. This, in a nutshell, is mindfulness — the art of mindful living — and this moment-to-moment practice of present moment awareness is what will enhance your inner peace.

May 17

Good morning!

Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?

Planet Earth continues its journey through the cosmic vacuum, and the thin atmospheric layer continues to wrap our planet, providing us the essential air we need to stay alive. Can you realize the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles of it all? Smile. Give thanks. Be happy.

Today is a good day to practice freeing yourself from the senseless captivity of the past.

The mind can become overactive with the things of the past, over-evaluating what you did and said. Realize that although all those things are in the past, the troubling emotions are in the present because they are brought up to the surface by your memories; you still feel hatred and remorse, anger and resentment.

Pause for a moment and realize what is happening. Realize that you are in another time and place now. If needed, face the situations of the past, try to finish the unfinished business, come to terms with what happened, and get over with it. Or simply choose an even simpler path: forgive and forget. In the final analysis, it’s all in the past, isn’t it?

I invite you to let go.

Don’t hold on. Release. Move on. Meditate. Focus your attention on this present moment, and be here, now. Live mindfully.

By doing so, you will be making better choices and creating less troubling memories to haunt you in the future.

What has passed, has passed. Let go. Be here, now, fully awake, alert, aware, and alive.

That’s it. It’s that simple. You can do it. Do it! Just do it! Here! Now!

Namaste. ~ Piero

May 18

Good morning!

Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?

Look around and see all the beauty that surrounds you. This is our Garden and our Playground, the fields of Magic, Mystery, and Miracles that were given to all of us for our enjoyment and growth. Let us be happy.

Today is a good day to be grateful and generous.

Be grateful for your life, for this amazing adventure that was given to you to live on this beautiful planet. Be grateful for every ordinary thing, such as the ground you step on. Be grateful for the opportunities and challenges, and for all the people in your life. Find reasons and ways to express your gratitude; smile, sing, dance, or even cry tears of joy!

May 19

Good morning!

Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it? Look around and see the Magic, Mystery and Miracles that surround you. Be grateful and happy.

Today is a good day to develop the power to see again what became invisible to us.

Today is a good day to practice to look at everything as if you were a little child, and see again what you are not able to see anymore.

May 21

Good morning!

Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?

Look around with the eyes of the heart and see all the Magic, Mystery and Miracles that surround you. Fill your heart with gratitude for all the gifts that the Universe unceasingly gives you. Be grateful and happy.

Today is a good day to reflect on the question, “Who am I?”

///

Let’s keep in touch.

Like Peaceful Ways on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/peacefulways

Learn about upcoming workshops and retreats at the Peaceful Ways website www.peacefulways.org

///

Let’s keep the conversation going. Buy my books at the Peaceful Ways online store. Thank you!

http://peacefulways.org/store/

– “Peaceful Ways – The Power of Making Your Wishes Come True”

///

– “Pay Attention! Be Alert! Discovering Your Route to Happiness”

///

– “Silent Peace Walk”

///

www.PieroFalci.com

www.SilentPeaceWalk.org

www.peacefulways.org

www.DAPAdiversity.com

Leave This Blank:Leave This Blank Too:Do Not Change This:

Your email:

 

May 8

Good morning!

Today is another beautiful day in Heaven, isn’t it?

Pause, listen, and feel.

Can you feel the breeze? Can you feel the rays of the sun warming up your skin?

Take it all in; the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles. It is a privilege to be alive, to be able to experience all this, isn’t it? Let us be grateful and happy.

Today is a good day to reflect upon how the choices we make affect the quality of our lives. Let us analyze, for instance, how we deal with our innate curiosity, and how the desire to know it all may diminish the quality of our lives.

Unrestrained curiosity can create a load that weights us down. The craving to study, learn, and understand can lead us to a state of anxiety, especially these days when so much information is so readily available.

The following article was written by Piero Falci, one of the leaders of the Silent Peace Walk movement.  Their Peace Walk was included in last year’s September 2014 CNV Week of Actions.

---

April 30, 1975 . At  4:03 a.m., two  U.S.  Marines are killed in a rocket attack at Saigon‘s Tan Son Nhut airport. They are the last Americans to die in the Vietnam War. At dawn, the last Marines of the force guarding the  U.S.  embassy lift off. Only hours later, looters ransack the embassy, and North Vietnamese tanks role into Saigon, ending the war. In 15 years, nearly a million North Vietnamese Army and Vietcong troops and a quarter of a million South Vietnamese soldiers have died. Hundreds of thousands of civilians had been killed. 

