Month: December 2015

Dear friends,

Well, the time has finally come. It’s time to say goodbye.

Throughout this year I posted a reflection on my Facebook page every day. I challenged myself, or, better, I accepted the Call of the Universe to not let a single day go by without sharing something that I thought could be helpful, inspirational and uplifting. Many times I was writing to myself, reminding me of what I need to do to live a better life. The majority of the entries have to do with my attempt to live more mindfully in order to live better. I wrote a lot on how mindfulness leads to gratefulness which leads to happiness. It all began back on January 1st and it is coming to an end now. I am grateful that I had the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual strength to do so. It wasn’t always easy to write, but with all this love I have for exploring and inspiring it surely was a very rewarding experience. I thank all of you who read my daily reflections, especially those who told me that what I had written has, in one way or another, enriched their lives. I hope this was the case for you. I hope you have enjoyed reading these daily reflections and that they may have enriched your life. Thank you for being with me on this journey.

Now, it is time to stop with the words, and follow Rumi’s advice,

“Stop the words now. Open the windows in the center of your chest, and let the spirits fly in and out.” ~ Mevlana Jalal’uddin Rumi (1207-1273)

Namaste = The divinity in me recognizes the divinity in you, gives thanks, and rejoices.

~ Piero

December 25, 2015

Good morning!

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

December 26

Good morning!

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

December 27

Good morning!

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

Look around with the eyes of the heart and see all the gifts life has given you.

Be mindful! Be amazed! Be grateful! Be happy!

Today is a good day to practice the art of living a worry-free life.

The first thing we must be conscious of is that whatever happens always happens in the present. Think about it: whatever happened in the past, actually happened in what was then the present moment. Similarly, whatever will happen in the future, when it happens, will be happening in what will then be the present. So, the best advice is, “Do not worry about the future. Keep your focus on the present.”

No one can know for sure what is going to happen, right? So why worry? Why imagine the worst? Why not imagine the best? Why not refrain from imagining completely? Why not simply live in the present, enjoying the presents?

When you find yourself troubled by fear that something bad may happen, focus on your breathing, even if just for a brief moment. This will help you redirect your thoughts to the here-now. Apply the CARR method. Catch the troubling thoughts, acknowledge them, release them, and return to the enjoyment of life in the present moment.

Come back to the here-now. Put your attention in the present. Look around, see beauty, and allow yourself to be bathed in wonderment. Enjoy the gifts life has given and keeps giving you. Enjoy the presents in the present. Be mindful. Be amazed. Be grateful. Be happy. And “don’t worry about a thing, ‘cause every little thing is gonna be alright.”

Remember, “In the end everything will be OK. If it is not OK, it’s not the end.”

Don’t worry! Be happy!

Don’t worry! Be mindful! Be amazed! Be grateful! Be happy!

Namaste. ~ Piero

December 28

Good morning!

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

Look around and see beyond what you see. See the Magic, the Mystery and the Miracles. Smile.

Today is a good day to remember our fundamental duties in this life.

1 – Let go of lives that have played themselves out and do not serve you anymore.

2 – Figure out who you really are, and live out your real you; live an authentic and honest life.

3 – Figure out what you were brought here to do, and do it. Do what makes you come alive, what you are passionate about. Follow your bliss. Express yourself. Create what is uniquely yours, and let your life be your greatest work of art.

4 – Prepare yourself diligently to be the best that you can be, and to give the best contributions you can give, but be always ready to surrender control. Listen to voice of the Universe, and let the Spirit guide you. Free yourself from pre-established plans, step aside, and let the Spirit lead. Let yourself be used by the Life Force Energy to bring whatever must be brought into the world.

5 – Do the inner-work necessary to achieve a higher consciousness, experience oneness and feel the sacredness of all. Engage in a committed practice of silence and solitude. Meditate daily. 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. Free yourself from the illusion of separateness and from the shackles of prejudice and hatred. Nurture what unites, not what divides. Connect, communicate and commune. 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 when we help someone else, we are helping ourselves, our loved ones, and the entire humanity.

6 – Strive to be the best that you can be, and support others on their journeys so they too can be the best that they can be. Compete less and cooperate more.

7 – Find peace within yourself, and help others find peace within their own selves.

8 – Give your best contribution to bring Heaven to Earth. Planet Earth is a beautiful Garden and an awesome Playground. Enjoy the beauty of the Garden and have fun in the Playground. And give your contribution to improve both, making the Garden even more beautiful and the Playground even more fun. And, remember to share your toys, because the happiness of others increases your own.

