Things I learned along the way about.....Peace

February 25, 2014


Daughters of my heart.....and other readers,

Peace within is a portable paradise because wherever we go, we take ourselves with us.  If there is peace within, there will be peace wherever we are.  Peace flows from the inside out, not from the outside in.  When we practice peace and are calm, we make better choices, better decisions.  We can build our day-to-day lives in calm and peace, and take those qualities with us into the workplace, into our relationships, into the Universe, and add our part to the collective peace in the world.

There will be peace in the world when the number of those who practice peace exceeds the number of those who don't.

The practice of peace is a joyful rather than a somber practice, a stress reliever, a haven at the center of any storm.

• To practice peace is to have the intent to be kind to everyone, including self.
• To practice peace is to treat everything and everyone with dignity and respect, including self.  If we believe that God is in every cell and atom of creation, that without Him nothing exists, then it follows that He is in everything in front of us, in back of us, above us, within us, below us, that everything is sacred and we all stand on sacred ground.  Therefore, treat everything and everyone with dignity and respect, including self.
• To practice peace is to think peaceful thoughts, to speak words without malice, and to be as gentle as possible in all actions.
• To practice peace is to be aware of all that which is in your mind, heart and soul and to make those choices which will result in peace within you.
• To practice peace is to mind your own business, and to do what is yours to do in a calm and orderly fashion.
• To practice peace is to quiet the mind by choosing to focus on the task at hand, not on yesterday's regrets or tomorrow's "what ifs?"

To practice peace is to live in the "now" moment, which is the only moment we truly have.  Life is a stream of moments, lived one moment at a time.  We can do anything for a moment.  In the midst of chaos, we can do anything that needs to be done for a moment, and then another moment, and another moment, until the situation is resolved and the nightmare passes, in its last moment.

Individually and collectively, knowingly and unknowingly, we contribute to peace on the planet, or delay it, by our thoughts, words, and actions.  I would never presume to tell you what to read, what to view, or what to do.  That is neither my job nor my business.  I offer the following only as food for thought.

The books we read, the programs we watch, the movies and other events we attend, and those we associate with, all become a part of the 'everything' of our lives.  The brain records all we see, read, hear, dream of and experience.  Although most would not even think of inviting vulgar people, thieves, or worse into their homes, this is precisely what happens when those books are read, those programs are watched, those movies are viewed.  Attention implies support, while additional support is given in the form of dollars which will produce more of the same.

Now, anyone could say, "Oh, it's just a story; it's just a movie; I don't really believe that; I would never do that, etc."  In the meantime, the brain is recording everything and therein lies the problem, for it is from this "everything" that we think, speak, act, and react, both consciously and unconsciously.

We can pour out of a glass only that which we have poured into it.  Out of our minds and mouths can come only what has been recorded by the brain.  Every word, every action, every event, from the gentlest to the most horrific, began in someone's mind and was a result of what that mind had stored within itself.

Free will gives us choice.  Universal law, God's law holds us accountable for our choices.  Again, it is neither my business, my intent, nor my job to tell you what to read, what to watch, or how to behave.  I only want you to be aware of the process so that you can wisely choose for yourselves, that you may daily have a happy, healthy, productive, peaceful life.  Peace of mind is the portable paradise.

Daughters of my heart and other readers, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."  (Galatians 6:7-9)

The 'sowing' begins in the mind.  The 'reaping' takes place during this lifetime.....and beyond.

Remember to always take care of yourselves.  Treat yourselves gently and with respect.  Walk in dignity and grace.  Remember you are important to God, the Universe, and all those who love you, including me.

                                                                                          Love you, unconditionally

                                                                                           Zizi

Copyright 2014

email comments/questions to: LettersToZizi@att.net
For a print copy of this letter, email your name and
address to the above.  Your personal data will not
be shared.

Thank you for sharing this site with those whom
you think may be interested.  The next post will
be within two weeks.

(Zizi is a diminutive form of Zia, Aunt in Italian).