(http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/timeline/index4.html)

///

Forty years since the end of the war in Vietnam. What have we learned?

We have learned that war is good for nothing. We have learned that violence doesn’t solve anything, it only begets more violence. We have learned that war wounds physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, and leaves permanent scars that never fade away.

We have learned that those who decide about waging war, and those who profit from it, don’t go to the battlefield; they stay in their safe, well protected, comfortable, luxurious environments, counting their monetary and political gains without regard for the destruction, devastation, pain and suffering they bring to the world. We have learned that those who decide to send others to fight wars do so because they are greedy, not because they are compassionate. We have learned that we fight because we are fearful, not because we are brave.

We have learned that we, human beings, are very much alike; we all have the same dreams, we all bleed and die. We have learned that, actually, we don’t have anything against those we fight against, and that, in the end, we are all brothers and sisters.

If you believe, as I do, that we are spiritual beings having human experiences, then you have learned, as I did, that killing people deprives human beings from having the experiences they are supposed to have, and learn the lessons they are supposed to learn during their passages on this earth.

We have learned that ideas divide us, but ideas are not worth killing for. We have learned that nations and borders, and things such as patriotic pride, are abstractions created by us, and that we can go beyond these concepts and look at Planet Earth as one indivisible whole, as one spaceship that is traveling through the Cosmos upon which we, all of us, are together.

We have learned that we have to strike the roots of evil, and put an end to this senseless economic system that we have created, this monstrous, voracious beast that oppresses, exploits, brings about poverty and despair, concentrates wealth, enhances inequalities, creates social tensions and violence, and wounds the planet. We have learned that we need to put an end to this system that actually doesn’t benefit anyone, not even those few who believe are benefiting from it.

The truth is that we can organize ourselves to live on this planet in much better ways. We live in a place of abundance where there is more than enough for everyone to have safe, dignified, joyous, and blissful existences. We can put an end to poverty. We have the resources, the intelligence, and the creativity to make life immensely better. We are capable of taking care of everyone, of all creation, and preserve the environment. The time has come to redirect all the resources we currently use to attack others and defend ourselves, and use these resources to create a better world for all.

These are some of the lessons we have learned.

Yes, we are still waging war, aren’t we? But we can do our part, however small, to change that, can’t we? We can stand up and speak up, can’t we? It’s time to join our voices again and say, “Enough! War no more! No more war!” It’s time to put our heads together and imagine Heaven on Earth. It’s time join our hands and bring about Heaven on Earth, a place ruled by justice, peace, compassion, care for all sentient beings, and a thoughtful relationship with the environment.

May this be the moral compass that will guide us in everything we do.

Go forth and do it. You can do it. Just do it!

Peace and Unity,

Piero

---

 

Piero Falci is one of the leaders of the Silent Peace Walk movement.  Their Peace Walk was included in last year’s September 2014 Week of Actions. For more information and detailed instructions on how to initiate a Silent Peace Walk please visit the website www.SilentPeaceWalk.org

Campaign Nonviolence is a long-term movement to mainstream nonviolence and to build a culture of peace free from war, poverty, the climate crisis, and the epidemic of violence.  In 2014, the year in which Campaign Nonviolence was launched, 239 local nonviolent actions were recorded. Join us to plan an action in 2015, September 20-27, learn more here.  Get inspired, and take action.

http://paceebene.org/2015/05/04/40-years-since-vietnam/

 

May 1. Good morning! Today is another beautiful day here in Heaven, isn’t it? Look around and see beauty. Look with the eyes of the heart and see the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles that surround you. Give thanks for all the blessings, for all the gifts life gives you, and be happy.

Today is a good day to reflect on the reasons for our existences. Why are we here? Think about it. Why do you think we are here? What do you think life is about?

The answer that comes to me is that we are here to learn and to be transformed. We, all of us, are on a journey of personal transformation. Some of us are more aware of this fact than others. Many hear the calling and take on the work of working on themselves, but many are merely sleepwalking through life.