9 – Be optimistic and spread optimism. Host visions of a beautiful future for humanity and share those images and ideas.

10 – Live, love, laugh, listen, learn, lead, and leave a legacy. Live fully, Love wastefully, Laugh unboundedly, Listen attentively. Learn unceasingly, Lead compassionately, and Leave an honorable legacy.

11 – Simplify. Remember that, many times, less is more. Acquire less and appreciate more. Do less and rest more. Give yourself, often, the gift of rest.

12 – Be here, now. Be mindful. Be amazed. Be grateful. Be happy, content and satisfied.

13 – Live knowing that you will die. Create a life that allows you to feel proud of yourself, of what you stand for, and of the good you bring to the world. Love yourself, and know that there’s no greater reward in life than to look at your own self and admire what you see. There’s no greater sense of accomplishment than knowing that you have fulfilled your destiny.

Namaste. ~ Piero

December 29, 2015

Good morning!

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

December 23, 2015

Good morning!

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

December 24

Good morning!

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

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Let’s stay 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

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

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

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– “Silent Peace Walk”

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I hope you enjoy reflecting on these passages. ~ Piero

December 11

Good morning!

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

We need to realize how inherently violent is the world we live in. We live inside violent power structures. Our families, schools, workplaces, communities, churches, and nations are all violent systems of domination and subjugation. We need to realize that although we live within violent cultures, it doesn’t need to be so. We can reduce the violence, and bring gentleness, kindness, compassion, respect, and nonviolence to all our relationships with each other and the planet.

We need to move to a new paradigm that replaces the current one.

It is time for us to agree that the current ways we have organized ourselves to live on this planet may be working temporarily for some, but are not currently working for everyone, and, in the long range, will certainly not work for anyone. We need to come up with better ways.

The most damaging belief residing in the collective unconscious is that there isn’t enough for everyone. This idea of scarcity, and the fear of impending times of lack, compel humans to engage in a process of unending competition for the accumulation of resources. As a result, to compete and to defeat others, to gain access and deprive others of access, to own and deprive others of owning resources that make life easier, is accepted, without questioning, as the rule of the game. Immersed in this competitive culture, we grow conditioned to believe that the only viable way of operating on this planet is selfishly: “Each man for himself” and “Only the strong survive” are adopted, indisputably, as guiding principles. Cooperation and solidarity are quickly disregarded as wishful thinking of the weak.

Unfortunately, we have created a global economic system based on super-sized corporations focused on short term profits. In the final analysis, what commands all major decisions is the question, “How can we maximize profit this quarter?” This short-sighted focus propels the privatization of gains and the socialization of losses. In the struggle to maximize profits and minimize costs, social responsibility gets very little attention, or is totally ignored. The care for others and the environment, the care for the health of the community, the payment of just wages, the payment of benefits for workers,  the payment of taxes that, in the final analysis, benefit the entire community, are all seen as obstacles on the way of maximizing profits.  This all leads to the situation we are living right now: a world of unbearable inequalities, with an absurd concentration of wealth, that is bringing about a never-ending series of social and environmental problems.

Maybe the majority of our problems comes from over-consumption and waste. We don’t even notice it anymore, but we have been conditioned to desire, buy, and consume much more than what we actually need. This short-sighted vision emphasizes production, consumption, and waste, as the way of maximizing gains. The bigger picture – the Spaceship Earth idea — is seldom, if ever, brought into consideration by those making corporate decisions.

Fueled by the drive for ceaseless accumulation, wealth and power end up concentrated in the hands of a few while the majority of individuals scramble to survive. Within this scenario, where the majority of Earth’s population is focused on short-term survival , little room is left for its inhabitants to see the bigger picture. Social injustice, exploitation, oppression, inequality, poverty, destitution, and so on, make it very difficult for earthlings to join forces, work together, and tackle humanity’s biggest problems.

But the truth is that it doesn’t have to be this way. We have the capacity to organize ourselves differently and find better ways to live and prosper together. The truth is that we don’t need so much. We can live much simpler and satisfying lives. The moment we bring about a juster society, where everyone’s basic needs are met, individuals will be more inclined to cooperate with one another, and our interactions with the planet and all its inhabitants will be less aggressive and damaging.

