I hope you enjoy reading these reflections. ~ Piero
November 13
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?
Look up and look down. Look at the big and the small. See Magic, Mystery and Miracles everywhere. See all the beauty that surrounds you.
Be amazed! Be grateful! Be happy!
Today is a good day to reflect on what you can do to solve conflicts and bring about reconciliation and harmony.
Instead of looking for solutions out there, somewhere, let us look for them within our own selves. Instead of looking at others as the source of problems, let us first focus our attention on our own selves, and ask, “What am I doing? Do the things I do contribute to the solution, or do they exacerbate the problem? Am I reaching out, or am I keeping myself at a distance? What efforts am I making to get closer to other people? What efforts am I making to understand them? Do I engage in respectful conversations, or am I addicted to criticism and blame? Can I step inside their shoes? Can I see through their eyes and see how they see? Can I feel what they feel?”
When we point one finger at someone else, remember that there are three fingers pointing right back at us, while the thumb is usually pointing up, reminding us that we should move to a higher ground, where we are less emotionally charged, aggressive and violent, and where we are more sensitive, respectful and emphatic. This higher ground is a place where nonviolent communication exists, and where conflict resolution and reconciliation takes place.
Instead of initiating your phrases with “You” — and filling your speech with blame and accusations – strive to commence you phrases with “I,” sharing your feelings. People will listen to you, and you will be giving them a chance to understand. You will be educating them. But whenever you start with “You,” people immediately become defensive; they will not listen to what you have to say.
Instead of talking about “those people,” focus on your own self, and what you can do to bring more of Heaven to Earth. When you refer to “those people,” you are imagining a stereotype, a fantasy of your imagination. Strive to individualize. Focus on a real person in front of you. That person is the one you must try to understand, and the one you can help see as you see.
Just do it!
Namaste. ~ Piero
November 14
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?
Look with the eyes of the body and see with the eyes of the soul. See Magic, Mystery and Miracles everywhere.
Be amazed! Be grateful! Be happy!
Today is a good day to grow personally and heal the wounds of the world.
Have you resigned yourself to live with your prejudices, and therefore live a confined, limited life, or, knowing that prejudices are learned, have you decided to unlearn them in order to expand your understanding and appreciation of life?
Are you isolating yourself in the safe and comfortable territory of your own tribe? Are you looking for and finding instances that reinforce your prejudices? Are you joining your fellow tribesmen in criticizing and condemning the members of the other tribes? Or are you venturing out to get to know those strangers personally?
Are you willing to be the one who initiates conversations that can create bonds and put an end to misunderstanding, separation, violence and aggression?
You must ask yourself, “What am I going to do? Am I going to spend my life by the sidelines, finding fault and complaining, or am I going to take the risk, and enter the court in order to give my contribution?”
So, today is a good day to engage in a committed practice of silence and solitude. Today, and every day, is a good day to meditate. Today, I invite you to go to your place of peace, listen to the voice of the Universe, and get to experience a sense of oneness. Get to know, with every fiber of your being, that we are all one. Get to know that we are, at the same time, human and divine, mortal and immortal, independent and interdependent, separated and connected, many and one. Realize that when we wound someone else, we are wounding our own selves, our loved ones, and the entire humanity, even the ones still to be born. Realize that violence is not the answer, and will never be. Violence only begets more violence, and that we know.
So, do not allow yourself to be seduced by the “us and them” ideologies of a world divided in tribes. We are more than the tribes we identify ourselves with. We, all of us, are human beings, and the similarities that unite us are much greater than the differences that separate us.
Find peace within yourself, and help others find peace within their own selves. Do the inner-work necessary to achieve a higher consciousness and experience oneness. Free yourself from the illusion of separateness and from the shackles of prejudice and hatred. Nurture what unites, not what divides. Practice gratitude. Practice mindfulness. Practice nonviolence in all you do: nonviolent communication and nonviolent conflict resolution. Extend yourself, reach out, get to know members of other tribes, learn about their tribes, teach about yours, make friends, expand your understanding, and enhance peace. Promote social justice in order to put an end to the structural violence – the oppression and exploitation of the powerless by the powerful — which causes the majority of the direct violence in the world. Do to others what you would like them to do to you, and don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want them to do to you. Practice optimism, and believe in a brighter future. Be kind and generous with everyone you meet. Be of service to others. Do what you like, and like what you do. Follow your bliss, and persevere in order to give your unique contributions to the world. Accomplish great things without ever forgetting to do all the small things along the way with great love. Strive to be the best that you can be, and never forget to help and support others so they too can be the best that they can be. Strive to feel good at all times, and make it a habit, at every moment, to try to feel better than you felt before. See all the beauty that surrounds you, and be amazed, grateful and happy. Enjoy the beauty of the Garden, and have fun in the Playground. Share your toys. And if you feel like doing it, give your contribution to make the Garden more beautiful, and the Playground more enjoyable. Bring Heaven to Earth, and reveal it to others. Teach them to see beyond what they see.
