"Every stage in a child's life is there for a purpose. If we can respect and respond to her needs fully during each stage of her life, she can be done with that stage and move on." —Naomi Aldort

There is a certain show with a certain nanny who is British (or is she?) that makes me very angry to even think about. I have only watched it a few times. I always have to turn it off because I end up yelling at the television! She is so far off base when it comes to having a loving, authentic relationship with your child. I feel sad that some parents buy into her advice. I have such empathy for the children. I also have empathy for the parents because they must be so disconnected from themselves that they are desperate enough to reach out to a woman who doesn’t even have children herself. She has made claims that she has many years of child care experience. It frightens me to think she is deemed an “expert”.   Read more...

Many years ago, when I first began the study of meaning, I struggled deeply with prosperity issues. You have to understand how I learned about money.

When I was 28, I walked into my apartment one night in tears. My dear, blessed roommate asked me what was wrong. I wailed, “I bounced a check.” She asked me if I’d balanced my checkbook. My tears stopped momentarily and I asked, “What’s that?”   Read more...

I saw this chant in a column by Queen Mama Donna Henes, urban shaman and dear friend to me. The words say it all. When you have time, give yourself a gift, and speak them aloud. Let their resonance soothe your soul.   Read more...

The first time I met Sawano Motohiro Sensei (1) I was deeply impressed by his gentle nature and open mind. We met in a rather unusual way, so let me explain.

Early in the day I had been introduced to a young American exchange student, Evan. He was a jazz major, but also loved Japanese. So, he came to Japan to learn the language. As we chatted that day, I realized his real love was music. So, I told him I would like to hear him play. As luck would have it, we were near a Kawai Music shop. My new friend had the brilliant idea of going there and pretending to buy a piano. That way he could perform using the very best instruments they had.   Read more...

It’s called “It’s Up To Us Alone,” and it’s a world debut radio play featuring Ed Asner. I’ve heard the first half of the piece, their sneak preview. Click here to have a listen.

It’s a little hokey, but so what? Asner is his wonderful, talented self, and a good point is made about peace. If we’re not cooperating with it, we’re against it. It’s that simple.

For more information about Knowmads, visit http://www.knowmads.nl. If you want to meet one of the Knowmads, get in touch with pieter@knowmads.nl.

We are happy to have you!   Read more...

If I am not being present with my kids, I respond to them with a comment that has been preprogrammed in me. I respond without really thinking. I always know when I do this because they give me a funny look, or they call me on the carpet. This jerks me back into the present moment. I often wonder exactly what our world would look like if we all responded to each other without the commentary going on inside our heads. What would our world look like if we respond to each other from the heart? How many of us really tell others what we want to tell them? How many times have you felt really connected to someone you just met, but were too scared to let them know because they might think you are strange? I know I have done that. We have been so conditioned to avoid responding from our inner voice. When adults aren’t not in touch with their inner voice, or in touch with what their heart is telling them, their kids will be taught the same lesson. “Look outside yourself for your answers.” The answers will never be found there.

As parents, we are given so much information on the “right” way to parent our children. Depending on the book you read, you may get thousands of techniques and ideas on “the best way” to raise children. I read many books when my children were little, and I was very grateful for those books. The books started me down the path to treating my children with kindness, compassion, and respect. However, there was a point when I had to stop reading the books because I was on information overload! All of this information, coupled with my already pre-programmed information didn’t leave me any room to listen to my heart. I could read all of the books in the world, and none of them would help me be an authentic, respectful parent if I wasn’t responding from my heart. I needed to learn to question the stories, listen to my own heart, and respond to my children from that authentic place.   Read more...

A client drew my attention to this new book: Creating the Peaceable Classroom: Techniques to Calm, Uplift, and Focus Teachers and Students. She sent me a friend’s blog post.   Read more...

Recently a friend told me about his best friend, Igari Yuji Sensei. (1) He told me how special his friend was. When I asked why, he told me he would send me his YouTube channel.

It turns out that Igari Sensei is a music therapist. He has his own business called The Igari Music Therapy Research Center. He works with people who have developmental disabilities. He does this in several dimensions. One is via individual and group sessions or lessons. The other is through a big band. The big band has both non-disabled and disabled persons, creating a smooth blending of worlds.   Read more...

Peace work happens. All the time. Every where. Every when.

I am a crossword puzzle fiend. Ever since the New York Times found/created Across Lite, I’ve done the puzzle online every day. I look at it as a way to wake my brain daily.   Read more...

After three thrilling months in Israel and Palestine, experiencing unheard of adventures, it was time to get back to Rotterdam. Rumor had it that a lot had happened at headquarters and big changes lay ahead of us. Lost in the transition from the Middle East to 'daily life' it was tough to grasp it all at once. But the change was real and big: KaosPilots was no longer KaosPilots.

Over the summer some of us moved to Arhus to continue studying there. Others took up the challenge to continue the school under another flag and the result of their hard work can be admired at www.knowmads.nl. Others again decided to start working and found employment with among others the Nico Adriaans Foundation, Ode Magazine, Ashoka. Some are still breathing out after such intense years of kaos...

We want to thank you for being with us all this time, and hope to see you on board of our other (ad)ventures. In one way or the other, we are sure that our paths will always cross.

The simplicity of the words is what grabbed me. Do peace. That’s all. Straightforward. Simple. Clear. Unmistakable. Whatever else you’re doing, do peace.

I received an email about this just before Labor Day. Here’s what it really means:

Do Peace is the social networking site created by The Peace Alliance, that organization which works to create a Department of Peace in the United States Government.   Read more...

Unschooling is an extension of what children were born knowing. I define unschooling as being a partner to my children, helping them follow their passions while being very present with them. Our day to day life really has no glimmers of “school” in it, unless my kids ask specifically for something schooly. School is not a part of our lives. I don’t look at what school is doing in order to determine what we should be doing. We live our lives in joy and partnership, following the passions that naturally arise. My children live a life connected to the inner joy they were born with. I don’t mean that I am a perfect parent and have made no mistakes! We all do, and I am sure I will make more.

All of us are born with inner joy, and a connection to that inner joy. Children remember this connection until they learn to stop trusting it. Many children stop listening to the connection when they start school. We as parents are led to believe that our children need to learn about separation, they need to find out that the real world is tough sometimes. If I had a dime for every time I hear the phrase, “They may as well learn it now, life is not always easy and fun, it is hard and you have to do things you don’t want to do”, I would be really rich! By keeping my kids out of the school system, I am hoping to keep this message out of their lives as well. I want them to learn that things do happen in our lives that make us sad, or angry, or disappointed, sure, but having the outlook that life is bad and you have to do things you don’t want to do is not the same thing.   Read more...

The major clothing and accessory company Nike, made ‘Just do it’ a motto for their brand promotion, created a business empire out of it and are still laughing all the way to the bank! There is no doubt that it makes a wonderful copy. It has that zingy feeling of boldness when said aloud. Many times we also use it in our normal talks ‘Okay, just do it dude…just do it mate… come on, just do it!’

However, we say it unthinkingly. We want to believe in it because it feels good to do so. When it comes to actually applying it, we step back. We hold on to the fear of putting our thought into action. ‘What if it goes wrong? What if I fail? What if I am unable to come out of it?’   Read more...

This article appeared in The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University’s summer update. The Fletcher School is an outstanding graduate program in international affairs.

“Each year, as the spring semester winds its way to a close, Fletcher students prepare to head out across the globe to put their knowledge and skills to work in the field. From Nairobi to New York, Montevideo to Moscow, Fletcher’s finest find themselves in an array of meaningful internships—work that may help forge their career specialization.   Read more...

I have a Dutch brother named Willem. In America he goes by Bill. He went to the USA with the American Field Service (AFS) and lived with my family for a year. He fit in perfectly in every way. For example, age-wise he was a bit older than my siblings and me. His English was excellent. Plus his open mind and friendly personality won him popularity wherever he went. He and my father got along particularly well. My father appreciated the intellectual discussions that went on well into the night, spilling over into weekends and other times off. Bill called him “Daddy”, feeling that was truly American.

At age eighteen Bill had no idea what he wanted to become. But he carefully observed my father and his father before him, my grandfather. Both were country doctors. Both adored their profession and devoted their entire lives to it. My grandfather lived between my home and Bill’s high school. So, often en route home in the afternoon Bill would stop by to say hello and end up staying for dinner. At those times, too, he listened and learned about the life of a general practitioner.

Bill returned to The Netherlands after a marvelous year in the States. He suffered terrific reverse culture shock. So much so that his Dutch parents summoned his American parents to The Netherlands to discuss what to do with this very unsettled young man. After an all night discussion, with the American side emphasizing that they did not want to take Willem-Bill away from his Dutch parents, they all agreed that the best course of action would be for Willem-Bill to complete his studies in The Netherlands and then he himself could choose where he wanted to live.

Life unfolded naturally. Willem entered university and decided to become a doctor, not surprisingly. “Daddy had more influence on my life than anyone else I have ever known. That is true not only of his profession, but also of the way he devoted his entire life to his patients and his commitments. Because of him I have become who I am today.” Then he added that had he not known Daddy, he probably would not have become a doctor. Being as open minded as he is, if the circumstances had been different, his life’s direction would probably have taken a different path. But once he made up his mind, he did not waver. And now forty-five years later, he has absolutely no regrets about his choice.

Willem’s specialty is neonatal care. He selected that field for several reasons. Towards the end of his medical education he worked as an assistant in an intensive care unit. He treated people of all ages, but was particularly touched by the babies struggling for life. At that time neonatal care was in its infancy (!) in The Netherlands. So he knew he would be in a wide-open field offering tremendous potential for learning and growth.

Along with focusing on his career, Willem married and had two children, thankfully both healthy. He said that the blend of neonatal care and having his own offspring enabled him to be a better father and a more compassionate and understanding doctor. However, for Willem his profession was the center of his life. “Nowadays”, he told me, “many doctors work fewer hours to spend more time with their families. But back then we did not do that. If there is one regret in my life, it is that I did not spend enough time with my family. But we have a good relationship. And now that I have stopped clinical work, I have more time to be with my wife. And for my kids we, their parents, are their best friends.”

Willem served over thirty-five years doing clinical work. That was in the Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam and the Neonatal Department of the general hospital in Zwolle.

“The work was challenging, exciting, fun. Working with the team of doctors, nurses, social workers, and parents was very rewarding. I had such a good time. Everyone worked together, trying so hard to make the best decisions for the babies and their parents. The first ten years in the field felt like a playground. It was new, exciting, thrilling. We were relatively independent. And at that time anything we did was better than nothing. That allowed a tremendous sense of purpose in my work.