A time will come when we will transcend our sense of separation, and realize our inextricable interconnection and complete oneness. We will, then, put aside whatever divides us, embrace this new cosmic perspective, and work together to repair and maintain Spaceship  Earth. We will realize that we need to stop the destruction, heal the environmental wounds we have inflicted on our planet, create a sustainable future, and preserve our habitat in order to save ourselves.

This is our common goal.

The task is huge, and it is urgent. There’s nothing more important. We are on this One Planet and we, the inhabitants of this planet, are United by the same destiny. We have to understand that we are all in this together, for real.

We are One Planet United.

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“I really believe that if the political leaders of the world could see their planet from a distance of 100,000 miles their outlook could be fundamentally changed. That all-important border would be invisible, that noisy argument silenced. The tiny globe would continue to turn, serenely ignoring its subdivisions, presenting a unified facade that would cry out for unified understanding, for homogeneous treatment. The earth must become as it appears: blue and white, not capitalist or communist; blue and white, not rich or poor; blue and white, not envious or envied.” ~ Michael Collins, astronaut of the Gemini 10 and Apollo 11 missions.

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We need new mindsets. We need new prevailing ideas. We need new paradigms.

This blog was inspired by the documentary “Overview.”

I have dedicated myself to promote the vision that this planet of ours is our Garden and our Playground, and that we are called to enjoy the beauty of the Garden and have fun in the Playground; that we are called to share our toys because the enjoyment of others enhances our own; that if we feel like doing it, we should give our contribution to make the Garden more beautiful and the Playground more enjoyable; that we are called to understand that this is Heaven, if we want it to be!

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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

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Buy my books at the Peaceful Ways online store

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

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

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– “Silent Peace Walk”

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My recent comprehension of time and space is twofold: one is given by my sensory perception, and the other is being suggested to me by out-of-the-box thinkers.

In the first understanding, I believe that we do not occupy more than one space at the same time: we move around and we go from place to place, but once we leave one spot, we are not there anymore. Regarding time, it passes, and, therefore, there was a past, there is a present, and there will be a future. I see time as a linear progression of events, a reality that does not allow me, or anyone else, to go to the past or the future; time travel is not possible.

The new take on time and space is that we can be in many spaces at the same time. Past and future do not exist; everything is happening in this very moment. I can be the protagonist of several stories that are happening simultaneously, and that are taking place in infinite parallel realities. I am living this life that I am aware of right now, but I am also living infinite other lives that I cannot be aware of from this place and time where I stand. In those other parallel lives, I have made other choices, therefore those lives are different than the one I am currently consciously living.

Where does this possibility take me?

I am called to imagine that if I am not happy with the life I am currently living, and the world where I am living, I can choose to jump — literally jump — into the life that I want to live, the one that makes me feel happy, content and satisfied, because this life already exists in a parallel reality, and is available for me in this very moment.

So, it is as if I were in a multiplex theater. I am in one auditorium watching a movie, and the life I want to live, and the world I want to live in — a world of compassion, understanding, peace and unity — is in a movie that is playing in the room next door. All I would have to do, then, is to leave this room where I am —  leave this movie of a life and a world that I don’t like — and walk over to the next auditorium where the movie of my ideal life in a just, peaceful world is playing.

How do I get there? This is not clear to me at this stage of my personal development. The most honest answer would be, “I don’t have a clue.” I intuit that the practice of meditation, creative visualization, and positive affirmations is how the process begins. Imagining, visualizing and affirming. Imagining a new story, the ideal story of my ideal life — imagining a whole new world, imagining Heaven on Earth — and seeing it in my mind, and then writing it down, telling it, drawing it, creating a movie based on it, using any other creative ways that allow all these images to populate my dreams (and, also, the dreams of other individuals) is where all this begins. The second step, after this one, is to learn how to properly dream, and to begin to live this life, the life I want to live, in my dreams.

Let me try to make this clearer: imagine that the world we perceive when we are not sleeping and dreaming is an illusion. Imagine that what we think is reality is in fact an illusion, and that we actually live our “awakened lives” when we are dreaming. When we dream we are not restricted by space and time: we can visit other “realities;” we can fly; we can be in several places, and jump from one to another instantly.

In this context, the expression “to make your dreams reality” gains a whole new meaning.

 

Something else that popped in my head…

But, then, important questions emerge: Since I am chasing something, striving to get somewhere, trying to reach a condition that is different than what is, shouldn’t I let go of all this pursuit and live totally in the here-now? Isn’t this pursuit of a different life a pursuit of the ego? Isn’t all this desire to get to a better life in a better world a pursuit of an ego that sees itself separated from the whole? Doesn’t the awareness that we are one make this pursuit meaningless?