The truth is that only a widespread awareness of our divine nature and oneness can develop the solidarity capable of bringing forth universal and lasting justice, peace and unity. This is essential. This is the way, the only way.
Do so, enhance the quality of your life, and make the world a better place.
Just do it!
Namaste. ~ Piero
“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” ~ George Bernard Shaw, in “Man and Superman.”
“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got to hold up for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
November 15
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?
Look around and see Magic, Mystery and Miracles everywhere.
Be amazed! Be grateful! Be happy!
Today is a good day to realize, or remember, that we are not separated from one another.
There’s a lot of division and violence in the world, and we all live in a state of fear: fear that something bad may happen to us, fear that someone may harm us, fear that we may die. Most of the time, this fear is just hovering in the background, silently, but every now and then, depending on the situation, it emerges, and when it does, it becomes very noticeable.
The root of this ever-present fear is caused by our incapacity to see beyond what we see. We see ourselves as beings separated from one another, but we are incapable of seeing that we also are an unified whole. This strong feeling of separateness makes us feel very vulnerable, and develops in us an urge to protect ourselves from potential threats. We, then, gather together with other fearful human beings, those whom we feel affinity with, to organize and defend ourselves.
The fact that we are brought up in an environment where everyone sees the world in terms of us and them, allies and enemies, good guys and bad ones, surely doesn’t help. But since that’s what we are taught and learn from an early age, we simply accept that this is the way things are, and it doesn’t even cross our minds to question the veracity of this paradigm. We, except for a few, don’t take the time to examine and take a deeper look at all this, and we don’t even see a reason why we should: we are convinced that this is so. We believe that our physical existence, and what we are able to perceive and apprehend with our (limited) physical senses, is all that there is. We are immersed in this prevailing paradigm, and we can’t see how it affects what and how we see. We are like fish immersed in water, completely unaware of the liquid that surrounds us.
This view of life is the one that keeps creating pain and suffering in the world, and maybe the only way to overcome all the insanity, all the violence, all the anguish, is to adopt a new paradigm, a new understanding, a new view. And in order to get there, there is a lot of inner-work to be done. While we continue to do our best to curb the violence and solve the problems we face in this physical dimension with minimum damage, we must, at the same time, as humanity, do what is necessary to climb to a higher plane of consciousness where we can expand our vision, and come up with inspired and lasting solutions for our problems.
So, today is a good day to engage in a committed practice of silence and solitude. Today, and every day, is a good day to meditate. Today, I invite you to go to your place of peace in the center of your being. Listen to the voice of the Universe, and get to experience a sense of oneness. Get to know, with every fiber of your being, that we are all one. Get to know that we are, at the same time, human and divine, mortal and immortal, independent and interdependent, separated and connected, many and one. Realize that when we wound someone else, we are wounding our own selves, our loved ones, and the entire humanity, even the ones still to be born. Realize that violence is not the answer, and will never be. Violence only begets more violence, and that we know well.
So, do not allow yourself to be seduced by the “us and them” ideologies of a world divided in tribes. We are more than the tribes we identify ourselves with. We, all of us, are human beings, and the similarities that unite us are much greater than the differences that separate us.
Find peace within yourself, and help others find peace within their own selves. Do the inner-work necessary to achieve a higher consciousness and experience oneness. Free yourself from the illusion of separateness and from the shackles of prejudice and hatred. Nurture what unites, not what divides. Practice mindfulness. Practice nonviolence in all you do: nonviolent communication and nonviolent conflict resolution. Extend yourself, reach out, get to know members of other tribes, learn about their tribes, teach about yours, make friends, expand your understanding, and enhance peace. Stay away from those in your tribe who propagate radical messages, who are constantly blaming other tribes, those who advocate the use of violence to solve conflicts. Promote social justice in order to put an end to the structural violence – the oppression and exploitation of the powerless by the powerful — which causes the majority of the direct violence in the world. Do to others what you would like them to do to you, and don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want them to do to you. Practice optimism, and believe in a brighter future. Be kind and generous with everyone you meet. Be of service to others. Do what you like, and like what you do. Follow your bliss, and persevere in order to give your unique contributions to the world. Accomplish great things without ever forgetting to do all the small things along the way with great love. Strive to be the best that you can be, and never forget to help and support others so they too can be the best that they can be. Strive to feel good at all times, and make it a habit, at every moment, to try to feel better than you felt before. See all the beauty that surrounds you, and be amazed, grateful and happy. Enjoy the beauty of the Garden, and have fun in the Playground. Share your toys. And if you feel like doing it, give your contribution to make the Garden more beautiful, and the Playground more enjoyable. Bring Heaven to Earth, and reveal it to others; teach them to see beyond what they see.