“Now the situation is changing, however. Medicine has become more of a science and less of an art. Hospitals are becoming more focused on the business aspect. There is more organizational responsibility, a greater demand for efficiency. It’s not the same. Also as I aged, I felt I was losing my grip. I felt I would lose the adrenalin high that carried me through the early years. I feared losing my sharpness, making mistakes. So at age sixty-three, I stopped clinical practice.

“But that does not mean I have stopped working. Far from it! I plan never to retire. I can’t imagine myself not working. My work is such an integral part of my life and of who I am. In fact, I am now part of a research project at Utrecht University Medical Center in the Department of Neonatal Care. I have a small part in a large project. My focus is on oxygen supply to the brain in newborn babies.”

Willem also loves teaching. And he still does it. Since he is a senior in his department, he is often asked for advice. And also to his delight, he has taught over half of the neo-natalogists in the Utrecht University Medical Department. Since the field is so small, Willem is known all over the country. And in 2008 he was awarded a prize from the Dutch Society of Pediatricians for his years of devoted service.

“My job is from the heart. Almost everyday my team and I dealt with tremendous moral issues. Larger even than life and death, our concerns were about the quality of life for the babies and their parents in our care. Wrestling with these issues, working together with the team, watching the vulnerability of premature or very ill infants, dealing with the very heart of what matters most in life, all these things were the core of my work. Not many people have that privilege. But I have, and I am truly blessed.”

Now Willem’s work takes him to other countries, too. Recently he has gone to Russia several times to give advice on their budding neonatal care. He lectures and goes to conferences in the USA and in other parts of Europe. So, Willem is still very much involved in the cutting edge of his field.

“But I am not all work!” he adds with a smile. “I have hobbies, too. I love mechanics. So I am fascinated by old cars and trains. Someday I want to take the Siberian Express from one end to the other. I am also concerned about the environment, especially from the angle of how the problems will affect future generations.

“I like being involved. I want to enjoy life and to continue contributing as much as I can until the day I die. Life has so much to offer. And there is always so much work to do, so many ways I can be of service to others.”

And after forty-five years Bill’s relationship with his American father is still as strong as ever. He calls often, visits when he can. “Daddy is still the man I look up to in a very special way.”

In fact, when Willem wrote his thesis in medical school, he dedicated it like this:

To my Dutch parents, who started my way,
To my wife, who accompanies me along the way,
And to my American daddy, who showed me which way

The lovely and gifted Oprah Winfrey inspired this post. Oprah says:

"My prayer for myself, my friends and the world is that we become ever more conscious--aware of our meaning and purpose. I pray for peaceful pauses within ourselves to acknowledge our gratitude for life and all its complexities."

Pausing, whether peaceful or not, is always a good idea. Our world is on a headlong rush into, if nothing else, hurriedness. A pause can be the beginning of peace.   Read more...

When I got laid off from my job this past December, a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. I had no money, no job, and nothing to tie me down. As soon as the new year turned, something inside me turned as well. I told my brother I wanted to drive through all fifty states and film a documentary of the stories and voices from the economy collapse.

  Read more...

As someone who has had a "delicate" stomach forever, and as a peace advocate, this ad tag line caught my eye and made me laugh out loud.

Discover a world of digestive peace.   Read more...

I love the quote,"Children are messengers to us from a world we once deeply knew but we have long since forgotten," by Alice Miller. I know for a fact that I have learned more from my children than they have learned from me. I call them my gurus! I am amazed, sometimes on a daily basis, the things I learn from my kids. I still believe 100% that children are here to teach us, not the other way around. We have been conditioned to believe that we have to teach them, but I know that is just not true.

Children can help us to learn about ourselves and about life, if we choose to listen. When we are able to stay out of the mind set of having to have power over children, we can learn and grow. When we open ourselves up to their unconditional acceptance and love, we will grow leaps and bounds. When trust is present in the relationship as our children grow, the relationship stays authentic, and we learn from each other. If trust is present, children will keep sharing their views and observations and insight with us. If the trust is broken, children learn to hide who they really are, and the authentic relationship is no longer.   Read more...

Recently I came across a very interesting article. It was about forgiveness. I always wrestle with that virtue, sometimes more poignantly than others. I often find it very challenging to forgive, especially if I feel I have been deeply betrayed or wounded. But for me it can be equally as difficult, or more so, to humble myself enough to ask for forgiveness when I have hurt another, intentionally or unintentionally.   Read more...

Ariane de Bonvoisin, author of The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Making Any Change Easier was quoted in the August 2009 Guideposts, "On the other side of acceptance is where peace exists, where the solutions are."

In 27 years of counseling, I have found that what Ms. De Bonvoisin says is always true. Always. No exceptions.   Read more...

A world flag -- wow! Isn't it gorgeous?

Aside from the brilliant colors -- something that always catches my eye -- this flag is a clickable fount of information. The flags represent all the members of the United Nations. On their website, you can click on each flag and learn a little something about the country it represents.

"The world flag was created in 1988 to raise global awareness, inspire innovative solutions and promote action toward challenges facing our world today. It serves as a powerful symbol to inspire action and celebrate the pursuit of positive change. The flag has flown from New York to Nepal and continues to make its way around the planet spreading its message of unity," says the website.   Read more...

I believe in a beautiful and useful policy. Meaning, a thing has to be either beautiful or useful, if it is none of these then I just throw it away. Ten times out of ten I have discovered that I never regret trashing them.

The trash in our life includes old clothes, old utensils, old cosmetics, old electronics which do not work, old shoes that hurt and bite, old towels that scratch more than absorb the dampness of our body, tennis balls that have lost their bounce, golf balls with dings, rusty tools, rusty relationships, rusty emotions, old angers, old hostilities, old newspapers, old lovers who still hurt, negative emotions and ghosts of boyfriends/girlfriends past. Yep, all in the same breath.   Read more...

With the economy in disarray, it's a little counterintuitive that a conference on funding social causes would be booming. But over the last three days the Social Capital Markets conference in San Francisco drew close to 1,000 investors, fund managers, foundations, social entrepreneurs and corporate executives in just it's second year in existence. Attendees came from 32 different countries to connect with other leaders and innovators and find new ways to "accelerate the flow of capital to good," as conference co-founder Gary Bolles put it.   Read more...

It was almost a decade since I had been involved with climate change activities, so I was happy when I was invited to a capacity building session held in Kathmandu in July by the Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA). CANSA is part of a global network of NGOs addressing climate change issues in the region.

I was eager to learn about the current science of climate change and how well nations around the world are responding to it. To my dismay, I found that global carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 70% in the last 20 years. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that the evidence is even stronger that human factors have exacerbated the climate change process. In fact, we are knocking on the doors of a Climate Catastrophe, if our planet's temperature rises more than 2 degrees Celsius and the atmospheric carbon levels move towards 400 parts per million (ppm), when it should remain below 350.   Read more...

Ode's mission is very inspiring for me. I love the idea of news that uplifts. And I am equally taken by the vast beauty of ordinary people living extraordinary lives. Ever since my first brush with Ode, I have felt my world expanding, precisely because my eyes and heart are opening wider and more deeply to recognize the awesome task of being human.

And of course, as my self opens inwardly, people and events come to me outwardly. So, I am living the privilege of discovery, one human being at a time.   Read more...

It's rare to see peace mentioned in Newsweek except insofar as peace is lacking so I was pleased to see a one-pager in Travel a few weeks ago about the 600-mile Israel National Trail. The Trail is a hiking path that crisscrosses the entire nation of Israel. It was modeled on the Appalachian Trail. It bears the markings of three stripes as guides, painted on the rocks in white, blue and orange. (It intrigues me that the mystical meanings of those colors are, in order, all light, creative expression and joy.)   Read more...

As I witness children getting ready to go back to school this week, my mind heads down the path of questioning why we do things the way we do. The questions flood my brain. I see signs like the one below. Why is the school system in such a state that they need this "kickoff". I see children that are very sad and sometimes really angry about having to end the summer before summer is officially over. I see them angry that they have to go to school at all. They tell my kids that they are lucky they do no have to go to school. My sons are sad for the kids that don't have a choice, and wish that all kids could have a choice to do what feels right to them.

My son and I went for a walk tonight and we talked about how one of his schooled friends asked him if he had ever done a math worksheet. My son told him no, why would I need to do that? I do math in my life all the time, but I don't need to prove that, by doing a worksheet. We talked about all of the ways that he learns math concepts even though they are not called "math". We talked about how if he needs to learn something, he can find the answer when he needs it. We questioned who gets to decide exactly what a human being "needs" to learn by the time they are 18? We wondered how people can get together in a meeting to decide what is best for every student that comes to their school. How is it possible to do this if we are all individuals having different interests and different learning styles? I know that teachers and administrators do their best, but how can they really do what is best for each student? It isn't possible. Teachers have their hands tied as well, because the students must test high so that the schools get their funding. Teachers have a difficult job.   Read more...

Signature On A Small Town from B-Rilla on Vimeo.

Follow our journey: therecessends.com Twitter: twitter.com/austinchu   Read more...

Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinion at all. ~Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

I thoroughly enjoy the daily quotes I receive on my iGoogle customized homepage. This appeared there some time ago, and I’ve spent a lot of time since then visiting it, and thinking about it.

Wikipedia informs us that “Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1 July 1742 – 24 February 1799) was a German scientist, satirist and Anglophile. As a scientist, he was the first to hold a professorship explicitly dedicated to experimental physics in Germany. Lichtenberg was the youngest of 17 children of pastor Johann Conrad Lichtenberg.

“As a physicist, today he is remembered for his investigations in electricity, for discovering branching discharge patterns on dielectrics now called Lichtenberg figures which are considered today to be examples of fractals. He also discovered the basic principle of modern copy machine technology.

“His ‘waste books’ (Sudelbücher in German) are the notebooks he kept from his student days until the end of his life. The notebooks contain quotations that struck Lichtenberg, titles of books to read, autobiographical sketches, and short or long reflections. It is those reflections that helped Lichtenberg earn his posthumous fame. Today he is regarded as one of the best aphorists in Western intellectual history.”

And so, to return to Herr Doktor Lichtenberg’s aphorism …

“Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinion at all.”

This is excellent advice. It represents the true spirit of intellectual curiosity, and even in Lichtenberg’s day and age, was almost impossible. Our educational system is predicated on the notion that we must form an opinion of our own.

However, dear Georg, was the last of a family of 17 progeny. I’d hazard a guess that his opinion was not only not much solicited, but even if it had been, couldn’t have been heard in the cacophony that that many children would generate. Besides, the idea is full of wisdom.