The other thing is that, maybe, I got it all wrong. I have been trying to bring Heaven to Earth, and maybe that’s not what I need to do. I don’t need to change this reality. I don’t need to do anything here, just accept what is. What I must do is to find a way to go to a parallel reality where Heaven already is on Earth.

What else can I say?

The exploration continues!

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Some further reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse

The multiverse (or meta-universe) is the hypothetical set of finite or infinite possible universes, including the universe we live in. Together, these universes comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, and the physical laws and constants that describe them. The various universes within the multiverse are called “parallel universes” or “alternate universes”.

The structure of the multiverse, the nature of each universe within it and the relationships among the various constituent universes, depend on the specific multiverse hypothesis considered. Multiple universes have been hypothesized in cosmology, physics, astronomy, religion, philosophy, transpersonal psychology, and fiction, particularly in science fiction and fantasy. In these contexts, parallel universes are also called “alternate universes”, “quantum universes”, “interpenetrating dimensions”, “parallel dimensions”, “parallel worlds”, “alternate realities”, “alternate timelines”, and “dimensional planes”, among other names. The American philosopher and psychologist William James coined the term multiverse in 1895, but in a different context.

The physics community continues to fiercely debate the multiverse hypothesis. Prominent physicists disagree about whether the multiverse may exist, and whether it is even a legitimate topic of scientific inquiry. Serious concerns have been raised about whether attempts to exempt the multiverse from experimental verification may erode public confidence in science and ultimately damage the nature of fundamental physics. Some have argued that the multiverse question is philosophical rather than scientific because it lacks falsifiability; the ability to disprove a theory by means of scientific experiment has always been part of the accepted scientific method. Paul Steinhardt has famously argued that no experiment can rule out a theory if it provides for all possible outcomes.

Supporters of one of the multiverse hypotheses include Stephen Hawking, Brian Greene, Max Tegmark, Alan Guth, Andrei Linde, Michio Kaku, David Deutsch, Leonard Susskind, Raj Pathria, Alexander Vilenkin, Laura Mersini-Houghton, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Sean Carroll.

~ from the Multiverse article in Wikipedia

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

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

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– “Silent Peace Walk”

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Here are, according to George Harrison, the fundamental questions: “Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?” or as Wayne Muller puts them, “Who am I? What do I love? How shall I live, knowing that I will die? What is my gift to the family of the Earth?”

When Mary gave me the stone, she solemnly deposited it in the palm of my hand. While holding my hand between hers, she looked me in the eyes and said, “May this remind you of who you are and what you were brought here to do.”

“What was I brought here to do?”!!! Wow!!! This is a big question…

I believe that we came here to learn. We came here to teach. We came here to work on our own selves, undergo radical transformations, and have those experiences that make us feel that we — all of us and the entire Universe — are one. We came here to journey from the grounds of separation and exclusion to those places of unity and inclusion. We came here to realize the ever-producing and never-ending abundance of this Universe, realize that there is more than enough for everyone to live good lives. We came here to learn to let go of the need to compete, defeat, and accumulate more than we need. We came here to learn to criticize less, judge less, condemn less, and love more. We are here to walk the path from selfishness to selflessness. We came here to grow in empathy, compassion, kindness, and generosity, and learn that we have more fun when we share our toys. We came here to learn to see beyond what we see, see all the magic, mystery and miracles that surround us, and be grateful. We came here to enjoy the splendor of this beautiful garden and have fun in this awesome playground that was given to us. We came here to give our contributions to make the garden even more beautiful and the playground even more enjoyable for all. We came here to understand — and to help others understand — that Heaven is here if we want it to be. We came here to observe the impermanence of all things, and learn how to live knowing that we will die.

Perhaps we are here, going through all the joy and sorrow, so we can learn the most important lesson: how to die before we die.

We came here to practice looking deeply, listening attentively, learning unceasingly, leading compassionately, laughing profusely, and loving wastefully in order to live fully. May we be able to leave an honorable legacy behind and let go of everything with grace and ease when the time of departure arrives.

To look. To listen. To learn. To lead. To laugh. To love. To live. To leave a legacy. To let go of all.

That’s what we came here to do.

That’s what we were brought here to do.

 

 

 

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Let’s stay 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

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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”

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www.PieroFalci.com

www.SilentPeaceWalk.org

www.peacefulways.org

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I hope you enjoy reflecting on these reflections. ~ Piero

December 4, 2015

Good morning!