The truth is that only a widespread awareness of our divine nature and oneness can develop the solidarity capable of bringing forth universal and lasting justice, peace and unity. This is essential. This is the way, the only way.
Are you part of the solution, or part of the problem? You know what you have to do, don’t you? What are you waiting for? Just do it!
Namaste. ~ Piero
“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the ‘Universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts, and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” ~ Albert Einstein
November 16
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?
Look around!
Pay attention! Be alert!
Be amazed! Be grateful! Be happy!
Today is a good day to remember.
Remember the 3 R’s: Remember to look for Magic, Mystery and Miracles. Recognize beauty when you see it, and Reveal it to the world, everywhere, all the time.
Remember the 3 C’s: Connect, Communicate and Commune with the Divine everywhere, all the time.
Remember the 4 A’s: Remain utterly Awake, Alert, and Aware everywhere, all the time, in order to be fully Alive.
Remember the 6 L’s: Live fully, Love wastefully, Laugh unboundedly, Learn unceasingly, Lead compassionately, and Leave an honorable legacy.
Just do it! Everywhere. All the time.
Namaste. ~ Piero
November 17
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?
Look around with the eyes of the body but see beyond what you see with the eyes of the soul. You may think that once you saw a tree, you saw them all, but each tree is singular; each one has its own unique features and personality. Look attentively, and see all the Magic, Mystery and Miracles.
Today is a good day to cultivate joy, peace and serenity, and enjoy life.
Practice to be mindful of your thoughts and emotions, and to let go of those that may be interfering with your appreciation of the beauty of life in this present moment.
Since a good life is a collection of good moments, practice to populate your days with many “I-am-feeling-good” moments, and strive to always feel better in this moment than you felt the moment before.
Let go of resentment, regret and remorse. Let go of worries and concerns. Choose thoughts that bring about joy, peace and serenity.
Just do it, and enhance the quality of your life!
Namaste. ~ Piero
November 18
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?
Look around and see beauty. Breathe deeply and consciously, and take in all the Magic, Mystery and Miracles.
Be amazed! Be grateful! Be happy!
Today is a good day to remember that life is much more than what we are able to comprehend with our senses, and that the understanding of this condition — that we don’t even realize what we don’t know — should caution us to be careful in all that we think, say and do in this life.
When discussing with others, in order to evaluate alternatives and choose the best course of action, we should do so with reason and respect. We must practice civil discourse, talking to one another with deep deference, while holding back the impulse to violently attack those who hold points of view different from ours.
The truth is that the Golden Rule still is the best principle to guide our decisions. We need to be compassionate with those who are suffering. We need to help those who need help. We need to be gentle with one another, because this is what elevates us and brings out the best in us. This is what makes us human.
Today, I invite you to do for others what you would want them to do for you, and to refrain from doing to others what you wouldn’t want them to do to you, if you were in their situation.
Just do it!
Namaste. ~ Piero
November 19, 2015
Good morning!
Today is another beautiful day in Paradise, isn’t it?
Look around and be amazed by the beauty, be grateful for all the gifts that the Universe gives us, and be happy!
Today is a good day to think about the legacy that you will leave for your children.
What kind of world do you want for your children? What kind of life do you dream for them? You want them to be safe, happy and free, right? If so, renounce violence.
Violence inflicts pain and suffering, and condemns little children to carry the memories of atrocities for a lifetime. Violence shatters the children’s innocence and hope, and disseminates fear and mistrust. Violence brings forth the desire for revenge, and turns innocent children in slaves of hatred. Violence only produces more violence. Inflicting pain on someone else will not ease anyone’s suffering.
This insanity must stop.
Don’t inoculate the virus of violence in your children. Don’t give them a poison that you know will stay with them until they die. Free them from the curse of having to carry hatred and revenge in their hearts for the duration of their lives. Liberate them from this lifetime curse. Do something different in order to give them a better future. Be the one who brings about real change. Drop your weapons and go take care of the children, all children, your own and those of your enemies; they are your children too.
Think about that, and do what is right.
Just do it!
Namaste. ~ Piero
“When you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or a European, or anything else, you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? Because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So a man who is seeking to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understanding of mankind.” ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti
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– “Pay Attention! Be Alert! Discovering Your Route to Happiness”
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– “Silent Peace Walk”
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