Using the 64 Days as Spiritual Practice

I am so grateful for the Season of Peace and Nonviolence. It gave me, and I hope you as well, 64 days to create new spiritual practices and rituals. Each day we were instructed to contemplate and even journal on the reflection of the day. As I was creating each blog post, each reflection gave me lots of pause as I thought about my life and how I show up in the world.

As few other questions that came out of those 64 days were:

“Am I showing up in the world as peaceful and nonviolent?”

“Where in my life do I exhibit violence – in my speech; in what shows and movies I choose to watch; in how I interact with my friends and family?”

Violence isn’t just about being physical; violence runs the gamut of physical, emotional and spiritual. I believe the most violence we do is to ourselves on a daily basis. How many times do you call yourself stupid or retard for some infraction? How many times do you choose to overlook your own health and well being to be with the crowd?

I say that we must take those 64 reflections and make them daily spiritual practices. When we can make nonviolence and peace the ultimate goal for our lives, then everything else falls into place.

Just for today, choose peace instead of this.

Season of Nonviolence – Day 64: The Coming Year

Welcome to Day 64 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 64: The Coming Year

"Be the change you want to see in the world." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Peace begins at the personal level. As we learn to live in peace with ourselves, our families, friends, co-workers and neighbors, that peace can spread beyond ourselves and out into the world. This is the only way world peace can be achieved; no grand declaration can make it so. Peace is the duty of each of us to create. We begin by accepting what is, consciously choosing what changes we want to experience, and moving toward them one step at a time.

Make the practices of awareness, contemplation and journaling part of your daily life. Be mindful of the value of your own peace. Contemplate ways to increase the peacefulness in your home, workplace and relationships. Use your journal to write about ways you can improve or change situations that do not appear to serve your greatest good. Practice compassion, forgiveness, understanding and love in all you do. Learn to be peace in your world.

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 63: Release

Welcome to Day 63 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 63: Release

“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.” ~ Alan Cohen

Clinging to what no longer serves us holds us back. We move forward when we let go of the baggage, release past hurts and false beliefs, and the need to control situations. New ways of showing up in the world allow us to reclaim the power to direct our own lives.

What are you holding onto? Do old wounds hold you back and limit your ability to live a more joyful life? Contemplate or journal about these questions today. What do you need to let go?

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 62: Commitment

Welcome to Day 62 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 62: Commitment

“The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.” ~ Martina Navratilova

The direction of our lives changes with every commitment we make. Whether marriage, parenthood, jobs, or spiritual practice, our lives are actively involved and altered by them. If we do not commit to becoming the peace we want to see in our world, we do not participate in creating it.

What are you committed to? Do you resist changes that a commitment would demand of you? Are you committed to creating peace in your own life? What change are you willing to make? Journal about or contemplate what commitment you can make to enhance your experience of peace today.

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 61: PEACE

Welcome to Day 61 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 61: Peace

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ~ Mother Teresa

If we truly understood that we are all one family, all one life, we could not kill each other. If we were fully awake to the loving light that unites us all, we would share our world, knowing that there is more than enough for all. Peace would be the natural result. Armies, border guards and peace treaties will not be necessary when everyone has enough and lives in love instead of fear.

Thich Nhat Hanh wrote, "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." Today, make a choice to meet each experience with an intention for peace.

Notice any issue that creates feelings of loss, insecurity, discomfort, or the need to control things today. Be aware of how fear motivates your actions. What is your fearfulness creating? Contemplate or journal about how fear is showing up in your life.

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 60: Witnessing

Welcome to Day 60 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 60: Witnessing

“When I was a kid, if my father was witnessing something that he thought was particularly outrageous ... he would say, Well, at least Jesse James had the honor to wear a mask.” ~ Richard Neal

Many people really don't want to witness anything bad and or be in a position of having to stand up and speak a hard truth. There is often a cost that comes with knowing the truth, but there is always a greater cost to denying it. We can start by standing witness to the divine beauty we are, then learn to see our world with the same loving clarity.