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

“What we would like to do is change the world — make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves as God intended them to do. And, by fighting for better conditions, by crying out unceasingly for the rights of the workers, the poor, of the destitute — the rights of the worthy and the unworthy poor, in other words — we can, to a certain extent, change the world… We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever widening circle will reach around the world. We repeat, there is nothing we can do but love, and, dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as our friend.”  ~ Dorothy Day

Yes! Yes! Yes! Great thoughts and inspired words. It pretty much summarizes it all! It tells us what our passage here on Earth should be about, not the empty, mindless existences that we see around us.

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Let’s stay 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

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Buy my books at the Peaceful Ways online store

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

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

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– “Silent Peace Walk”

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Please, like Peaceful Ways on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/peacefulways

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Thank you!

“‘What do you desire? What makes you itch? What sort of a situation would you like?’ Let’s suppose, I do this often in vocational guidance of students, they come to me and say, ‘Well, we’re getting out of college and we have the faintest idea what we want to do.’ So I always ask the question: ‘What would you like to do if money were no object? How would you really enjoy spending your life?’ Well — it’s so amazing — as the result of our kind of educational system, crowds of students say, ‘Well, we’d like to be painters, we’d like to be poets, we’d like to be writers. But as everybody knows you can’t earn any money that way!’ Another person says ‘Well, I’d like to live an out-of-door’s life and ride horses.’ I say, ‘You wanna teach in a riding school?’

Let’s go through with it. What do you want to do? When we finally got down to something which the individual says he really wants to do I will say to him ‘You do that! And forget the money! Because if you say that getting the money is the most important thing you will spend your life completely wasting your time! You’ll be doing things you don’t like doing in order to go on living – that is to go on doing things you don’t like doing, which is stupid! Better to have a short life that is full of which you like doing then a long life spent in a miserable way. And after all, if you do really like what you are doing – it doesn’t really matter what it is – you can eventually become a master of it. It’s the only way of becoming the master of something: to be really with it. And then you will be able to get a good fee for whatever it is. So don’t worry too much. Somebody is interested in everything; anything you can be interested in, you’ll find others who are.

But it’s absolutely stupid to spend your time doing things you don’t like in order to go on spending on things you don’t like, doing things you don’t like and to teach our children to follow the same track. See, what we are doing is we are bringing up children and educating to live the same sort of lives we are living. In order they may justify themselves and find satisfaction in life by bringing up their children to bring up their children to do the same thing. So it’s all retch and no vomit – it never gets there! And so therefore it’s so important to consider this question:

What do I desire?'” ~ Alan Watts

Alan Wilson Watts (6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973) was a British-born American philosopher, writer, and speaker, best known as an interpreter and populariser of Eastern philosophy for a Western audience. Born in Chislehurst, England, he moved to the United States in 1938 and began Zen training in New York. Pursuing a career, he attended Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, where he received a master’s degree in theology. Watts became an Episcopal priest in 1945, then left the ministry in 1950 and moved to California, where he joined the faculty of the American Academy of Asian Studies.

Watts gained a large following in the San Francisco Bay Area while working as a volunteer programmer at KPFA, a Pacifica Radio station in Berkeley. Watts wrote more than 25 books and articles on subjects important to Eastern and Western religion, introducing the then-burgeoning youth culture to “The Way of Zen” (1957), one of the first bestselling books on Buddhism. In “Psychotherapy East and West” (1961), Watts proposed that Buddhism could be thought of as a form of psychotherapy and not a religion. He considered “Nature, Man, and Woman” (1958) to be, “from a literary point of view – the best book I have ever written.” He also explored human consciousness, in the essay “The New Alchemy” (1958), and in the book “The Joyous Cosmology” (1962).

Towards the end of his life, he divided his time between a houseboat in Sausalito and a cabin on Mount Tamalpais. Many of his books are now available in digital format and many of his recorded talks and lectures are available on the Internet. According to the critic Erik Davis, his “writings and recorded talks still shimmer with a profound and galvanizing lucidity.”