Today is a good day to think about the journey that leads to awakening. There are many paths: some are rougher, some are smoother. Which path is yours? If you are reading these lines and are engaged in a diligent daily discipline of working on yourself, be happy. You have accepted the calling for personal transformation, and you already are on your sacred journey, walking on your sacred path. You are a spiritual warrior.

Now, may I ask you to be gentle with yourself? Be a warrior, but a gentle one. Go to the quiet and listen. Go to the center of your being, to the sacred silence and stillness, and be in the present moment, free from the past and the future. Experience oneness. See yourself in others. Find peace within yourself and bring it out. Be a gentle warrior. You can do it. Do it, gently.

Go forth and bless the world with your gentle and compassionate heart.

Namaste. ~ Piero

May 2. Good morning! Today is another beautiful day in this beautiful planet, isn’t it? Let us be grateful for this wonderful garden and amazing playground that was given to us.

Today is a good day to be awestruck by the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles. Today is a good day to go to that place of stillness where all thinking subsides. Immerse yourself in the silence, and absorb all the peace that surrounds you. Listen. Listen. Listen. What are you hearing? What are you learning? Can you feel the love, the big one? We are here to listen, to learn, to love, to laugh, to live a good life, and to leave a legacy. So, listen a lot, learn a lot, love a lot, laugh a lot, live a good life, and leave a legacy, a good one. Here you have it: the recipe for a great life. Now, go forth and make it happen! You can do it. Just do it! Namaste. ~ Piero

May 3. Good morning! Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it? Look around with the eyes of the heart and see beauty in you and all around you. Give thanks and be happy.

Today is a good day to practice not letting anxiety take hold of you. When you realize that you are confused and overwhelmed with the many things you have to do, pause and bring your awareness to your breathing. Take some time to plan your day and decide what you are going to do today. Now, visualize a very productive and satisfactory day: see yourself accomplishing what you set yourself out to do. Focus. Do one thing at a time and find joy in what you are doing. Focus. Don’t let your mind wander. Be here, now. Be gentle with yourself. Now, go forth and have a joyous day. You can do it. Just do it! Namaste. ~ Piero

May 4. Good morning! Today is another beautiful day in Heaven, isn’t it? Let us take in all the beauty that surrounds us. Let us be grateful and happy.

Today is a good day to practice suspending judgment, so try to go through your day with minimum criticism. As much as possible, try to curb your judgments. Resist the impulse to constantly react to your likes and dislikes. Avoid people who are always condemning others. Stay away from TV commentators who are constantly criticizing, disapproving, and passing verdict. Pause and look within your own self: are you one of those who is constantly looking for what is wrong, and, in your mind, pronouncing others to be guilty, and sentencing them to punishment? If so, take some time off today. Be mindful of what you are thinking and feeling. Control your likes and dislikes, your approval and disapproval. Suspend your reaction, criticism, judgment, and condemnation. Just for today, let it be, and see how much better you will feel. You can do. Just do it! Namaste. ~ Piero

May 5. Good morning! Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it? Look around with the eyes of the heart and see the Magic, the Mystery, and Miracles. So much to be thankful for, right?

Today is a good day to practice letting go. So, today, when you feel the urge to react, take a deep breath and let go. Recognize that the need to defend and attack, the need to fight, the need to prove that you are right, they all stem from the ego. You don’t need to engage in any battle. Let go. Go to the center of your being, to that place of stillness beyond the thinking mind, and get in touch with your true nature. Filled with peace, breathe deeply, and say to yourself, “I know who I am. I don’t need to prove anything to anyone. I may be misinterpreted and misunderstood, but I know what I uphold to be true. I know who I am and what moves me. I know that my intentions are pure. I have peace in my heart. I recognize that what others may choose to see in me and think of me is beyond my control. I embrace them with my peace, and let go.” Be gentle with yourself and with others. That’s all, and it’s enough. Namaste. ~ Piero

May 6. Good morning! Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it? Look around and absorb all the blessings.

Today is a good day to practice two of the Reiki precepts: “Just for today, I will be grateful. Just for today, I will not worry.”

You may have too much in your head right now. Maybe, you are worrying too much. I can understand. I would love to give some advice, but I think you are flowing beautifully with the stream. Your life is a beautiful adventure: it is your Hero’s Journey. Can you look at the events you considered negative, and see them as positive life occurrences that are propelling you forward?