To form an opinion, one must learn about one’s subject. Most of us think we already know what peace is, what it means, and can even make a suggestion about how to get there. But what if we, like Lichtenberg, take the stance that we do not know what peace is? Wouldn’t we have to inquire about it? Learn about it? Learn from it?

This is what it would be to begin to address peace WITHOUT opinion.

We also would have to admit to ourselves that we don’t know what peace means. We really don’t. And, that we haven’t a genuine clue as to how to get there.

A.J. Muste was quoted in the New York Times many years ago as saying, “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.”

Let’s follow Lichtenberg’s advice and let go of our opinions in the hope that we might meet and befriend true peace of mind.

Eun Sunyoung¹ is a dancer. She comes from South Korea, but she lives in Japan now. She has been here for twenty-one years and plans on staying longer. She has a lot of work to do here.

I first saw Eun Sunyoung when she was dancing at an open-air performance. Her movements, along with the music, were slow, dramatic and deeply haunting. I knew then that I wanted to learn more about her and the mysterious world her dancing evoked.   Read more...

Our mom told us to control our anger, asserting that anger is ‘not a very nice emotion’. If we are depressed or sullenly hostile it was overlooked, but showing anger is considered the shameful thing and I grew up thinking that if we express anger then we are not a polite and well-bred person.

We all know that anger is basically loss of control. When we feel at loss of this power we begin to shout and scream, not knowing how to recapture the authority over the situation. Or some of us just become absolutely quiet, trying to gulp the anger down, in case we look bad in front of others. It is as if by very force of our aggressiveness or passivity, we are deluding ourselves to believe that we are powerful.   Read more...

Simpler Times from B-Rilla on Vimeo.   Read more...

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I often wonder why children get punished, chastised and corrected for behaviors that adults would get applauded, commended, and praised for. We want kids to be self-confident, independent, and empowered. However, they are scolded for arguing with an adult because it is looked upon as being disrespectful. They aren't trusted to make decisions for themselves as far as when to wake up, when to eat, when to go to sleep. They are told when and how to do all of these things, which makes them dependent, not independent. When they try to make these decisions for themselves they get grounded or have things they love taken away from them. I certainly don't think this is teaching them to become independent. It teaches them to learn to be sneakier next time they want to stay up later, or stay out later, or eat that extra dessert that they really wanted. When an adult stands up for what they believe in, they are looked upon as being strong, or intelligent, or someone who really knows who they are.   Read more...

10 Year Old Beat Boxing from B-Rilla on Vimeo.   Read more...

What would happen if all of us would stop once a day for 30 minutes to focus all of our attention on finding and strengthening our inner awareness and amplifying the light within us? What if it were a governmental policy and the president would also be obliged to do so? How much would that effect our consciousness individually and as a whole? How much easier and flowing would the days be? By how much percent would that effect violent attitudes, stress and misunderstandings?   Read more...

Brother Ishmael Tetteh is the Founder and Spiritual Director of the Etherean Mission in Ghana, West Africa, and he’s a person committed to peace. The Etherean Mission is a trans-denominational metaphysical organization dedicated to self-awareness and the study of the natural sciences.   Read more...

Many people these days keep referring to the Mayan predictions for the year 2012. It promises a spiritual shift in the world’s energy fields, changing our universe and consciousness for the better and forever.

A friend sent me these sites about these year-2012 predictions. They are stunningly beautiful, so I wish to share them with a larger audience.   Read more...

"If man does find the solution for world peace, it will be the most revolutionary reversal of his record we have ever known.", General George C. Marshall.

I’m always intrigued by each day’s Google quote. Invariably, I find personal meaning in each one. Meaning is my stock-in-trade. Of course, whenever they include the word peace, I am doubly pulled to them as peace is my work here on the planet.   Read more...

A friend of mine told me once that she was 'dumped' by her lover of four years through an indifferent email. Needless to say she felt acutely defenseless at that time and had plummeted into the so-called depths of despair, but after a decent mourning period now she feels like the one who has had the good riddance.

'You know Nazia', she jovially confessed, 'Some lovers live happily ever after, some live happily even after!'   Read more...

I dream about what the ultimate life experience would be if we lived in a world where every human being was emotionally conscious. I do believe that this shift in consciousness is happening right now, so hopefully my vision will come true. I thought I would share my vision here because I believe that writing and talking about visions gives them a higher probability of coming true. The whole vision may be a long way off yet, but that's okay, I will still keep talking about my dream.   Read more...

Long Hair Manifesto from B-Rilla on Vimeo.   Read more...

A quick blurb in the June/July Ode special advertising section caught my eye: United States Institute of Peace. Their website is usip.org. Their website says, “The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) provides the analysis, training and tools that help to prevent, manage and end violent international conflicts, promote stability and professionalize the field of peace-building.” Who knew there even was one?   Read more...

The subtly of Japanese behavior can be very complex. A quick glance or the hint of a frown can be pregnant with meaning. But much of that is often lost to those not brought up here. Japanese laughter, too, is one of the ongoing mysteries of this fascinating culture. What outsider can know for sure what a Japanese smile or laugh really means?   Read more...

As my children get older, I find myself wondering what their teen years will be like, in terms of our relationship. They are 12 now, so one more year until they are official teenagers. We have attended 3 unschooling conferences in the past 3 years, and I love observing the teenagers while we are there. I also love hearing about the relationships that my unschooling friends have with their teenagers. It is amazing to me to see the trust and the honesty that is present in their relationships. Before finding the unschooling path, I didn’t think this was possible! Once again, I am thrust into shifting my perspective on parenting, while learning to "grow" with the flow.   Read more...

Leymah Gbowee of Monrovia, Liberia was featured in the July issue of Guideposts, that lovely little magazine about Christian faith in action. For 14 years, Liberia’s military dictatorship along with the armed rebels against it had made the country a battleground.

Ms. Gbowee’s story begins on a steamy day in Accra, Ghana, during peace talks which were rapidly disintegrating. That was the day she ran out of hope despite the fact that it was due to her efforts that these peace talks were even occurring.   Read more...

Often when my students hand write a paper, they confuse "h" and "n", "d" and "a", or "l" and "e" because of not paying attention to the differing length (of one line) between the two letters. They always act surprised when I point out this error. And sure enough the next time they inevitably make the same mistake. I have almost given up on "l" and "r" differences, knowing my own inability to distinguish short and long vowels in Japanese.

Once after a long and trying day I was thinking about the stresses at work and also wondering what I could do about my chronic dry-eye problem. My poor eyes are constantly irritated and red. I use drops and creams and go to a doctor for treatment, but am always looking for better relief in some way. Winter is a nightmare with the dry heating systems; and summer is not much better with its allergy-causing grasses and flowers. In other words, I am in year-round discomfort.   Read more...

A Long Way From Home from B-Rilla on Vimeo.   Read more...

You know by now that I’m all for peace in any way I can promote it so it delighted me when I found Peace Cereal - an excellent way to start the day!

Their website informs us, "At Peace Cereal our mission is to serve you by making deliciously natural and healthy cereal, as well as to serve the community by utilizing responsible business practices and donating 10% of our profits to support community projects."   Read more...

I often take late night walks. Since parks are risky options, I walk around my colony streets. I take listening walks. Does it sound absurd? Let me explain.

Listening walks are one of the best experiences we can have. It helps to hone our listening skills. It helps us to be alert and get fine tuned to the various sounds of life, which we do not take into account during our rush hours. It helps us to practice being more attentive, intuitive, wakeful and connected to the life around us. It helps us to become a person who listens.   Read more...

Keep The Country Country from B-Rilla on Vimeo.   Read more...

In my last post, I wrote about how unschooling really doesn't have anything to do with school. I would like to give unschooling a different title, but I haven't come up with one yet. It really is a way of life rather than just an alternative to school. I wanted to start with that definition so that the rest of my post makes sense.

Unschooling teaches kids how to give from the heart. Here is an example: My husband and I do not force our children to do chores, to say please and thank you, to clean their rooms, or any other arbitrary thing that we have decided they must be taught. We don't teach them any of these things, yet they choose to do them when they feel the need, or when they know that it would really help someone out. They are empathic children. They are sensitive to the needs of others, and they are authentic and honest. I am not saying these things to sound as though I am bragging about my children. I am hoping that by saying these things, it will encourage people to consider another way to relate to children.   Read more...

The year before I turned 50, AARP began its membership campaign on me. Invitations. Information. Enticements. Good deals. An automatic community. One of the fall-outs of membership is their wonderful magazine, AARP. The July & August 2009 issue featured a story called “The Flower of Positive Thinking” by Lynne Schreiber.

Iris Lee Underwood is a lavender farmer in Lakeville, Michigan, and she knows what it is to have a broken heart. Her daughter died of drug abuse and Underwood lived under a cloud of grief for seven years until...   Read more...

It's Not A Party In New Orleans from B-Rilla on Vimeo.   Read more...

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Boston Hustle from B-Rilla on Vimeo.   Read more...

You have read one of my favorite rants in these pages before: What are you for?

I’m only interested in what people are for in this world, not what they are against. Being against anything is a form of resistance, and what we resist persists, no matter what it is. When my dear Kasey sent me this website, a huge grin burst upon my face.   Read more...

My family and I just returned from an unschooling conference/gathering that was held in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. This was our fourth unschooling event in the past three years. I am still feeling the love that was radiating at this gathering. I have been an advocate for respectful parenting for a few years now. I believe that as parents, it is our responsibility to heal our own childhood wounds while parenting our children mindfully and loving them for exactly who they are. Mindful parenting led my family to the unschooling path.   Read more...

I have a friend who loves mountains. I do, too. So, sometimes I contact him and ask when we can go hiking. Since he knows almost every mountain in Northeastern Japan, I leave it up to him where we will go.

The other day we had a plan for a hike, but since it was raining we ended up going for a long drive instead. Of course, we headed directly for the mountains, which this time meant Yamagata Prefecture.   Read more...

This article by Hadeel al Shalchi appeared in The National.

Guatemala is very far away if you live in Egypt. So far, that one probably would never think of traveling there - until, perhaps, one is invited to a conference as I was a couple of weeks ago by an organization called the Nobel Women’s Initiative.   Read more...

For two days Palestinians, Israeli's and compassionate internationals met up in the hills of Beit Yalla for a Global Village Sqaure meeting put on by the KaosPilots. During the first introduction round one of the Palestinians stressed: "I believe we are not Israelis and Palestinians and Europeans and Americans, those national and cultural borders don't have a meaning for me. I believe we are human beings and I want to meet you all as other human beings, not as my enemies." This young man is received with applause which sets the tone for the rest of the Global Village Square.   Read more...

I have always maintained that one needs to ‘Unlearn’ more about Islam than ‘Learn’ about it, as there are more prevalent conjectures about Islam than any real knowledge of its basic tenets.

Most people from different countries have their own version and interpretations of their cultures, but Islam is the only religion which experiences a unanimously iniquitous perception about its doctrines due to lack of information. Islam is understood only through evolving in it, and as one goes through the studies one comes across the true meanings and sensitivities of this religion.   Read more...

My sweet assistant, Kasey, found this on her cybertravels-a peace sign veggie peeler. Peace is everywhere.

The other day I was exceptionally tired so I made a cup of caffeine tea to take with me to Visions Medical Center where I counsel one day a week. I used my travel mug from the World Peace Prayer Society. All around its edges, the phrase “May Peace Prevail on Earth” appears in many languages. Several team members noticed my mug and commented on it. Peace is everywhere.   Read more...

It's Sunny In Las Vegas from B-Rilla on Vimeo.

What we saw in Vegas blew our minds away. This was the first state we saw after leaving from California. We had no idea what to expect.   Read more...

Untitled from B-Rilla on Vimeo.

There is this saying in Chinese, “Jia You,” which directly translates to “Get Gas.” Normally, it’s used as a form of encouragement, a cheer during a sporting event. It can also be translated into: “you can do it.” Well, it didn’t really work in our favor.   Read more...

There was this very beautiful line that I read in Orhan Pamuk’s novel, ‘My Name Is Red’. He wrote about a blind man watching the snowfall and smiling to himself. That line stayed with me for a long, long time. How could a blind man watch the snow?   Read more...

Prior to giving birth to my children, I never thought I would be trying to make sure my kids stay conscious in their lives. I don't mean trying to make sure they don't fall down and knock themselves out. Of course, I don't want that to happen either, but anyway....

Truthfully, I had never heard the terms “being conscious”, or “staying present”, prior to having kids. That all changed when I read the book called Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn. This was my introduction to mindful parenting, and also my introduction to a whole new world. Learning to be present with my kids became even more of a priority as my kids got older. However, my top priority was working on being present with myself.   Read more...

TRE Trailer from B-Rilla on Vimeo.

This is the end, and the beginning of a new era. After traveling for the last 5 months or so. We’ve put together a trailer for you folks. From this day forward, we’ll be posting a little bit less frequently. We will keep you posted on our progress.   Read more...

As if the Aurora Butterfly of Peace weren’t beautiful enough just as it is, its history and creation make it even more stunning than just visually.

The substance of this dazzling artwork is diamonds! Real diamonds, assembled one at a time, from all over the world, over the course of 12 years, by two artists Alan Bronstein and Harry Rodman. There are rare and unusual color diamonds that make up the design including purples from Russia, blues and oranges from South Africa, lime greens from Brazil, violets and dozens of pinks from the Argyle Mine in Australia.   Read more...

Sometimes when you meet a seemingly ordinary person, you sense they have a story to tell. Masanobu Abe is that kind of person. He is quiet, but deep. A student, but not young. He studies massage at night and works in a massage clinic during the day. He is obviously a very busy, motivated man.

There are from three to five people who work in the same clinic. Most are young and are students. Some have already graduated. Masanobu stands out because he is a good ten years older than the others. Here in Japan it is very unusual for someone his age, 37, especially a man, to be starting a new field. Although it is changing a bit, usually people here are locked into a particular job track long before their late thirties.   Read more...

I went to our weekly meditation and contemplation session on Tuesday and this time there was a newcomer. He shared his lessons learned from several difficult years in which many diseases pestered him. He suffered from various serious infections, going practically blind and more. He believed firmly that behind all great, and so called random, challenges in life there is great meaning: they are there to force us into changing for the better or to parish. At a point in his life, when he felt broken and dependent on others in his blindness, he went inward. In his words he was forced to become humble, thankful for all that others give and all that existence brings. While waiting for others to do this or that for him he realized that things happen when they are supposed to happen. Nothing bad happened if he had to wait a little.

We are so accustomed to force our will onto everything and everybody: we can't even wait a little in peace and acceptance of the other. All we are busy with are our egoistic worries, our money, our image and other so called needs.   Read more...

For some reason, my old license plate from New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment which sits on my altar in front of my desk kept drawing my eye, so let me be the first to invite you (again) to scout Peace license plates, snap photos and send them to me at susan@susancorso.com. We’ve got some swell ones, and I’d really like to have one from every state in the U.S.

That said, what was drawing me was the translation of the Latin words on the license plate: peace goddess. On a whim, I turned to the fulsome Wikipedia and turned up seven such deities.   Read more...

Sri Lanka has been in a conflict for the last 26 years between the government and Liberation Tamil Tigers of Ealam (LTTE), a rebel group trying to carve out a section of Sri Lanka for them for self rule.   The government forces (mostly Sinhala) have destroyed the group and regained control of the area.  However, there has been collateral damage to many civilians in these areas and a cry from the Tamil Diaspora around the world.  This article calls for reconciliation between the two communities - Sinhala and Tamil. 

I am amazed at the mobilization of young people from the Tamil Diaspora around the world to protest against the Sri Lankan government’s purported human rights violations.   When often the younger generation of immigrants forgets the old country to a future in the new one, it is incredibly positive that the Diaspora feels so passionate about this difficult conflict on behalf of their community.   Maybe once the conflict is over, they will come back to Sri Lanka to rebuild the country together.   However, there is long way to go for reconciliation between the two communities as so much hatred has manifested, especially amongst the Diaspora overseas.   Read more...

This website made me grin for days.  They don’t want our money. They don’t want our email addresses. They just want our participation.

Consider these wonderful words from Good Will Treaty for World Peace founder Bryant McGill on their home page:   Read more...

I made a sign that hangs in my kitchen that says, "Don't forget your daily hugs." I didn't think I would forget to hug my husband, my kids, and my pets, but I was surprised to discover that sometimes I did forget to make sure everybody got enough hugs! I thought I would hang a sign up as an awareness practice. My kids will sometimes come up to me now and ask me if I need a hug, or ask for a hug for themselves. It is something that I treasure, and will forever.

It seems that most of our world is touch deprived. It is a well known fact that if babies aren't touched enough, they do not thrive. It is essential to humans to be touched. I wonder how many people go through a whole day without touching anyone. I feel sad about this. I think it is sad that so many people have become afraid to "get in someone's personal space". I am all for respecting boundaries, but I think we have gone overboard. In my opinion, it is a symptom of a culture that is also afraid to show emotions. By hugging someone, we might have to feel a feeling along with the hug. Some have been taught that this is a scary thing, and it is to be avoided.   Read more...

It happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to war, that Saddam Hussein carried out one of his most sinister experiments on the Kurdish population of Halabja. It was March 16, 1988, when the people of Halabja began their day to a barrage of bombs raining down from the sky — chemical cocktails engineered to inflict maximize damage on the civilian population. But the Butcher remained in Baghdad, safely six hours away.

In many ways Halabja Day is the day the Preemptive Love Coalition began. Born as an organization in 2008, our raison d'être began twenty years prior, the chemical capstone to the genocidal campaign against the Iraqi portion of the stateless, scattered Kurdish population.   Read more...

I sit here (in the lavatory of Racy) feebly typing two-fingered as always, attempting to write something poignant, relevant and encapsulating to describe the feelings of being less than 8 hours away from unlacing. Our week of lasts has come and gone. Our last full mileage tour day was yesterday. Our last school presentation seems a distant memory, though I realize it was only 2 days ago. Our last Ferry ride was yesterday, off the Sunshine Coast. We even ran faster, so as to catch the earlier Ferry into Horseshoe Bay and hopefully, catch the last period on the Canucks game. And, if open, say hello to our old friend Giovani at Pudgies Pizza here in the Bay and let him know we were back!

So here we were last night, coming off the biggest Ferry ride of our lives with our posse’ of patrol, Team Knuckleheads Rick and Andy, Amber and Rob, Steph and I (our numbed senses trying to take it all in).   Read more...

Sufism is an age-old lyrical path, which is now captivating the attention of ‘New Age Gurus’ and ‘Seekers’ alike. A Sufi is humanity’s most passionate poet and conveys the messages of love and peace through mystical lyrics, music and dance. One of the greatest Sufi poets, Rumi, said that music is the highest expression of love and dance the highest expression of music.   Read more...

I just discovered that the Japanese gave a Peace Bell to the United Nations in 1954! Did you know about it? I didn’t, but then I realized that if my mother were still alive, I probably would have. She was a tourist par excellence.

I’m planning to visit the United Nations on our mini-holiday to New York in May. Amazing, isn’t it, that I lived there for 17 years and never knew about the bell? I hope I’ll get to see it. Here’s a little background material.   Read more...

Several years ago when I first came to Japan, I took an Ikebana class from an older woman named Senoue Sensei. She had studied English in the school where I was working at the time, but had found verbs and grammar too tedious to learn. Needless to say, she soon quit.

However, she had a very keen interest in foreigners, so in order to be in touch with them, she started giving Ikebana lessons. “Flowers are universal. They speak to everyone the world over. So, my medium for international communication is through these magnificent creations of nature,” she said.   Read more...

That is the title and theme from these last couple of days along the Trans Canada West Coast edition of Canada’s linking highway. As we run (and may I say, a tad quicker than usual because of the winds of support at our backs), the ever-faithful “Knuckle Heads” steer cars clear of two runners intent on making their marathon.

Andy is now named “steady Eddy,” as his while-riding camera techniques are becoming the stuff of Hollywood legend, capturing shots of us along this famous Canadian Highway on the far west coast! Jeanette is our “holistic talker” with stories on herbs, different flower concoctions and the like. While Rick (now extended to Richard), is the thinker in the gang, figuring out the next bike move to keep the rear of the posse patrol clear of traffic.   Read more...

I was recently talking to a friend that had just returned from vacation. She told me how difficult it had been to really allow herself to just "be," to just relax. She felt pretty sure that she didn't know how to do this. She has been reading about present moment awareness and is learning different ways to try to do this, but when it came time to practice, it was difficult for her.

This got me thinking about how much we try to distract ourselves with activities and things to do so that we don't have to be with ourselves. We are so busy that we have to schedule time to just check in with ourselves to see what feels alive in us at that moment. This has been a chronic problem in our society for quite some time.   Read more...

Here’s quite a website for peaceworkers! The URL made me laugh out loud. International Peace and Conflict. Talk about a juxtaposition.

Yes, I suppose peacework is most often about conflict, but what I liked about this resource is its community. Here’s what they say about themselves.   Read more...

We almost jumped right out of Racy Verna when we saw BOTH our moms' faces in the crowd of welcomers at the Ferry dock, here in Victoria on Saturday! What a way to enter back onto home field, seeing a whole collection of our closest and most treasured family and friends.

It was a strange mix of emotions as we rode the final 20 minutes towards downtown Victoria. Crossing the border back to Canada represented so much and was rushing at us like memories from one’s youth, a collection of pictures running across our minds, remembering all we’d been through to reach this moment.

And then, like a shot from a cannon, we caught up to real time as we saw familiar faces in a familiar setting, all there to shower us with love and welcome us home!   Read more...

The word is out: We want project of chicken. What? Project of chicken!

Our women's group will put together the little savings it has and buy chickens together. After keeping them in a chicken house, feeding them chicken food and having chicken light bulbs shining over them for 40 days, they will be ready to sell.   Read more...

I join Robin and Joris in visiting Ala’s house. We have a question for him and, I’m curious to see how he lives. Ala is our translator and one of our bridges to the community. He studies at the Arab American University. He is one of those people whose bright eyes betray a busy inner life. It’s after sunset, and as we walk, the streetlights switch off. Power cut.

There are around 10 people in the room, all men. Brothers, cousins, Ala’s father, an uncle and a neighbor. We sit down, and at once I feel tense about the situation. Where do I hide my female self?   Read more...

Hotel Wal-Mart from B-Rilla on Vimeo.

I'm currently in Missoula, Montana and we just spent the night at a Walmart parking lot. It's actually our 5th or 6th night at a Walmart parking lot. I'm not too sure.   Read more...

Has it ever happened for you that you’ve picked up a book, usually a highly recommended one, read it and disliked it? It’s rare for me. Such was my first response to Eckhart Tolle’s original offering, The Power of Now. More than five years have elapsed since then and since I loved his second book, I thought the first deserved a retry. Either I’m totally different or I wasn’t ready before. It’s a book packed with wisdom.

Interestingly, what I couldn’t do was read it all in a row. It’s structured in Q & A. Starting in January of this year, I read a question and an answer a day. Then, I’d sit with them. It took me almost four months to read the whole thing.   Read more...

“Have you ever been in a country more miserable than ours?”

I am facilitating a meeting with Palestinian women in the Westbank. They are describing their situation to me. Their village is a 2,000 heads big community up in the hills with very few facilities. The Israeli occupation has a big impact on their daily lives. It is impossible to travel outside the Westbank without a special permit. The men who used to work in Israel until a few years ago are now sitting at home idly. There is an unemployment rate of 58% in the area. The women keep their heads up and work hard to keep their big families fed and educated.   Read more...

That was the scene last Saturday April 18th at 6:30am underneath Astoria’s famous landmark, the Washington Bridge. Carla Oja and her Chief of Police husband, Alan, literally following us across the 4 ½ mile expanse between Oregon and Washington, with flashing red and blues to ensure we made it in style to run our last State.

How’d we get to do this you may be asking?   Read more...

The Preemptive Love Coalition began with a little girl in Iraq dying of a congenital heart disease. In the early summer months of 2007, I sat in the Palace Hotel in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, with a man and his little girl. The meeting had been arranged by a tea-maker I had befriended in the hotel when he learned that I had contacts who might help get this little girl out of the country for the life-saving heart surgery she had been waiting on her entire life.   Read more...

Let me tell you about a guy named Don. He is the perfect candidate for the tour’s “local hero” category. In fact, this guy named Don could be awarded with the title of, “the originator of what it means to be a local hero.” You see our friend Don Grant has all the qualities of what a local hero brings to the table:

• Lives local (Burnaby BC)
• Has a family (an awesome wife and kid to match)
• Works with many people in the community (way beyond 9-5)
• Coached hockey for many years (pretty Canadian, eh?)
• Goes way out of his way for anyone in need of his talents (often)
• Is humble in his ways but accomplishes way more than what most in his profession profess to do
• Is the kind of guy you know you can always count on, when you really need him

I love this quote, by Janusz Korczak. “Children are not the people of tomorrow, but people today. They are entitled to be taken seriously. They have a right to be treated by adults with tenderness and respect, as equals.” I am reminded almost on a daily basis that children are not treated as equals. Just in the last few days, my kids have been treated disrespectfully.

We went to the bank the other day because my son wanted to get a debit card so that he could use it instead of carrying cash around with him. The money in the account was his money that he had saved. The woman that helped us asked him how old he was in a patronizing voice. It was as if she was implying that he wasn’t old enough to be responsible for a debit card. He answered that he was 11. From then on, she kept talking to me, instead of him. She asked me if he should have full access with the card. She quickly said it was up to me. I looked at my son, and he looked confused. It is HIS money, why shouldn’t he have full access to it? I told her, yes, he should have full access, as it is his money. She kept asking me if I wanted to take other “precautions,” implying that I needed to make sure he doesn’t spend more than what is in his account. The whole encounter just felt so negative. I kept thinking to myself that she would never have treated me this way, why is it okay to treat my son this way? It was all about assumptions.   Read more...

We woke up yesterday in El Centro and headed into Calexico to see the graveyard where the unidentified migrants found in that area are buried. They are found by the border patrol and taken to the County Coroner's Office and then sent to this grave site. I had contacted Calexico's Coroner's Office last month to see if they would grant me an interview during this trip. They politely declined. The officer I spoke to said he was "suspicious" of what I was doing, a doctor traveling with musicians to the border to do a project.

"Suspicious"--of what? Making music? Or practicing medicine? Of forming my own opinions based upon my reading, questioning and experience? Probably all of it.   Read more...

Talking to the cemetary groundskeeper in el centro, It hit home just how over-politicized immigration has become. It is what politicians and pundits call a "wedge issue".

At one point he said "they're not bad people. They just want to work." and then "no offense, but you don't see white people in the fields picking crops. They don't want those jobs."   Read more...

I'm up early this morning in El Centro. We drove here last night from Tijuana. The rest of our time in Tijuana was profound.

I met a young man who was in the sick room at the Casa del Migrante. His name is Roman Tlapa Ortiz. He's 22 years old and will likely never walk properly again. He had originally crossed the border into the US when he was 16 years old to work in Los Angeles as a metal worker. He made $12/hour working 40 hours a week and sent most of that money home to his family. In Mexico, the same kind of labor would pay him anywhere between $5-15 a day.   Read more...

We made it Tijuana yesterday and spent the end of the day at the beach, talking with people who were preparing to cross the border and taking photos of the place where the US-Mexico border enters the water. It was amazing to talk with this one man who was waiting for night to fall before he and his wife tried to cross along the beach. She is 6 months pregnant and they have 3 other children who were born and live in the US who they were trying to rejoin after having been deported. The openness of the people we spoke to was wonderful. They felt it was important to simply tell their stories and it felt good to receive them with open minds.   Read more...

Rupa & the April Fishes is a San Francisco-based, folk rock/latin fusion band described as "slinky, fevered, hypnotic and intoxicating." Recently, they've begun a socio-musical tour along the US Mexico border, from Tijuana to Texas and beyond. The tour, "Por La Frontera," will include an across-the-border concert, with half the band playing in Tijuana and half in San Diego. Each concert in the tour will be a multi-media event that combines music with video projections created by documentary photographer Lars Howlett.   Read more...

In my childhood home, we had two items that my mother put on display every spring. They were a pair of trees. The stems were made of twisted silver fibers, while the blossoms were of transparent pink glass. The light shimmering through those weeping branches created an aura of mystery and magical beauty. My mother explained they came from far away Japan, which made them all the more special for us small-town children in that era before Internet and easy world travel.

Years later, I ended up living in that Far Eastern culture, whose seeds had been planted in my psyche at such an early age. And every spring when I see the gracious weeping cherries here, I remember my family’s lovely glass trees.   Read more...

Do you read the ezine Greater Good? The issue that arrived in my inbox last week had two titles that intrigued me: “Why is there Peace?” and “You talkin’ to me?” Of course, I eagerly clicked on things till the first article came up. My reading slowed as I understood the topic. Same for the second article. Why?

Because they were both about nonviolence.   Read more...

Is Love truly a rapture that transforms the very core of one’s being? Is it as deep, transcendent and incredible, as the writers and poets would have us believe?

The question of "what is love?" has put the imaginations of the greatest poets and philosophers in a spin for more than two thousand years and they are still groping for a definite answer… Love, if you ask me, is fundamentally unknowable. The greatest mystery of humankind. Elusive. Hard to define and confine.   Read more...

In 2004, a friend gave me the debut album of the English guitar rock band, Razorlight. I was immediately struck by the energy of the music. Enthusiastic music, every song getting to a wild climax. 3 years later, they released their second album and this time the music press caught them and wrote them up to the sky. They became very popular and played all over the world in ten-thousand-people halls. A promising future ahead of 4 young musicians. Now, 5 years later, the press has dropped them already, (they found new heroes) and Razorlight does not even sell out the 1,000-person venue where I am watching them tonight.

But still… their music is full of energy, the musicians play like every song is their last song, like the have to give all their energy. The crowd hardly moves, the audience doesn’t sing the songs along like they did 2 years ago, but still… they are playing like this could be their last contribution to the world.   Read more...

I loved this photograph I found on a blog called One Million Peace Signs. The commentary asks, “Who’s peacing who?” Reflections of peace in two mirrors, and one of the reflectors is also the photographer!

Peace, my friend, often requires reflection, a luxury for many of us whose lives are too scheduled to make time for such an activity of Being, not doing.   Read more...

Alec, the online intern at Ode, posed this question to me a few weeks ago when we stopped by for a lunch-hour hello and some awesome eats with the rest of the amazing gang at Ode in Mill Valley!

Alec’s question is one Steph and I get asked a lot in our presentations, a lot like some of the honest questions from our pint-sized eco warriors, the elementary school kids! Since they're curious about the run's details, they ask “where do you guys sleep” or, “where do you go to the bathroom?” I love the straight-shooting questions of an 8 year old. We also get asked, how long do we run each day, how much food do we eat and our personal favorite, how many days did it take to get ready for the biggest journey of our lives, thus far?   Read more...

The main thing I love about unschooling my kids is that they have the opportunity to try out many different things at their own pace. I love the idea of them discovering who they are and what they love to do. They do not have to start and stop activities when someone else tells them to. If they start something and hate it, they stop. They don't have to stick it out or finish what they started. I don't want them to learn that the world is a negative place, I want them to learn that they don't have to do things that make them miserable and unhappy. I hear people saying, “but they will have to learn that lesson!” Will they?   Read more...

About a two weeks ago, we found ourselves in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It was one of those days that I'll never forget.   Read more...

Through reviews of her lovely books, I have become email friends with one of our national treasures, Ruth Gendler. Part of the service she performs for humanity is in our schools. She brings her artistry into classrooms and inspires the talents and imaginations of our youth who, in my opinion, sorely need it.

One of Ruth’s delicious books is called The Book of Qualities. It inspires me and it inspires her work in the schools. Children write what Ruth calls, “Qualities.” Knowing of my commitment to peace, Ruth sent me this poem by third-grader Alex Trux. She was writing on the quality of Peace. We have permission from Alex’s mother to quote her astonishing writing.   Read more...

Several years ago, I wrote about my friend Ichinohe, the healer. Since that essay appeared, my beloved friend has gone through many profound changes. One time, when I went for a massage, he said, “I know my body very well. There is something wrong with me. I must go for a check-up.” And sure enough, that investigation revealed a beautiful, perfectly formed spiral pattern of teeny cells spread out across the lining of his intestines. Cancer. When he told me about it, he said, “The doctor was amazed. He had never seen anything like it. And indeed, it was magnificent. It looked like the galaxies. It formed a perfect, balanced arrangement.”

I personally felt that orderliness came from Ichinohe’s years of meditation and deep spiritual attunement. But why cancer? Why something so lethal for someone who had devoted his life to healing others?   Read more...

As the title states, we found ourselves yesterday in Ukiah, California, blending old world tradition with street realities by way of two school presentations within one event day.

The night before we’d time-traveled back 3,000 years to sleep in ancient China at the Buddhist Community called 10,000 Buddhas. We were lulled to sleep by the distant calls of peacocks looking for their partner to sleep for the night in the trees above where we parked. It’s the craziest feeling, as we instantly were transported backwards thousands of years when we entered the compound’s massive wooden gates, guarding what felt like an ancient, sacred place. Check out the pictures!   Read more...

At least three mornings a week, Samantha (my spouse) and I go to the Colombo Swimming Club, a quiet private place for some exercise and a swim. I enjoy this morning routine and use the back garden to stretch, jog and use the bars. However, over the last two years this routine has been disturbed by a battle that I have with a bunch of crows, which, I presume, are not happy about me entering their space.

It all began when one bird attacked me while I exercised. I then hit back with stones and shooed them away and thought it was sorted. Not so. The next morning was a shocker. As I entered the garden I felt a bad vibe in the air and sure enough there must have been over a hundred crows - they were waiting for me. They got into a noisy formation and dived at me. I have been in some major scrapes in my life with fellow humans, but this scared the hell out of me. The gang leader looked mean, would sharpen its beak on the wire it was on and swoop down on me with others following. I saved myself from a major assault by running for cover under a roof. I reluctantly skipped my exercise routine and jumped in the pool in dismay, but the gang agitated the entire time I was there. It took me a few days to get back to the club again so I thought the dust would have settled, but not at all. This time there were not so many, but they kept diving down at me in intervals, so I had to get aggressive. That morning I got my exercise shouting, running at them and throwing rocks to take control of my space.   Read more...

Maeve (rhymes with rave), the magnificent Magdalen, is back! She is ever so welcome.

The third novel of The Maeve Chronicles, Bright Dark Madonna, tells the story of the third chapter in the life of the Celtic Magdalen. It takes us through the formation and establishment of the early church, and it tells the heart-breaking (to me) story of how Mary Mags, as she is known in my house, got written out of herstory.   Read more...

In the Spring of 2007, I was invited to a local hotel in Iraq where some Iranian musician-friends were relaxing after a big concert they had just given. I was asked to bring my guitar and a nice meet-and-greet erupted into a Western-gospel-folk-meets-Iranian-folk-orchestra explosion in the lobby of the hotel. While belting out Eastern versions of Western standards, I took note of the Iranian tar player's shoes - a white pair of hand-knit works of art that screamed "Persian rock star." The band took me to buy my own pair of these famous shoes the very next day. And thus began my fascination with the klash.   Read more...

World peace begins with our children. Emotionally healthy children grow into emotionally healthy adults. Emotionally healthy children learn inner peace. Children that grow up feeling inner peace become peaceful adults. To begin the process, we need to make sure that all children grow up with positive messages streaming through their psyches. This doesn’t mean praising children and giving them affirmations that don’t come across as being authentic. Children can feel whether or not a person is being authentic with them. For this reason, the verbal messages and the non-verbal messages are equally important. We can "tell" our children how wonderful they are, but if we are not in the moment with them, listening to them and really being attentive to their needs, they receive an entirely different message.   Read more...

As part of the process of producing the reading of PeaceWomen, we needed a program that had the pictures of the Laureates. We also needed to give credit to the actors who were donating their time to honor World Theatre Day and these women. Because the pictures took up so much space, we had to truncate their bios, so I asked each one to describe their relationship to Tufts, and then to finish this sentence:

To me, peace is . . .

Twelve actors plus one director plus me, the playwright, equaled 14 completely different answers! How could it not?   Read more...

It’s Run For One Planet Tour Day #325, and we find ourselves in San Luis Obispo, California.

The road has been long and filled with every imaginable scenario and challenge since we put our first steps forward on May 4th, 2008 back in Vancouver. We knew it wouldn’t be an easy journey. Putting oneself out there beyond the normal zone of comfort always brings about the greatest tests—and the greatest rewards for sticking to it.   Read more...

Blessed Ode Family, I received this email from Avaaz today, and signed the petition. Won’t you join me to help free Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from her many years of house arrest?

Burmese pro-democracy leader and Nobel peace prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, has spent 13 years detained by the Burmese military junta. She and thousands of fellow monks and students have been imprisoned for bravely challenging their brutal regime with calls for democracy. This week a glimmer of hope has risen for their release, and it's time for us to stand with them.

There are many people I know who just shudder at the thought of being alone. For them, it is akin to being lonely, abandoned, unloved and even rejected by the world at large. Being basically a loner, I am often given funny labels for my intrinsic need to be alone most of the time. Hermit, reclusive, ‘solitary reaper’, self indulgent, weirdo... as you can see, it doesn’t get any better.

Believe me, it is not exactly pretty to explain that ‘alone is not lonely’ but a rather blessed state, and I love my solitude as much as the company of few good people in my life. Some people freak out when I tell them that I frequently go for a movie alone, eat at a restaurant alone and often set out on a vacation alone, without needing or wanting anyone’s company. And I do not consider myself unlovable or rejected by the world when I am enjoying a solitary lunch at my favourite café.   Read more...

Everybody likes to get something for free, right? I would like to give you something for free. This is for everybody, not just those with "school-age" children. I want to give you the freedom to unschool yourself and/or your kids for one day. It might feel overwhelming to some people to imagine taking the leap into unschooling, but for just one day it might seem doable.

Here is what I am thinking. For just one day, maybe on a Saturday or Sunday, let yourself follow your heart. How many times have you wanted to do something but stopped yourself because you "had to" go here or there, or do this or that. How many times have you talked yourself out of doing something because the little voice in your head told you to stop thinking that way, it is childish, or that you "shouldn't" want to do something like that? I wonder how often you are aware of doing this to yourself? So, you get a free pass to listen to those whims and follow those dreams. See where it leads you. A passion from long ago might be reignited.   Read more...

Jin Aizawa is a very jolly man. He has short trimmed hair and a bright smile. His energy pops. He never walks, rather he dashes, always with a purpose to please. Jin is the third-generation owner of a noodle shop. His grandparents began this family enterprise in 1927. At that time it consisted of a box on the side of the main shopping street. They would whip up noodle dishes to passers-by who wanted a quick pick-me-up on their day in town. His grandfather died before his grandmother, but she loved her customers and her shop, so she kept the place open on her own. She was successful, so in 1957, she was able to buy the building behind her small stall. That enabled her to expand her business considerably.

The shop’s name is “Sen”, which was his grandmother’s name. I asked about the Chinese character for “Sen”, but Jin told me that in those days women’s names did not use Chinese characters. They used either the hiragana or katakana phonetic scripts. So, even to this day, the restaurant’s name, “Sen,” is in hiragana.   Read more...

My name is Matt and I am currently running across Canada and around the perimeter of America with my partner in crime, Steph, to inspire action for a healthier planet. We are called Run For One Planet.   Read more...

No, the title isn’t a typo. PeaceWomen is the name of a theatre piece I wrote about the female Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Since 1901, twelve women have won the Nobel Peace Prize. Just twelve. Their writings and their lives fascinate me.

Because I, too, Nobel Laureate or not, am a peacewoman, I spent many years reading the words of these women, and because of my theatre background, it made sense to me to create a solo performance piece as an opportunity for a dedicated performer. So far I haven’t found that actor, but I will.   Read more...

Fifty People, One Question: Washington D.C. from B-Rilla on Vimeo.

This is our second Fifty People, One Question video. We don't do this in every city we go to. We do this in the cities I believe have the most diverse group of people and the cities that have a large impact on their state and on this country.   Read more...

After lots of media attention, radio interviews, spreading fliers and inviting looooots of people, the 19th Sencity event takes place!

The day is 40 degrees Celsius with no wind, but our crew keeps working to have everything set up. After liters of water, sun block and many many jokes being told, we open only 5 minutes after the scheduled time, 8 pm, which is a world record for us!

Immediately the crowd comes in—900 people will show up. Half are deaf, half hearing; half white, half black; half rich, half township.   Read more...

We unschool our kids. Many people might not know what this means. I didn't know what it meant either. I knew that when my kids were toddlers, I could not stand the thought of sending them to school. I did not want to be away from them, nor did I feel it was an idea that they would be happy about. We had so much fun being together, that my husband and I asked ourselves, “Why should we send them if we don't have to?” We wanted them to keep their sense of curiosity, and to always feel that learning is fun.   Read more...

“Dona Lucy wants to read your coca leaves,” Sergio informs me. Inside the building at Chakarunas, shaman Dona Lucy sits in a chair with a bag of coca leaves. She is short, cheerful, red-faced and terrifically friendly. I ask her questions. Previously I paid little attention to the coca leaf readings, but then dona Lucy nailed a piece of improbable and very specific information, and I have listened more carefully since. Will a medicine hunter TV show happen this year? What about the maca business? What else does she see? She studies leaves lying in her lap. “Yes, the TV show will happen soon,” she tells me. Dona Lucy brandishes a handful of green coca leaves. “See this? You will have lots of money.” She laughs and squints at the leaves and tosses them again onto the lap of her skirt. She looks at Sergio and me. “And you two will walk many miles together.”    Read more...

My title is the name of a video interview of Deepak Chopra with New Realities host Alan Steinfeld done on January 8, 2009. It’s long, and the first twenty minutes are the best. Give it to yourself as a lunch hour.   Read more...

Now that the first round of HIV awareness workshops is over, we go full speed ahead towards the event.

Full speed ahead, that means as far as the weather will allow us. They are expecting 40° Celsius, and hardly any wind. Therefore, we all woke up at 6 am - which is a weird idea for a northern European production team, knowing that we will go on till 8 am the next day. But knowing that you will take a swim in the Antarctic cold ocean in the afternoon while you might have 2000 visitors at 9 pm, gives an extra thrill as well.

So here I am again: next trip, next continent.

This time in South Africa. Another Sencity event, another music event for deaf people - and hearing people. Together with an aromajockey, videojockey, vibrating floors, light artists, signdancers and several other artists, we are going to create an amazing experience in the center of Capetown. One year of preparation is about to come to a climax. A team of three project leaders has been working for 6 months together with the local community and deaf society to turn this event to a big success.   Read more...

I heard Father Pierce before I met him. He has a loud ooogaaah horn that bays out his presence as he coasts down country lanes or town streets. He also has a deep, uninhibited belly laugh that shudders happily out of him. That laugh always brings a startled response to all in earshot. He himself cuts a commanding presence with his abundant beard and imaginative attire, replete with wide suspenders. Why hide in the shadows when there is a message to proclaim? And part of that message comes through the man himself, through actions as much as words.

Nathaniel Pierce is an Episcopal priest in a rural area of Maryland, USA. However, he did not start out wanting to be in the clergy. “When I was in high school,” he explained, “it was post Sputnik and the push was towards science. It was seen as the be-all-end-all.”

I was pleased to hear from Ode commenter Tim Collardey. He’s written a new ebook about peace called If Flowers Can Grow in Alaska... Creating a More Peaceful World One Person at a Time. His website is www.walkthepeace.com.

His free ebook asks the seminal question of the spiritual life: do I practice what I preach? Do my spiritual values shine through my behaviors? Am I living the spiritual life I say I want to be living? Collardey’s personal challenge centered on the issues of peace and non-violence.

Staying present while we are parenting can be difficult at times. Our kids are such good teachers. They are able to create situations to help us grow as parents. We can be sure that when we are having a strong reaction to a situation involving our kids, there is something within us that needs to be healed. If we are mindful, we are able to grow and heal. If we are not mindful, we have knee jerk reactions that can keep us stuck in the box of parenting from reaction instead of presence. Mindful parenting helps us heal our own emotional wounds, so that nurturing our children comes from a healthier place.

We are all busy these days, and it is easy to get caught up in the, “hurry up, let's go here”, or the “hurry up, we are going to be late” syndrome. What is the reaction to the child that is not in a hurry, one that is really enjoying what she is engaged in, one that is in the present moment? Obviously, there are times when we have to be somewhere at a certain time, parents that need to be at work, etc. However, what about the times when we think we have to be somewhere, when we have it in our minds that there is no choice? This is the time to practice mindful parenting and thinking outside the box. Some books may tell us to offer rewards for the child's cooperation, or offer them a bribe, or maybe you might resort to the reaction you would have gotten when you were a child. Some of these things appear to work. For instance, the parent got what they wanted since the child went along with the plan. Success, right? At what expense to the parent-child relationship?   Read more...

B-Rilla on Vimeo.

Fifty People, One Question is a simple project with surprising results. Go to a place, ask fifty people the same question and film their responses.

The hardest part about exercising is not deciding what to do - it's actually sticking with it. Everyone is excited and motivated when they first start a new workout training schedule, but it's easy to lose passion over time.

Unless you're in the small minority of people who have more money than they know what to do with, the thought of totally wasting cash is properly motivating so "put your money where you mouth is."

The thing I liked best about Susan Skog’s Beliefnet Gallery, 10 Ways to Bring Peace to the World, is the structure of her title. So often our thoughts about peace are about how to bring the world to peace. Instead, she flips that on its head. How can we bring peace to the world?

It’s a great question because lots of us feel that peace is too big a task for one person. The logic goes: well, it doesn’t really matter whether I do what I can for peace or not because it’s such a big job that what difference can little ol’ me make? A big difference. A big, big difference. And it’s a lot of little ol’ mes taking daily time and making daily choices for peace that will add up to the Big Peace on Earth.

I like to imagine a world in which every human being is treated with respect, kindness, and unconditional love. I believe that our world is shifting in a way that this dream of mine can become reality. I think we are ready to shift our relationships with other people so that the emptiness that many of us feel will transform into deeper connections.

When my children were born 11 years ago (I have twins), I thought that I would parent them in the same way that I saw many other people parenting their children. And, in fact, the same way I was parented. I soon came to realize that this way didn't feel right in my heart. I wanted to follow my intuition and really listen to what my children needed. When I trusted, things went smoothly. When I didn't trust, and instead, listened to an "expert", or resorted to my own conditioning, things didn't work so well.   Read more...

The economic doom-mongers have ceased getting to me at last. How about you? Are economic forecasts scaring you? Have the job losses in the U.S. gotten to you? Are you buying the collective scaredy-cat vision of the future? Has someone you know lost money in the market?

Relax. You’re not alone. The news is everywhere and it’s hard not to buy into it.   Read more...

Winston Churchill said, “If you are going through hell, keep going.”

This phrase enforces that when the going gets tough, when you are in rough waters; keep your courage, your strength and fight until you achieve victory over the situation that is creating ‘hell’ in your life.   Read more...

Yutaka Miyazaki is a special person. He is a doctor in a small town in northern Japan. Even though his home life is rural, his heart is as wide as the earth, and his heart is as deep as compassion will allow.

Dr. M could have opened his own clinic and served his community’s colds, flus, hay fevers, and general ailments, as many with his training do here. But instead of following that conventional route, Dr. M decided to devote his life to promoting the welfare of people who are physically and mentally challenged.   Read more...

I learned about this from the World Peace Emerging newsletter, and it so struck me that even though I had planned another post, I pushed that one to next week in order to share this wonderful idea.

Here’s a little from their website:   Read more...

T.R.E. Frankel's from B-Rilla on Vimeo.

My friend told me this once: "Start your day, with a moment of gratitude."   Read more...

By many alternative thinkers starting your own business is associated with capitalism, ambition, materialism and "success". This certainly has a lot to do with it but there is much more to it than that. I can confirm as I've been working on my own startup for over a year now. We are making a web site where users can recommend web sites within their self defined area of expertise.

It should have been ready several months back, but we're not there yet. I can assure you that it is a challenge and that your self esteem, your ideas and values, your courage, persistence and mental and emotional stability are being tested. See some of the spiritual issues I faced:   Read more...

T.R.E Mike Kershnar from B-Rilla on Vimeo.

In times of real trouble, I found that people usually ditch their dreams, their aspirations, and their passions.   Read more...

Someone, no idea who, sent me this story via email years ago, and I seem to have kept it for just this moment.

There was a woman who wanted peace in the world and peace in her heart and all sorts of good things, but she was very frustrated. The world seemed to be falling apart. She would read the newspapers and get depressed.   Read more...

Drink more tea. When the whole Starbucks craze started, I always felt left out when my girlfriends wanted to meet for coffee because while I love the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, the taste makes me gag and cringe. But then a friend turned me onto hot tea, and things have never been the same since.

I love hot tea for many reasons. For one, it has turned out to be my herbal Xanax. It calms me when I'm feeling anxious, and comforts me when I'm having a rough day. I'm known for being freezing cold at all times, so I enjoy holding a hot mug while reading a book or people watching. These are all of my emotional reasons for drinking tea, but here are 10 health reasons to make the switch!

• Tea contains antioxidants that protect your body from the ravages of aging and the effects of pollution.
• Tea has less caffeine than coffee. An eight-ounce cup of coffee contains around 135 mg caffeine; tea contains only 30 to 40 mg per cup. If drinking coffee gives you the jitters, causes indigestion or headaches or interferes with sleep -- switch to tea.
• Tea may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Drinking tea may help keep your arteries smooth and clog-free, the same way a drain keeps your bathroom pipes clear.
• Tea protects your bones. It's not just the milk added to tea that builds strong bones. One study that compared tea drinkers with non-drinkers, found that people who drank tea for 10 or more years had the strongest bones, even after adjusting for age, body weight, exercise, smoking and other risk factors.
  Read more...

I am filming a nationwide documentary about our current economic state. It is an unique and an exciting time; we are on the verge of making a difference and impacting our future in a huge way. I want to ask the question: What’s next?

From January 24 to April 30, I will visit the major, most impoverished cities in the United States, from Los Angeles to New York. I will interview everyday Americans: rich, poor, black, white, etc. I will interview students, families, and single adults. In addition, a large portion of the story will be the voices of both small businesses and large corporations. Businesses are shutting down and laying off. Recently, Sharper Image shutdown all major operations; DHL is closing down all domestic operations; Citigroup laid off 53,000 jobs; Chrysler shutdown their plants for a month. And I got laid off on December 5th, 2008. I subsequently applied for unemployment for the first time on December 8th, 2008. We all share a common story– I am going to capture and share that story.   Read more...

Wise men say that one must never lose hope even in times of great crisis.

True, hope is a glorious emotion to feel. It can bring excitement and some form of marvel to life. Hope can be a tremendous motivator.   Read more...

I will start my day with mindfulness. Renew my license to dream.

Refocus. I will not call my problem a problem. I will call it a challenge.   Read more...

Motivation will not magically happen. Your motivation will change from day to day. You have to recommit to your goals each day, tweak them to fit changes in your lifestyle and attitude and find new ways to motivate yourself over the course of your life.

If you're sitting on the couch watching Oprah's Best Life episodes while eating Kashi cookies dipped in melted Hershey's kisses from Halloween (don't even laugh - it happens) and waiting to feel "motivated" to head to the gym, you are fooling yourself.   Read more...

The Sunday after the dawn of 2009, Beliefnet.com ran this wonderful gallery called Inner Peace on Earth. I loved the idea of the earth itself creating inner peace. I have often thought that the drastic weather phenomena we are experiencing all over the planet are Her attempts at reestablishing Her own balance, and what is balance but another name for inner peace?

Ruth Fishel is the marvelously inspired author of Peace in Our Hearts, Peace in the World: Meditations of Hope and Healing. On the eight screens of her gallery, she shares the affirmations below. Any one of them is a window into the magical house of peace within.   Read more...

I often wonder how we can solve the social upheaval we are seeing all over the world. As an individual I feel a sense of helplessness. Yet I see so many good things happening too driven by wonderful people based on love, compassion and sound values. These people seem well balanced emotionally and spiritually. So, how do we reconcile these with those who espouse hatred, who are emotionally volatile and violent ?

It appears that we have to go back to basics – ‘the mother - child connection’.   Read more...

Okay, it’s time, I have to write. Since I have been asked to be a blogger for Ode when the magazine went online I sent in a staggering two entries. Being too busy while setting up The Hub in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, being my main excuse. But now I feel the urge to do something, because I have to, because I’m done feeling like I am a bystander with no influence. I’m talking about getting involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

I am an Israeli by birth, and have lived there until I was seven years old. My education and field of work is, perhaps not entirely incidentally, in peace-building. My mission is to prove that we are better together, we know more, we can do more, and we can come up with more holistic and sustainable solutions.   Read more...

To my sincere delight, I received an email last week from The Peace Alliance saying that we, the change.org voters, had done it! The establishment of a U. S. Department of Peace was a whopping number two on the top ten list of recommendations that will be presented to President Obama on Inauguration Day.

I whooped when I saw it but probably not for the reason you think. Yes, I’m glad that Peace will have a front seat at the presentation, but the thing that really blew my skirt up is that I am not alone in dreaming peace into reality for our Earth. Thousands of people heard about the opportunity to vote for peace on change.org, and those same thousands took that opportunity, ran with it, and told their peeps.   Read more...

There is an interesting medical company here in Japan. It is called Fujiyaki, which means Fuji Medicines. It was started after World War II by a man named Mr. Takayanagi. He realized that many people still were undernourished after the near starvation levels they had to maintain during the war. He knew they desperately needed vitamins and minerals. He also realized transport was minimal at best, especially in the rural areas. Of course, poor transportation added to the problem of proper nutrition. But he was a man of ingenuity. So, for him the difficult situation was a challenge that he eagerly embraced.

He collected a few people to help him and sent them out into the surrounding areas on foot. They carried their supplies on their backs and went from town to town, village to village, farm house to farm house selling their wares. All the ingredients were natural and affordable. At that time, they all came from Japan.   Read more...

"Happiness does not come from success, success comes from happiness" - Buddha

I do that. I have a concept of success in my mind: business man, spiritual, no negative thoughts and feelings, no fear or complaining, confident, loving, beautiful and strong. I believe that if I have that I'll be happy. I'm regularly not happy because of it.   Read more...

Stop wasting your time following someone else's plan for you. Make your own plan based on realistic changes because if you can't follow your chosen diet for the rest of your life, you're wasting precious time.

Most people who go on diets gain back any of the weight that they've lost. This is because it is very difficult to maintain a strict eating regiment and because dieting often disrupts our bodies' natural metabolism.   Read more...

Willpower is fine for short-term progress, but long-term success requires planning and finding ways to feel motivated daily.

In the past, a lack of willpower has been blamed for causing us to fall off the diet wagon, but new research indicates that trying to will your way to long-term success rarely gets the job done. Willpower is finite, and when you're stressed, tired or even bored, you can easily hit the limit in terms of "I will not eat that brownie. I will NOT eat that brownie. I WILL not eat that brownie..."-type thinking.   Read more...

We already have all the proof, all the info and all the resources. When will we do it? We don’t need to learn anything extra to accomplish it. When will we, collectively, stand up and say YES, TODAY WE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD FOR GOOD AND FOR ALL!

There are so many examples around to show that it can be done. That all our problems are self invented and self undoable. We don’t need BMW’s, iPods and Armani jeans. We need cheap green cars (only a matter of scaling), more people playing the guitar and singing on the streets and hemp trousers. These are all sustainable, higher in “enjoyability” and cheaper. We need decent education where children are not condemned based on their grades, but stimulated to discover, create and be bold. We need natural and healthy foods, sports, meditation and a holistic health care system for all. It would mean a happier planet, with about a fifth of the medical costs.   Read more...

Every choice for peace is really a vote for peace whether anyone is tallying the votes or not. I was so pleased to be able to cast my vote for peace where the results would be tallied. Change.org is the sponsor of this vote; its results allegedly go straight to President-Elect Obama.

The Campaign to establish a U. S. Department of Peace sent me this in an email:   Read more...

“Life doesn’t give you the people you want; instead it gives you the ones you need: to teach you, to hurt you, to love you- to make you exactly the way you should be ”

When we find someone we feel we can connect to in some ways, we are filled with indefinable, rather vague expectations regarding that person. These expectations remain deep inside our sub consciousness, despite our apparent denial.   Read more...

All throughout Japanese history, and up until recently, most people here lived in flimsy wooden houses that were packed closely together. Small fires were used for heating and cooking. Times have changed, of course, but even now most homes have kerosene heaters, which allow one room at a time to glow with precious warmth. The other rooms remain icy cold. In fact, in the region where I live most people sleep with no heat. In this day and age that is quite remarkable considering how cold Japan becomes in winter.

Since Japan is a country that trembles readily with frequent earthquakes, this heating arrangement of kerosene heaters is extremely dangerous. To keep vigilant watch, small fire trucks roam the streets on a regular basis, clanging their reassuring bell as they pass.   Read more...

I have gathered all my peace posts from Ode’s Readers Blog, and put them in a small PDF book, Dr. Susan Corso’s Peace Posts from Ode Magazine’s Readers Blog downloadable for free from my website..

Below you will read a list of people and organizations who influenced my thoughts, words and deeds toward peace since I started writing for Ode a year and a half ago. First, I was shocked at how many. 444! Then I realized—of course! I can’t be the only one thinking this way. We’re all connected.   Read more...

The New Year has arrived. It's time to snuggle and cuddle. To make new wishes; to renew, recharge, refresh and revise. It's that time of the year once again, when every one of us look forward to at least some changes in our lives. We make resolutions that we will lose weight, learn at least one new skill, worry less, exercise more, control our anger and kiss fewer frogs...

With the advent of a new year, new hopes are born, and we secretly wish that this year magic would happen; our life would improve, we will have more money, more success, better career, new house.   Read more...

The artwork you see above is by Ruth Gendler. She is an artist, poet, author and teacher based in Berkeley, California. Because of a review I wrote of her book Notes on the Need for Beauty: An Intimate Look at Essential Quality in these pages, we have been in touch. At the end of November, she sent me the poem/prayer you may savor below. I cried when I read it.   Read more...

Oh…how painful it was to discover one day, that snowman melts in the sun. That bruised hearts do not heal as fast as skinned knees. That Sean Connery is unattainable. And, that there is no Santa Claus!

The disappointments were much more when I was growing up emotionally, like happiness is so fickle and pain is so inflexible. That sex is just a consolation for not having love. The recurring disappointments of ‘Ah…I thought he was “the one”.   Read more...

The United States has a National Christmas Tree. Did you know that? I didn’t, and I probably would never have learned of except that in addition to the tree there are 56 smaller trees which make a Pathway of Peace.

The website says, “Since 1923, the United States has held a tradition of lighting a National Christmas Tree in Washington, DC. In 1978, a live 40-foot Colorado blue spruce was transplanted from York, Pennsylvania to its present site on the Ellipse, the grassy area south of the White House. In 1954, a "Pathway of Peace," 56 smaller, decorated trees representing all 50 states, five territories, and the District of Columbia were planted surrounding the National Christmas Tree. Each year sponsoring organizations from each state provide tree decorations that are encased in a protective plastic globe to shield it from the weather.”   Read more...

Recently I went hiking with three other people. When we were at the summit, one of the men, whom I had just met that day, mentioned his grandson. This child was born very prematurely, weighing 690 grams at birth. He was in an incubator for months and even now, over a year later, he breathes with tubes up his nose because his lungs are too weak and underdeveloped to support him. Even though this youngster is not yet able to walk, he is growing, is alert, and seems quite bright.

“I’m waiting for the day when my grandson will be well enough and old enough to go hiking with me. I want to share with him the important things of life, the things I love.”   Read more...

I have been a big fan of the work and person of Barbara Winter and her Winning Ways newsletter for many years. I even had the joy of dining with her on one of her many visits to New York City. Barbara is a leading expert on fulfilling work.

If you are an entrepreneur or a wannabe entrepreneur or a I-might-want-to-be-an-entrepreneur-when-I-grow-up, Barbara’s work is for you!   Read more...

They often press their little faces upon the closed windows of the cars that stop at traffic signals. Their snotty noses, dirty feet and vanquished faces tell their story without many words. These are the street children who beg at traffic signals, running between cars and other vehicles and braving the harsh Delhi winter in tattered clothes and bare feet.

India has the largest population of street children in the world. At least eighteen million children live or work on the streets of urban India, laboring as porters at bus or railway terminals; as mechanics in informal auto-repair shops; as vendors of food, tea, or handmade articles; as street tailors; or as rag pickers, picking through heaps of garbage and selling usable materials to local buyers.   Read more...

We have, once again (and so quickly!) reached the natural season of the darkest dark which can herald only one thing: the return of the light. The holy-days of all spiritual practices at this time of year are about light.

For some reason, I am especially conscious of approaching the darkest dark this year. There are just under two weeks till the cycle of light begins to grow again and the darkness is somehow more pungent, more poignant this year.

Certainly, the world economy has something to do with it. I find that I am unwilling to buy “things” just for the sake of having gifts for friends and family. So I was thrilled to discover an organization called Changing the Present where amongst their wonderful Choose A Cause list, peace takes a prominent place. My eyes, of course, went right to it.   Read more...

Going to the bank can be tedious anywhere. But when you are in a foreign country with limited language skills, it can be very challenging indeed. Despite having lived here for years, I am ashamed to say that my Japanese feebly stumbles along. I can shop and get about, talk to doctors and converse on the phone if the vocabulary is simple and the pronunciation clear. I can even manage interviews for odemagazine.com. My grammar is atrocious, but I can get my ideas across. Mostly. When it comes to precision and technical terms, I am in deep water, barely able to stay afloat. Such is a constant challenge, but a great chance to stretch beyond my current limits.

Periodically I send money overseas. When I travel, I make friends. And I often end up helping send kids to school, assisting with medical expenses, or even sponsoring small business ventures. I am delighted to do this within my humble means. But the process of getting funds from here to there can be a true test of patience. There are millions of forms, of course, with specific ways to be completed. Inevitably I make mistakes, so often have to redo everything from the beginning. Several times. The poor man helping me is a saint, explaining and re-explaining, pointing and re-pointing how I must give information. But my brain does not fit into precise little boxes. So, the entire process can take hours.   Read more...

Since the early 80's, I have known many people who have both lived and died with HIV/AIDS. Working in the Broadway theater at the onset of the epidemic gave me a unique view of the effect of the virus within an industrial microcosm.

In general, those I knew and know who have had or have HIV/AIDS respond in one of two ways. Either they deplore both the disease and themselves becoming bitter, hurt and hurting people, or they use their diagnoses as a springboard for personal transformation.   Read more...