"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. Today, be willing to stand up for Truth by your presence, your words and actions.

Stand in front of your mirror a few moments today and witness the body you have manifested. Do you love and accept yourself, just as you are - even if you want to make a few improvements? Journal about or contemplate how loving yourself brings more peace into your life. Can you give that love to the world?

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 59: Intervention

Welcome to Day 59 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 59: Intervention

“As citizens, we all have an obligation to intervene and become involved – it's the citizen who changes things.” ~ Jose Saramago

We can intervene in the progress of war by living more peacefully in our own lives, with our own families, in our workplace, and our environment. When we engage with love and compassion rather than fear and conflict, we sow seeds of peace! 

It starts with you. Contemplate how much peace you have in your life. How much is your peace worth to you? How can you bring more peace into your life if you choose to? Imagine how your peacefulness ripples out into the world and journal about these questions at the end of your day.

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 58: Citizenship

Welcome to Day 58 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 58: Citizenship

“Citizenship is a tough occupation which obliges the citizen to make his own informed opinion and stand by it.” ~ Martha Gellhorn

Citizenship in any democratic nation is more than a matter of birthright. It carries a responsibility to understand the issues our governments and world face. Citizens are called cast informed votes. To do this it is necessary to seek out facts from reliable sources and decide for ourselves what we believe is right.

How do you respond to your duties of citizenship? Do you sign petitions or cast your vote in major elections? How do you help determine the path your country takes? Contemplate or journal about the role of citizenship in your life today.

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 57: Service

Welcome to Day 57 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 57: Service

“That service is the noblest which is rendered for its own sake.” ~ Mohandas Gandhi

If we give with the expectation of getting something in return, it really is not a gift at all. A true gift is offered for the joy of giving. When we can give our time and talents in service to others, out of a desire to contribute in meaningful ways; give back as an expression of gratitude for all the blessings we have received, we bring joy, love and light into our world.

Dr. 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." Sign up to volunteer a minimum of two hours this month with an organization of your choice.

Do you routinely give your time to groups or causes you support? How about random acts of kindness or visiting a elderly relative or neighbor? Is your life too full and busy to give time away? Or is your life devoted to service? Contemplate these questions today and journal about the role of service in your life.

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 56: Self-Sufficiency

Welcome to Day 56 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 56: Self-Sufficiency

"If it is to be, it is up to me." ~ William Johnson

We have no option other than to create our own lives. Others can support us in many ways, but they cannot live our lives for us. When we allow ourselves to depend on someone or something other than ourselves, we risk losing our autonomy and giving control to another. To be fully at peace, we must be able to act independently, make our own choices and live according to our own beliefs. In true partnership with like-minded people and organizations, we are able to have both autonomy and interdependency.

Who do you depend on? Do you recognize that you are the power in your own life or do you believe that you need a particular job, person, or situation to survive? Journal about or contemplate the feelings that arise out of any feelings of need or dependency that you notice.

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 55: Responsibility

Welcome to Day 55 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 55: Responsibility

"Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the roads which lie ahead and those over which we have traveled, and if the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the road back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and... step off that road into another direction." ~ Maya Angelou

Before we can make real and lasting changes in our lives, we must accept personal responsibility for where we are right now. No matter what circumstances and conditions have thwarted our progress, the ultimate responsibility for our lives belongs to no one but ourselves. Our parents, spouses, and friends cannot make those changes for us. It is not a question of blame; it is a matter of power. By owning the power to control our own destiny, we are freed from self-imposed limitations.

Contemplate or journal about where you stand in the balance of blame and responsibility. Do you blame or do you take the reins of your own life in hand to create the life you choose? Are there aspects of your life where you take more personal responsibility than others? Choose to take responsibility and feel the power in that stance.