Remember that this is the adventure of our lives: to go out looking for the treasure, only to find it when we return to the place where our journeys began. The journey begins within our own selves. Remember that wherever you are, there is your home. You don’t need to go anywhere. You have arrived already. I am talking about the relationship between you with yourself.

For now, I want you to consider that if the present moment is all that there is, then you don’t have to go anywhere; you have arrived already.

Practice mindfulness. Be here, now. Don’t let you mind wander too much. Planning is important and necessary, but you should not spend your time worrying. Accept that uncertainty is part of life. You can control the effort, not the outcome. Practice to be in the Here-Now. This is what will bring you peace and reveal the answers. Meditate. Do the activities that put in “in the zone, in the flow,” whatever they may be.

There is a peace that is difficult to describe when we go to the place of stillness beyond the thinking mind. There is where we encounter a loving silence beyond the noise of the mental chatter. That’s where we experience a sense of connection with the One that removes all fear. Go there often, and you will begin to see with the eyes of the heart. You will see yourself in all your glory! Look at the flowers in the field and the birds in the sky; they don’t worry, but they exist in full glory! Look around and see the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles that surround you. Fill yourself up with unshakable trust and confidence in the Divine Intelligence, and throw your worries away.

I see you as a special person. You are wonderful already. You are a fantastic manifestation of the Great Universal Force already. Be that now! Don’t wait for anything in the future. Just live as if you have arrived already. In all truth, you already have all that fantastic you in you. You are already allowing the wonderful being that you are to show up in this world. Be who you already are. Be the wonderful you that you already are. You touch many lives in a positive way. Realize that you inspire many people. Continue to be an example to others. Live your life with great courage. Have faith and hope. Trust that all is good already, and give thanks. Be confident that more of what is good is coming to you.

Be the one that only you can be. There isn’t another you, nor there will ever be another you. You are the one and only you throughout all times, past and future. Shine! Just claim your special place in this world now, and bless the world with your magnificent presence! You are special, magnificent, wonderful, fantastic! Accept that, live that!

For now, make it your priority to enjoy the present moment. Welcome everything that life is bringing you. Be grateful for everything and give thanks for the extraordinary life you have. Know that you are loved and that there’s nothing to worry about. Believe that great, miraculous, unexpected blessings are coming your way.

I send you love and peace. Remember… You are a child of the Universe and nothing bad will ever happen to you. Namaste. ~ Piero

May 7. Good morning! Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it? Look around and see all the beauty that surrounds you. Pause and breathe peacefully. Can you see the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles? Aren’t we blessed? Let us give thanks and be happy!

Today is a good day to practice thinking about the future while being in the Here-Now. Planning is good and necessary, but realize that there is a difference between planning and worrying.

Before thinking about the future, it is always good to pause and check your emotions. How are you feeling? Are you feeling strong and full of courage, or are you feeling weak and afraid? If so, go first to that place of peace where you feel your power and the abundance of the Universe, and ground yourself in the soil of this place of plenty. Only then start planning. Don’t make decisions about your future if you are immersed in fear, affliction, or anxiety. Are you trying to escape from something? What are you running from? Don’t make plans for your future if you are feeling afraid and weak. Thoughts of scarcity and lack will not help you. Doubt will not help you either. Put your mind on all the good that is going to happen and not on the bad that might happen.

The best thing you can do for your future is to take good care of yourself now, and do what is necessary to feel great now. Remember… Life is a succession of present moments and the only moment that really exists is this one. So make this moment a special one.

April 24.

Good morning!

The sun is now illuminating this side of the globe where I live, revealing again the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles that surround me. I am grateful to be alive, and to be able to witness all this beauty. I wish you too may be able to feel as grateful, excited, and happy as I feel.

Smile! The adventure continues!

Today is a good day to practice staying in that mental state of thoughtless awareness that the Japanese refer to as “Mushin no shin,” or “the mind without mind.” I invite you to continue investing in your diligent daily discipline, meditating assiduously, since this is what will allow you to experience what it is to be in the void between thoughts, that place of stillness and peace beyond the thinking mind, that state of great mental clarity and enhanced awareness where we forsake the identification with our egos.