(an excerpt from the Wikipedia page on Alan W. Watts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Watts)

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

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

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– “Silent Peace Walk”

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“Finding Joe,” a film by Patrick Takaya Solomon, is one of my preferred documentaries. Based on Joseph Campbell’s work, it is a master class on the hero’s way of living a meaningful life. I savor each single passage of this beautiful movie. Getting to know and understand the “Hero’s Journey” impacted my way of being deeply. It changed me. It changed my life. “Finding Joe” helped me find my own self, and for that I am immensely thankful.

http://findingjoethemovie.com/

Joseph Campbell’s famous discovery, the hero’s journey, is thoroughly explored in the film Finding Joe. This documentary takes us on a magical journey through the human psyche and on to Joseph Campbell’s most important teaching of all: follow your bliss.

The Hero’s Journey, for me, is having the courage to look within yourself, and say, “What am I here to do? What am I most passionate about in my life? What are my greatest gifts? How do I give them to the world?” ~ Brian Johnson

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Please, like Peaceful Ways on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/peacefulways

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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948. It came about from the tragic experiences of the Second World War. With the end of that war, and the creation of the United Nations, the international community vowed to not allow the atrocities that happened in that conflict to ever happen again.

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PREAMBLE

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4. No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8. Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10. Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11. (1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense. (2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14. (1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. (2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15. (1) Everyone has the right to a nationality. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16. (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17. (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21. (1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country. (3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22. Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23. (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24. Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25. (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26. (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27. (1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28. Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29. (1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. (3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30. Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

I hope you enjoy these reflections. ~ Piero

November 20

Good morning!

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

November 21

Good morning!

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

November 22

Good morning!

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

Did you take the time to observe the weather today? Every day the weather is different, isn’t it? Can you see the beauty in it, day after day? Can you see the Magic, Mystery and Miracles in it?

Be amazed! Be grateful! Be happy!

It takes time for people to understand that “life is more than we are able to comprehend with our limited senses.” Life is a divine gift that we must cherish and celebrate. Once we undergo a radical personal transformation — one that tames our egos and selfish instincts, expands our vision, and allows us to see differently — we are blessed with those epiphanies and revelations that show us that we are spiritual beings having human experiences. We understand that we are, at the same time, human and divine, mortal and immortal, separated and united, many and one. We understand that this physical life is just a brief passage when we are given opportunities to learn to be kind. This realization develops in us a deep desire for unity and peace. We grow in empathy and compassion, and the Golden Rule becomes inescapable; to do the best we can for others becomes our inexorable mandate, because we understand that what we do to and for others, we do to and for our own selves.

Then all this loyalty to tribes of all types, such as nations, religions, races, heritages, ideologies, and so on and so forth, makes no sense. We come to the realization that separating ourselves from others, dividing ourselves in tribes, isolating ourselves, competing instead of cooperating with others, excluding others, and trying to forcefully impose our views and beliefs on others who don’t see and think like we do is plain madness. We realize that this has been the main cause of the pain and suffering that we have been bringing upon our own selves since the beginning of humanity’s existence.

Once and for all we have to realize that we are all human beings and Planet Earth is our common home. We don’t need to defend or attack. We can simply live, helping one another so we all can live live good lives. Then we, all sentient beings, will be able to become playmates, and enjoy this beautiful garden and awesome playground that God gave us. Then we will be able to happily share our toys, and understand that we are happier when we make others happy. Then we will take care of one another and support each other to become the best that we can be. This will be the day when we will bring Heaven to Earth, and I am convinced that this day will come.

Let’s adopt a new paradigm for a new world. Let us be the agents of change, the ones who will bring Heaven to Earth.

We can do it! And we will do it! Let’s do it!

Namaste. ~ Piero

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
~ an excerpt from “The New Colossus,” a sonnet by American poet Emma Lazarus (1849–1887), written in 1883. In 1903, the poem was engraved on a bronze plaque and mounted inside the lower level of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

November 23

Good morning!

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

Please, 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

If you like what I have to say, let’s keep the conversation going: read my blogs, my books, and send me your comments. 

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The Hero’s Journey.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) is one of my preferred movies, not only because it is extraordinarily great in so many aspects, but because I extract great joy from identifying many of the elements of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey in it.

I love, for instance, how the predominant colors in the movie change from dull to vibrant the moment Walter accepts the call and embarks in the adventure of following his bliss.

Brilliant!

“A moment comes when you stop dreaming, start living and discover your destiny. An inspiring story about an ordinary man who leaps into the extraordinary adventure that is life.” ~ The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

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Please, 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

If you like what I have to say, let’s keep the conversation going: read my blogs, my books, and send me your comments. 

Subscribe to my blog through the link below.

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

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You can find my books at the Peaceful Ways online store.

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Thank you!