What I learned along the way.....about love.

February 14. 2014


Daughters of my heart.....and others,

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!,  the day we celebrate love in its many forms.

The Ancient Greeks had six different names/conceptions for love, briefly described as follows:

Agape  -  Love in its spiritual sense; the love God commanded us to have for one another; and, in its deepest sense, true unconditional love.

Eros  -  Romantic love; intimate love.

Philos  -  The love one might have for a friend, a brother or sister; someone we hold in high esteem.

Ludos  -  Playful love, the love between children; light flirtations.

Pragma  -  Longstanding love; love that endures; a deep love and understanding between long-married couples.

Philautia  -  Love of the self, of which there are two versions:  one egotistical and narcissistic; the other a healthier version, understanding who and what we are.

Egotism and narcissism, (in my opinion), have their foundations in insecurity and low self-esteem.  The secure in mind, heart, and Spirit have no need to advertise themselves or aggrandize themselves, sometimes to the detriment of others.

Love, in its highest sense and in all its forms, is sacred.  Some, through their words and actions, debase and defile it, and in those instances, it is no longer love.

It seems to me that very few persons encourage us to love and appreciate the self.  It also seems to me that all other loves, in their distinctions and degrees, must flow from an appreciation and love of self.  We cannot give what we do not possess.  If we do not care for ourselves with love and compassion, how can we extend love and compassion to others?  Compassion is love with understanding, and not to be confused with pity.

There is a line in Proverbs 4:7, "and with all thy getting, get understanding."

Understand that you are a child of God, infinitely precious in His eyes and worthy of love.   Love and appreciate yourself.

Understand you are a one-of-a-kind work of art, an engineering marvel, and unique in your own particular way.  Love and appreciate yourself.

Understand that others' approval or disapproval does not make or break you.  Your own approval or disapproval does that.  Love and appreciate yourself.

Understand the folly of living in the past which blinds us to the blessings and possibilities of today, and closes the door on the blessings and possibilities of tomorrow.  Please don't get stuck in the past.  Whatever you are regretting could not have had a different outcome unless you were able to go back in time, rewrite history, and convince all those involved to follow the new script.  Love and appreciate yourself.  Let the past rest in peace.

Understand and love the body you have that has been continuously working for you from the moment of conception to this very moment, and will continue to do so until you leave the physical body and go into the Light.  All without direction from you, and mostly taken for granted, your heart beats; your lungs breathe, your brain thinks and remembers; blood circulates throughout your body nourishing every cell; you look out and see the faces of those you love and the beauty all around you, above you and beneath you; you are able to speak, sing, laugh; you hear the songs of birds, music playing, the joyful laughter of children, the voices of loved ones; your arms and hands can shelter an infant, comfort a friend, embrace those you love, perform a multitude of tasks;  your legs and feet walk, run, skip, jump, dance, and take you wherever you want or need to go.  So much more than I have mentioned is continuously going on every moment of every day and night.  Every part of your body works in harmony with every other part to maintain health and balance.  Even in the sleep state, a part of your brain remains on alert for the cry of a child, unfamiliar and possibly dangerous sounds and smells.  Always available, always the servant, the blessings of the body are endless.  Love and appreciate the body that shelters the Spirit of God.  Love and appreciate your body.

Everything and everyone flourishes with love and attention.  Love is the great healer.  Accept who you are.  Appreciate who you are, your skills and creativity, your ability to learn new things, and your ability to take care of yourself.  Be grateful for it.  Respect all that you are.  Love, comfort, and protect your inner child, that part of you that may still feel vulnerable or fearful at times.  Love all that you are.  Honor yourself and the Spirit within you.  If you do not, neither will others.

Daughters of my heart and others,  on this Valentine's Day, celebrate yourself and your life.  If, at this time, you do not have someone who may send flowers or chocolates, buy some for yourself.  Gather with friends to celebrate friendship and the love you have for one another.  Happy memories of such occasions are with me as I look forward to this year's celebration.

Remember to always take care of yourselves.  Walk in dignity and grace.  You are important to God, the Universe, and all those who love you, including me.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

                                                                                                        Love, always

                                                                                                         Zizi

Copyright 2014

email comments/questions to:  LettersToZizi@att.net
For a print copy of this letter, email your name and
address to the above.  Your personal data will not
be shared.

Thank you for sharing this site with those whom you
think may be interested.  The next post will be within
two weeks.

(Zizi is a diminutive form of Zia, Aunt in Italian).



         

Things I learned along the way, about truth, reality, perceptions, and illusions.

February 2, 2014

Daughters of my heart and others,

The truth for each of us is what we believe at the time.  The truth is different for everyone.  Three people may witness the same event and there will be three different eyewitness accounts of that event.  Each of the three will have different vision, different levels of awareness, different interest or no interest all in the event.  The truth of the event  then becomes what each 'saw', and may differ completely from what the participants felt or believed they experienced.

Reality is different things to different people at different times.  We live in our minds, influenced more often by our emotions than logic, and that becomes our reality.  Reality for one may be a comfortable home, family and friends, food enough not to be hungry.  Reality for another may be a life on the streets, feeling completely alone, hungry, helpless and hopeless.  As our thinking changes, circumstances change, knowledge increases, wisdom is acquired, and reality changes.  My reality of growing up in a home with  endless rules and regulations is vastly different than my reality now, in my own home, answerable only to God.

Perceptions change as we grow in wisdom.  We can experience similar situations years apart and our reactions, our perceptions will be different.  Perhaps we now see with eyes of compassion and love, rather than eyes of anger or indifference.  Depending on through which eyes we view our 'reality', perception changes.

Illusions are everywhere.  We think we stand on solid ground while the Earth is spinning on its axis as it orbits the Sun.  Beneath our feet, sections of earth move and slide along faults, causing tremors barely felt or incredibly destructive.  On a smaller scale, beneath our feet, dirt moves as we walk down any path, bits of it picked up by the soles of our feet or shoes, to be deposited in another place, changing the face of the path.

Wherever there is water, be it rain, melting snow, streams, rivers, oceans, there is movement, there is erosion, there is continuous change.  We cannot see the same mountain twice; we cannot walk on the same path twice; we cannot step into the same river twice, because nothing is ever the same.  Even the time will
be different.  However minuscule, there are always changes, inside of us, outside of us, change is always and everywhere, the only constant.

Continents collide, tectonic plates subduct, mountain ranges form.  Weathered by millions of years of wind, rain and snow, mountains become memories.  Continents separate, drifting away from one another, changing whatever lies in their paths, only to come together again at some very distant, future date.  And the dance that takes millions and millions of years continues.

Everything moves, everything shifts, everything changes.  Nothing is forever.  Winds blow, rivers overflow, volcanoes erupt, landscapes change.  Nothing is static.  What appears to be dead, decomposes, returns to the earth to nourish and support new life, and the cycle continues.  The only constant is change.  Better to embrace it.  Impossible to stop it.

Daughters of my heart and others, one of the biggest illusions/delusions is to believe that if someone else thinks you are good, bad, smart, pretty, industrious, lazy....pick any adjective....then that's who and what you are.  Delusion to think outward approval or disapproval can change your outer or inner self.  What one person thinks is exactly that.....what one person thinks.  By our own choices and our own efforts do we become who and what we want to be.  With faith, cooperating with the guidance from within, we walk our own path to completeness.

Take care of yourselves, always.  Be kind and gentle with yourselves.  Remember you are worthy of love and  respect, important to God, the Universe, and all those who love you, including me.

                                                                                                        Love, always.

                                                                                                         Zizi

email comments to:  LettersToZizi@att.net

(Zizi is a diminutive form of Zia, Aunt in Italian).
The next letter will be posted within two weeks.
Thank you for sharing this site with those whom
you think may be interested.

Copyright 2014