When we are in Mushin, our minds are not disturbed by disruptive mental activity such as internal chatter, descriptive discourses, or criticism. When we are in this state of “no-mind,” we find ourselves totally immersed in the Here-Now, acting without hesitation, without offering resistance to “what is.” Time “slows down;” we feel as if the world is unfolding in slow motion. Our perceptions are enhanced; we see with the “eyes of the heart,” and are now able to see a lot more.  We lose ourselves in what we are doing without noticing the passing of time; hours become seconds. We instinctively respond with wisdom, elegance, and mastery to all life’s situations. We are completely “in the flow.” We are totally “in the zone.” 

When we are in Mushin, our minds are not empty; they are empty of distractions, judgment, anger, worries, fear, and this emptiness allows us to be here, now, focusing on the present moment, noticing the synchronicities, counting our blessings, and living our lives with greater mindfulness.

The diligent daily discipline will allow you to attain this blissful state of mind.

Practice.

You can do it.

Just do it!

Namaste. ~ Piero

April 25.

Good morning!

Pause, breathe, and look around. Today is another beautiful day in Heaven, isn’t it? Let us be grateful and happy! Today is a good day to practice letting go of suffering. It may sound difficult, even impossible, but it becomes easier the more you engage in a diligent daily discipline and become better able to observe your ego in action. Practice to step back and observe what is going on.

Your ego, as you know, is the protagonist in what you call the story of your life, the main character in a story that you have put together and that you tell all the time. Now, practice to step back and observe what is going on. You are now the Witness who watches; what do you see? The ego is that entity that for whatever reason is suffering now. Well, what if you saw the “I” — your ego — as an illusion, as a fictional character in a fictional story? What if you saw the story of your life as a fictional tale? What if you dropped the storyline? What if you chose to stop telling your sad story? What if you decided that you had enough, and that you are not going to show your wounds and scars anymore? 

Without a Me and a Story there can be no suffering. In order for suffering to exist there has to be a tale and a character. But imagine that all that there is the present moment; no past, no future. Haven’t we already agreed that the Here-Now is all that exists? Your ego is not you; it is a mind-created entity that you think is you. You may choose not to identify yourself with this entity. Beyond ego and time there is peace in oneness and timelessness. So, be the Observing Presence and watch the suffering disappear.

That’s it.

Practice, get good at it, and be prepared for a much more enjoyable existence.

Namaste. ~ Piero

April 26.

Good morning!

Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it? Today is a good day to see with the eyes of the heart, and see beyond what we see. Today is a good day to look at what is near and what is far, to look attentively at the small things and the big ones, and see the Magic, the Mystery and the Miracles. Today is a good day to live in the present moment, awake, aware, alert, and alive. Today is a good day to close our eyes and enjoy the silence. Listen! Can you hear the birds singing? Can you hear the sounds the waves make when they hit the shoreline? Can you hear the dog breathing? Can you feel the breeze? Can you feel that Heaven is here, if you want it to be? 

Today is a good day to enjoy everything that was given to us without desiring anything else. Today is a good day to be happy, content and satisfied.  There’s a lot to be grateful for, right? Breathe. Smell. Touch. Taste. Enjoy! This is Heaven, if we so want, right? 

Today is a good day to be gentle and kind with ourselves. Today is a good day to observe our thoughts and moods, and choose wisely. 

Receive my compassionate, non-judgmental, unconditional love. You are a beautiful expression of the the Divine Presence. 

The Divine Presence in me recognizes the Divine Presence in you, gives thanks, and rejoices.

Namaste. ~ Piero

April 27.

Good morning!

Today’s another beautiful day in Heaven, isn’t it? Dawn is coming. Open your eyes.

Slow down. Pause. Breathe in. Look around. See the blessings and the beauty that surround you, and give thanks.

Today, again, I invite you to begin your day with meditation. Find a place to be quiet and still for 20 minutes. Whenever you catch yourself distracted by thoughts, sounds, or sensations, return to the present moment by bringing your attention back to your breathing, and gently refusing to continue to give your attention to whatever may be distracting you.

Today is a good day to think what you can do to improve your life. Choose one thing — one little thing — and promise yourself to do it today, no matter how many times you weren’t able to keep the promise in the past.

Today is a new day. Make and keep a promise. Today, commit to do that little thing that will improve your life, and keep the commitment.

Go forth and create a new, wonderful life, one little change at a time.

You can do it. Just do it!

Namaste. ~ Piero

April 28.

Good morning!

Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it? Let us be grateful for everything.