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 54: Giving

Welcome to Day 54 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 54: Giving

"No matter what age you are, or what your circumstances might be, you are special, and you still have something unique to offer. Your life, because of who you are, has meaning." ~ Barbara de Angelis

We all have gifts and talents to give. We can offer our kindness, compassion, understanding and wisdom, our time, our muscle, and our skills in addition to our money. When we actively give of ourselves to support what we believe in, we also enrich ourselves. 

Give of yourself today. Whether you give money to a cause, time to an organization, or a hug to a child, just give. Contemplate or journal about how it feels to give and make a commitment to consciously give of yourself as part of your spiritual practice.

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 53: Action

Welcome to Day 53 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 53: Action

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do." ~ Helen Keller

It can be overwhelming to look at the conflict in our world, easy to think we are powerless to change anything going on half a world away from our home. Yet it is at the level of personal choice that the greatest changes take place. As each of us chooses peace as a way of life, we create a tide that can and will shift the scales away from tyranny, toward peace for all.

Take action today to create more peace in your life. Turn off the news, meditate or pray for peace, or call a truce with someone in your life. Contemplate or journal about how it felt to take action to support your desire to see our human family live in peace.

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 52: Equality

Welcome to Day 52 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 52: Equality

“It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.” ~ Martin Luther King

Laws cannot change attitudes or feelings, but it can protect us from the consequences of them. The Declaration of Independence states clearly that all men are created equal, but it took almost 100 years for the definition of 'men' to be extended to former slaves, and 50 years beyond that for women to begin to be included in that equality.

There can be no peace in our cities, states or nations without the full realization that all people are endowed by their creator with unalienable rights. These rights legally cannot be denied anyone on the basis of race, religion, or sex, yet the attitudes that prevent this from becoming the experience of all resides within our hearts, not our laws.

Who do you consider not equal to you? Is it the poor, those whose political or religious beliefs are different from your own, or who choose to live in ways you find threatening or objectionable? Contemplate or journal about where the edge of your belief in the equality of all people ends and choose to embrace everyone in our human family as one of us.

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 51: Advocacy

Welcome to Day 51 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 51: Advocacy

"[Coretta Scott King] was her husband's partner in life and shared his commitment; after his death, she ceaselessly promoted his advocacy of nonviolence and protected his legacy." ~ Julian Bond

The World English Dictionary defines advocacy as "active support, especially of a cause". Certainly, Martin Luther King was an active supporter of both equal rights and peace during his life. Activity is required for true advocacy. It is one thing to sit in our homes and think peaceful thoughts, but praying for peace and changing our beliefs and behaviors to become more peaceful are acts of advocacy that have demonstrable power to make real changes in our world. Our world grows more peaceful as each of us finds more peace within ourselves.

"When someone stands up to nonviolence," says 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." Today be an ally. Without blaming or judging others, speak out for those who are disrespected.

Contemplate or journal about actions you are able and willing to take to create a more peaceful life. Remember that peace begins within. You will experience greater inner peace through ongoing meditation and spiritual practice. Are you willing to be an advocate for peace?

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 50: Choice

Welcome to Day 50 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 50: Choice

"Don't think about who you have been. Who are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this decision consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully." ~ Anthony Robbins

Many of us do not recognize the power of our choices; too often we do not even realize we have chosen at all. Yet our lives are the perfect reflection of the choices we make. In order to change our lives, we must be aware of how our thoughts and beliefs determine what we choose. We must be aware before we can make different choices. In every moment we can choose peace and love, or we can choose fear and conflict.

Notice your choices today. Do you react automatically in familiar situations? Are your choices working for you; enhancing your experience of peace and love? Or do they continue to create conflict, pain and fear? Contemplate or journal about your of choices. Consider a new choice and imagine how it could shift these conditions.

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 49: Honor

Welcome to Day 49 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 49: Honor

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is." ~ Albert Einstein

When we take time to pause and honor the miracle of life, our hearts expand in grace and gratitude. To honor is to recognize with pristine awareness the gift of the moment, the gift in another, the treasure in a situation or circumstance...the exquisite miracle of being.

Before each meal today, stop and honor all the hands that brought it to you and to bless the earth for its bounty. The farmers. The one who harvested it. The person at the plant who packaged or processed it. The driver who brought it to the store. The clerk who rang up your groceries or the chef at the restaurant. Imagine this chain of blessings from the beginning.

Go out and honor others, honor life, honor the good that is yours. Allow peace to flow.

From A Season of Nonviolence

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 Mahatma 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.

Day 48: Ecology

"The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

When Roosevelt made this statement, our nation was in the midst of a great depression that was, in part, related to the environmental disaster known as the Dust Bowl. For years the farmers of Oklahoma and Texas had farmed their lands unrelentingly, not allowing fields to go fallow or alternating crops to keep the land healthy. The resulting destruction brought starvation to those areas and took years to repair.

We face a far greater disaster as we continue to consume and destroy our resources as if there were no tomorrow. Our cars and factories pollute the air, while we continue to destroy the rain forests that help keep our air clean. We consume and drill for oil as if it was an unlimited resource although we know this is not the case. This is the only home we have. Rather than caring for it so that our species can thrive for centuries to come, we continue to destroy limited resources for short term financial gain.

Contemplate or journal about how you can take better care of our planet. You can stop buying individual bottles of water, recycle paper, plastic and aluminum, or become actively involved in organizations who are devoted to protecting our environment and preserving all life on earth. How much are you willing to do to make sure your world thrives into the future?

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 47: Disarmament

Welcome to Day 47 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 47: Disarmament

"Anger and hatred cannot bring harmony. The noble task of disarmament cannot be accomplished by confrontation and condemnation. Hostile attitudes only serve to heat up the situation, whereas a true sense of respect gradually cools down what otherwise could become explosive." ~ Dalai Lama

Respect is a fundamental value in our nation. It is the basis for our Declaration of Independence which affirms that our rights as individuals are to be respected so that we may speak our minds, vote our conscience, practice our choice of religion and enjoy the sanctity of our homes. But respect cannot be legislated, so our Constitution has laws that protect us from being criminally disrespected by our neighbors or governments, whether at the local, state or national level.

When humanity reaches a level of understanding that respects all peoples, all nations and each individual's rights around the world, there will be no further need for national defense, weapons of mass destruction, or armies. Disarmament will unfold naturally.

Journal about or contemplate what personal defense systems you have in place. Do you respect everyone's right to their own views or opinions or do you feel threatened by those who disagree with you? Are you armed, emotionally or literally, to protect yourself from potential threats, or do you arm yourself only with compassion, respect and faith? How are you willing to begin disarmament in your life?

From A Season of Nonviolence

Season of Nonviolence – Day 46: Compassion

Welcome to Day 46 of the Season of Nonviolence – 64 Days of peaceful wisdom honoring the lives and nonviolent principles of Mahatma 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.

Day 46: COMPASSION

"It is understood that the craft of loving-kindness is the everyday face of wisdom and the ordinary hand of compassion. This wisdom face, this hand of mercy, is never realized alone, but always with and through others. The Buddhist perspective shows us that there is no personal enlightenment, that awakening occurs in the activity of loving relationship." ~ Roshi Joan Halifax

Compassion is a deep emotion that arises out of the desire to alleviate another's suffering. Mother Theresa implored us to "find someone who thinks he is alone and let him know he is not." Compassion is a powerful place to stand in the sometimes seeming chaos of the world. Reaching out to one another, seeing the TRUTH beyond the condition, recognizing the worth and value of every person allows the fire of compassion to transmute any shadow of separation.

Reach out today and let someone know you care. Be present for a friend experiencing a challenging situation, volunteer at one of your local nonprofits, allow your light to be a benevolent presence throughout the day. Let people know that they are not alone. This creates a safe container for healing by revealing TRUTH that we are interconnected. Compassion is seeing through the eyes of Unity and moving from a heart centered place of being.

From A Season of Nonviolence