Season of Nonviolence - Day 61

Welcome to Day 61 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 61: PEACE

“Practice watering seeds of joy and peace and not just seeds of anger and violence, and the elements of war in all of us will be transformed,” says Thich Nhat Hanh.   You water seeds of anger and violence by deciding to stay angry and act violently.  You water seeds of joy and peace by deciding to be peaceful, no matter what is happening to you.  Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work.  It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart, and then respond in a nonviolent way.  

"Mankind must remember that peace is not God's gift to his creatures; peace is our gift to each other." ~ Elie Wiesel

Today:  I choose to meet each experience with an intention for peace.  I will be aware of any feelings of anger or irritation and replace the feeling with calm.  I envision any areas of unrest transformed into safe havens for all people.  I see beyond conflict and discord to the truth: peace is everywhere present and active.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 60

Welcome to Day 60 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 60: WITNESSING

“We are each other’s bond,” writes poet Gwendolyn Brooks.  Those who practice nonviolence cannot close their eyes to injustice or cruelty.  We are here to be a witness for justice and compassion.  Those who practice nonviolence look at injustice or cruelty and know that it is possible for the situation to be different.  You can stand up for truth by your presence, your words and your actions, and by doing so, make a difference.  

 

Today:  When I see injustice, I will say or take action to bring about a peaceful change.  I will write down my thoughts about the action I took, and share this with another person.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 59

Welcome to Day 59 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 59: INTERVENTION

Alcohol and drug abuse are both a consequence of, and a cause of, violence.  You can make a difference in someone’s life through intervention.  

Today:  I will have the courage to intervene in a caring way with someone who is using alcohol or drugs.  Through my honest, straightforward, and nonviolent communication, I will encourage them to get educated, get help, get sober and free from substances. 

Season of Nonviolence - Day 58

Welcome to Day 58 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 58:CITIZENSHIP

Robert Muller, former Assistant Secretary General to the United Nations urges, “Use every letter you write, every conversation you have, every meeting you attend, to express your fundamental beliefs and dreams.” Make a difference in your community by becoming involved. 

To be a citizen means to help your community be the best it can be.  You are a member of many communities:  your family, your place of work or school, your place of worship, your city, your country, and the planet.  Participation in your community presents an opportunity to model nonviolent action, peaceful resolution, and how each of us can and do make a difference.

Today:  I will call or write one of my legislators and register my views.  I will tell at least three people of my efforts and ask them to do the same.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 57

Welcome to Day 57 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 57:SERVICE

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve …  you only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.”   How can you serve today?

 What really gives value to anything is its usefulness in serving others. Our life draws its value not from the money we make, or the prizes we win, or the power we wield over others, but from the service we give every day to add a little bit more to the happiness of our family and our community.  And when you serve, do it without thinking of getting anything in return. Do it as a service to the universe, not reluctantly, but with joy.  By doing so, you are a model to others, and add to a culture of nonviolence.

Today:  I will volunteer a minimum of two hours this week with an organization of my choice and share my commitment with at least one person.  I will do one thing today to help somebody at home, at school or work, or in my community, and then write a paragraph about the experience.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 56

Welcome to Day 56 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 56: SELF-SUFFICIENCY

People need the dignity of work and the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families.  Economic self-sufficiency is a requirement for a nonviolent world.  

 

 "Interdependence is and ought to be as much the ideal of man as self-sufficiency."
~ Mahatma Gandhi

For Gandhi, economic self-sufficiency - symbolized by the spinning wheel - was a vital element of independence from colonial rule and from oppressive economic conditions.

Today:  I will discover the satisfaction of making something for myself instead of buying something - and from spending time in self-sufficient quiet reflection or meditation.   If I know someone who is looking for employment, I will offer to assist them with a resume, an application, making phone calls, or practice interviewing.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 55

Welcome to Day 55 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 55: RESPONSIBILITY

The quality of your community starts with you.  Take responsibility wherever you are.   Whatever we are today is the result of what we have thought, spoken, and done in all the previous moments before now.  The responsibility for both present and future is in our own hands. If we live right today, then tomorrow will be right.  This applies to our physical, emotional and spiritual life; we each have the ultimate responsibility for our choices. 

 

 Today:  I will pick up trash that is not my own, whether at home, at the office or on the street.   If there is a conflict present in my life, I will take responsibility for my part in the conflict.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 54

Welcome to Day 54 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 54: GIVING

Practice generously giving by sharing time, talent, energy and material resources with others.  Whatever you give, do it without thinking of getting anything in return. Do it as a service, not reluctantly, but with joy.  That is a real gift.

 

 Whatever you give, be sure it is from the heart:  
“Not in what we give, but what we share,
For the gift without the giver is bare.”

Today:  I will clean out my closet, bureau drawers, or garage and give away things I'm not using.  I will give my time to a volunteer organization and my financial resources to a cause that supports and practices nonviolence.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 53

Welcome to Day 53 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 53: ACTION

“Each of us can work to change a small portion of events and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation” said Robert Kennedy.  Imagine what actions Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy would be taking if they were among us today.

Truly nonviolent action is centered in love and compassion.  Actions speak louder than words, it is said, yet it is not so much loudness as clarity and truth that matters; a gentle action can be far more powerful than a forceful one.  So, too, the smallest actions - those closest to home - can be more meaningful than those expressed from a distance.

Today:  I will explore actions from the heart I can take today to express my commitment to peace and nonviolence - in both my personal life and in the public domain.  I will find a way to make one small change that will contribute to the well being of my home, school, workplace or community. 

Season of Nonviolence - Day 52

Welcome to Day 52 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 52: EQUALITY

Have you ever noticed the groups of people who are under-represented in your activities and lifestyle?  The Constitution of the United States says that all people are equal, and all people have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Do you think everyone in our community is treated equally?  If not, what can you do to change this?

 

"Unless man is committed to the belief that all mankind are his brothers, then he labors in vain and hypocritically in the vineyards of equality." ~ Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.

When you recognize as your equals those with whom you disagree, true opportunities for dialogue emerge - opportunities that are denied when you think of yourself as better than, or less than, others.   Martin Buber wrote about the "I-Thou" connection, the ultimate equality, and the place from which nonviolence originates.

Today:  I will be mindful of ways that I see myself as better than others.  When I listen to people today, I will listen to them as equals; when I speak, I will speak to others as equals.  I will enrich my life by considering how I can invite different people and unusual experiences into my life today.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 51

Welcome to Day 51 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 51: ADVOCACY

“When someone stands up to violence” says Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, “a force for change is released.  Every action for peace requires someone to exhibit the courage to challenge violence and inspire love.”  Thich Nhat Hanh's life is about nonviolence, and ours can be too. 

When we choose to be an advocate for nonviolence and decide right now that we will be the one to stop the violence, we release peace into the world.    

Today:  I will be an ally. Without blaming or judging others, I will listen from my heart, and speak out with love for those who are disrespected, abused or not listened to.   I will find out how I can be an advocate in current conflicts, such as in The Sudan.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 50

Welcome to Day 50 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 50: CHOICE

Be aware of any jokes or remarks that show disrespect toward ethnic groups, women or men, classes of people, religious groups, or sexual orientation.  By being considerate of every person's dignity and by choosing not to participate in disrespectful communication, I am contributing to a nonviolent society. 

"The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Think only on those things that are in line with your principles and can bear the light of day.  The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you do is who you become.  Your integrity is your destiny - it is the light that guides your way." ~ Heraclitus
 
Do you think the statement “We always have a choice” is true?  Do you ever think that you don’t have a choice?  Do you ever think you must be violent?  Can you always choose nonviolence?

Today:  I will write about the choices I face throughout the day and on how they translate my commitment to nonviolence into my thoughts, words and actions.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 49

Welcome to Day 49 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 49: HONOR

"Those who are good and pure in conduct are honored wherever they go. The good shine like the Himalayas, whose peaks glisten above the rest of the world even when seen from a distance. " ~ The Buddha

People who are as described by Buddha, who work for the welfare of others, will be very deeply loved, respected and honored wherever they go. It is a simple law of human nature that we love the highest, that we emulate such people, and we want to lead the kind of life they lead. This is the saving grace of human nature: when we see someone who is patient, kind, forgiving, and forbearing, we recognize their nonviolent ways, because we too, have those qualities.  As we honor them, we honor ourselves.

Today:  A simple way to raise my awareness of honoring others is to do so at mealtime.  Before each meal today, I will stop to think about all the people involved with the food I eat and I will silently say to them, "I honor you."   Likewise, I will bless and honor the earth for its abundance.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 48

Welcome to Day 48 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 48: ECOLOGY

Gandhi said "To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves." 

 

Individuals like you and me who make the final decisions about what is bought and sold in the stores, how much carbon dioxide is pumped into the atmosphere, and what is dumped into the sea. Each of us can begin to heal the environment right away by changing our daily habits.

And what about our internal environment, which is as real as the one we see around us?  This internal environment has a powerful effect on the external environment: the way we think affects the way we treat the earth. When we purify this inner environment, we are not only making ourselves more secure and fulfilled, but we are also making an important contribution to the health of Mother Earth.  Nonviolence extends from ourselves, not just to our brothers and sisters, but to the earth as well.

Today:  I will practice recycling by using at least one recycled product and by recycling a product.   I will reduce, reuse and recycle the products I use.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 47

Welcome to Day 47 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 47: DISARMAMENT

What if we lived in a world where there were no weapons?  What if we used the resources for developing weapons for other projects?  What if we really did beat swords into plowshares?  Imagine such a world for yourself and your family, because until be believe it is possible, it cannot become a reality.   Peace and nonviolence, does, and must, begin with each and every one of us.  

 

Today:  I will have a conversation with someone today about what the world would be like if there were no weapons, nor any need for them.  I will define new uses for the resources freed-up by not developing weapons.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 46

Welcome to Day 46 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 46: COMPASSION

Mother Teresa implored us to “find someone who thinks he is alone and let him know that he is not.” 
 
"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."  ~ The 14th Dalai Lama

 

A human being is part of the whole, called by us "universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.  ~ Albert Einstein

Compassion is about both relieving suffering and about celebration (which also relieves suffering by putting it in a context of gratitude).  With compassion comes a greatness of heart. Compassion arises when we allow our heart to be touched by the pain and needs of others.

Today:  I will engage compassion to lead my actions, my words and my life.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 45

Welcome to Day 45 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 45: MASTERY

Labor organizer, Cesar Chavez taught "If you use violence you have to sell part of yourself for that violence.  Then you are no longer a master of your own struggle."   To practice nonviolence you must learn to master your anger.  Breathe deeply, silently counting backwards from ten to calm yourself and cool off before you speak or act with impatience or anger.

"We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough." ~ Helen Keller

 

This should not be surprising. After all, to attain excellence in anything we have to work at it.  An Olympic swimming champion doesn't go for a workout once a week on Sunday afternoon, but practices for hours every day.  The impetus to gain mastery over one's mind and senses does not come from some Olympian height, or from a distant deity; it doesn't come from any monastic rule, or even from one's spiritual teacher.  It comes from deep within yourself. You have had a fleeting glimpse of the shining presence within, and in its bright remembered light, all your flaws and blemishes are thrown into sharp relief. You can't wait to start removing them.

Today:  When I think of something or get into a situation where anger comes up, I will acknowledge the anger then breathe deeply, silently counting backwards from ten, and then decide what action to take.  Mastery of nonviolence will come as I continue to practice.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 44

Welcome to Day 44 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 44: COOPERATION

When we work together, we are stronger than when we work alone.   When we find ways that we can cooperate more effectively with the people in our family or workplace, school or community, we are tearing down walls of separation; we are contributing to a nonviolent culture.   

 

Today:  Find a very heavy object.  Try to pick it up by yourself.  Now ask 3 or 4 other people to assist.  How did working together with other people help make this task easier for you?

 

 

Season of Nonviolence - Day 43

Welcome to Day 43 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 43: UNIQUENESS

Dale Carnegie says "The greatest need people have is for love and approval."   Most of us cannot help comparing ourselves with others, at least now and then.  This has become so entrenched in our culture that in order to have self-esteem, it seems almost necessary to say "I am better than he or she" implying therefore I am good.  As long as we compete with each other and compare one with another, a certain amount of envy is inescapable.  It is the very rare person who is completely free from jealousy.

But as our awareness grows, we will know that there is a uniqueness about everyone. The truly nonviolent person never tries to compare himself with others, or others among themselves.  While being aware of our uniqueness, also being aware of our oneness creates a sense of nonviolence.

Today:    I will do something that shows how unique I am.  I may draw a picture, sing a song, dance or write a story.   I will praise, compliment or honor the uniqueness of someone I know and by doing so, notice the positive impact I make by recognizing their uniqueness.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 42

Welcome to Day 42 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 42: ACCOUNTABILITY

In conflicting situations, personal accountability allows me to take responsibility for how I contribute to a conflict.  I can then make a different choice that can lead to a peaceful resolution. 

Today:  I will be accountable for my words today.  I will make a list of the thoughts I think and the words I speak that are violent.  Every time I become aware of my violent thoughts or words, I will say to myself “delete” and start again. 

Season of Nonviolence - Day 41

Welcome to Day 41 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 41: OPENNESS

A Turkish proverb says, “he who builds himself a fence, fences out more than he fences in.”  If you don’t listen to someone because they look different or have different ideas than you, you’re building a fence around yourself and you’re missing out on having a new friend and learning something new.  When we refrain from acting on a negative emotion or selfish desire, we stop building the fence around our life - we can open our life up to others.  When we can be open to the opportunity for growth, we can use this as a way to find nonviolent ways to resolve differences. 

Today: I will be open to understanding ideas and people that I have previously opposed.  I will find somebody who I never wanted to talk to before and find a way to have a conversation with him or her.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 40

Welcome to Day 40 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 40: UNITY

Differences give variety to life and are often only on the surface.  Most communities are made of diverse groups of people who have different opinions, who look different, and who speak many different languages.   Our challenge is to see beyond outer differences in opinions and appearances and find a meeting point of underlying unity that exists in diversity.  There is peace and nonviolence in unity as we recognize who we are in others, a transformation from separateness to unity.

Today:   I will look for three ways to see beyond outer differences in opinions, appearances, or goals.  I will seek out someone who looks different from me; looking beyond these outer differences I will see the unity which is inside and journal about what I have discovered.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 39

Welcome to Day 39 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 39: DIALOGUE

Marianne Williamson describes a healthy society as one in which “those who disagree can do so with honor and respect for other people’s opinions, and an appreciation for our shared humanity.”  

We might not always agree with other people, but when we really listen to what they have to say we are having a dialogue.  We never argue in a dialogue.  We say what we think and then we listen to the other person so we can understand what they think and learn from them. 

When we engage in dialogue, we seek not to prove we are right, or that the other person is wrong, but to state clearly - from a place of ahimsa and truth force - what we believe to be true.  We listen deeply so as to be able to understand the perspectives of those who do not appear to share our understanding.  

Today:  I will speak my truth quietly and clearly, and not enter into the spirit of argument.  I will listen with an open heart, with compassion, to the truth as perceived by others.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 38

Welcome to Day 38 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 38: KINDNESS

Every day we hear of random and senseless acts of violence.  By participating in the counter-revolution of kindness started by Anne Herbert you are contributing to a culture of nonviolence.

"Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty." ~ Anonymous

 "My religion is kindness." ~ The Dalai Lama

Today:  I will do something kind for someone for no reason other than to be kind.  I will bring beauty to a place where it may be needed without letting anyone know that I was  the one who did it.  I will write about how it felt and then share this story with someone.

Season of Nonviolence - Day 37

Welcome to Day 37 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.

Nonviolence begins with learning how to be less violent and more compassionate towards ourselves. We learn by building the courage to speak and act with respect, honor and reverence for our own being.

Eleanor Roosevelt has urged, "You must do the things that you think you cannot do." Practicing these 64 Ways will challenge you to do things that you think you cannot do.

Day 37: GRACIOUSNESS

Are we willing to make all sorts of gracious concessions on things that do not matter in life and yet stand unshakable on essentials?  To do this, we have to be detached from our opinions.  This doesn't mean being wishy-washy, or lacking strength in our convictions, but that we cultivate the forbearance not to force our opinions on others.

Today:  I will create a skit with at least three other people to show the difference between graciousness and selfishness.  I will observe and share with the others how graciousness adds to nonviolence.