Today is a good day to reflect upon enough. What is enough for you? If you were a cup, what kind of cup would you be? How big a cup are you? Are you a bottomless cup that no matter how much you add to it, it will never fill up? Are you a cup that is completely full, without any room left for receiving anything new? How full is it? How empty is it? Do you want more? The decision is yours. You have to decide what kind of cup you are, and what size your cup is going to be. You have to evaluate how full or how empty it is. You have to decide if it is time to add or discard.

What is enough? Control your desire to keep adding. Move away from the felling that who you are, what you do, and what you have is not enough. Give up your addiction to “more.” Stop wanting “more.” Realize that the reason for wanting more and keep adding is because you do not feel complete and whole; you feel that there are things missing, and you believe in the illusion that if you get “more,” do “more,” or become “more,” you will feel at peace. Pause and think… How long have you been doing this? How long have you been chasing things in the future? Where has this taken you?

What is enough? How much do you really need? Are you making your cup too big? If so, no matter how much you acquire and accumulate, it will never fill up, and you will never feel happy, content and satisfied. Consider controlling your wants. The moment you start wanting, you leave the Here-Now, you create a future, you start running to get there, and in your attempt to get there fast you become anxious; you lose your peace. Come back to the present moment. Make a good inventory of the much you already have, and consider that you should focus more on what you have and less on what you don’t have. Be grateful for the many gifts life has given you. Maybe having less, not more, is what will bring you happiness. Create space. If you want the new to come in, you have to get rid of the old. Let go of what does not serve you anymore. Simplify.

Consider making your cup smaller; it will fill up faster.

Give up waiting as a state of mind. Stop waiting for the next moment. Stop waiting for something to happen in the future that will make your life better. Stop waiting to become someone else.

Do you believe that acquiring more stuff, or accumulating more knowledge will make you happier? Find peace and contentment now. Say, “I am happy, content, and satisfied. I have enough. I do enough. I am enough.”

Go forth, internalize it, and enjoy peace.

You can do it. Just do it!

Namaste ~ Piero

April 29.

Good morning!

Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it? Look around, see the beauty that surrounds you, and be grateful. Rejoice with all the blessings that you are receiving.

Today is a good day to reflect upon the calm acceptance of what is. Today is a good day to practice to experience the deep peace that comes from acceptance and faith. Go to the center of your being, to that place beyond the agitation of the thinking mind. Now, imagine yourself holding these thoughts and feelings, “I am experiencing a deep serenity, a new peace. I enjoy all the gifts life is giving me. I am at peace with what is. I happily surrender, accept, and allow the Here-Now to be. I am at peace with who I am and what I am doing. I don’t need to try harder, or do more; my efforts and dedication are enough. I trust the Universal Intelligence. I know that everything is unfolding exactly as it should, that everything already is and will continue to be good. I am happy, content and satisfied in the Here-Now. I know that more of what is good is coming my way, and will be here when the time is right. I have confidence and faith. I am in a state of blissful tranquility and newfound peace.” 

Bring this calm awareness to your days. Feel complete and peaceful. Develop a great trust in the Universe. Have faith that you are living and will live the life you are supposed to live.

Practice!

We can all live in this peace.

Peace be with you.

Namaste.~ Piero

April 30.

Good morning!

This spherical object upon which we live continues to spin and travel through the Cosmos. Brother Sun shows up one more time to illuminate and bring warmth to this side of the globe where I reside, and, again, I am in awe with it all. Pause and think about it for a moment; isn’t this celestial dance incredible in its perfection? Isn’t it humbling when we realize the immensity of it all? Look around, take in the Magic, the Mystery, and the Miracles, and give thanks. It is good to be alive, isn’t it?

Today is a good day to give thanks and be in awe.

That’s enough.

Do it. Just do it!

Namaste. ~ Piero

///

Let’s keep in touch.

Like Peaceful Ways on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/peacefulways

Learn about upcoming workshops and retreats at the Peaceful Ways website www.peacefulways.org

///

Buy my books at the Peaceful Ways online store

http://peacefulways.org/store/

– “Peaceful Ways – The Power of Making Your Wishes Come True”

///

– “Pay Attention! Be Alert! Discovering Your Route to Happiness”

///

– “Silent Peace Walk”

///

www.PieroFalci.com

www.SilentPeaceWalk.org

www.peacefulways.org

www.DAPAdiversity.com

Leave This Blank:Leave This Blank Too:Do Not Change This:

Your email: