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Be Peaceful, Make Peace
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“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”
-William Hutchinson Murray
Many people have connected to the above quote in a positive way. Too few have considered how that same magic also works to the negative. Unfortunately there are too many examples and I don’t wish to promote any of them here.
But as a category they all have anger, hatred and intolerance in common. These negative emotions manifest in the world as conflict, violence and oppression. You might think I am talking about certain political and religious leaders. But I’m not talking about them.
I am talking about some people from the peace movement.
It saddens me to see this. But that is part of the struggle we have in front of us. And again I could be easily misunderstood here. The struggle isn’t with those who think they are promoting peace by projecting anger and hatred upon those who promote war. The struggle is a personal one within us.
Peace can only manifest from an internal peaceful state.
People cannot be argued into an internal peaceful state. People cannot be coerced into an internal peaceful state. Intimidation and violence will not produce an internal peaceful state in other people either. Neither will dropping bombs on them nor locking them in jails nor burdening them with guilt.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
- Marianne Williamson
No one actually holds the power to make someone else peaceful. But each of us does have the power to individually become peaceful. And whatever we hold inside of ourselves manifests externally in the physical world. There is plenty of evidence that this is a fact. There is also plenty of evidence that not enough of us are internally at peace.
If enough of us become peaceful individually then manifested peace will become ubiquitous. When people see peace they begin to think about peace. When they think about peace enough then they will also manifest peace. Then and only then peace will grow.
This is the only way lasting world peace will manifest.
Please do not send us material full of hatred, anger and intolerance in the name of peace. That stuff only perpetuates cycles of violence and fear. We won’t use it here. There are already too many places where that kind of stuff is promoted.
We are only interested in promoting peace with compassion.
Also please notice that this place is about peace and similar issues linked by compassion. Justice, human rights, animal rights, appropriate technology and respect for the environment are all part of a peaceful solution. Send us stuff along these lines and we will write it up with full attribution and post it with links going back to your site.
Do not send us self-promotional material.
Of course everyone is interested in the person who creates peace art. Certainly we will include biographical information. But if you submit something take the time to understand what this site is about. It is about peace. It is not about self-promotion.
Many people have been working for peace for a long time with little recognition and often no pay. If they have produced art or there is documentation of their work we would be glad to post either. We are interested in the manifestations of an internal peaceful state.
But this is still not promoting the individual.
Liz has written a post titled Willie Nelson and Friends Peace Letter as an open ended call for work. It explains what we are looking for in greater depth. She has also written Free Willie Nelson Peace Song explaining how to use something Willie Nelson has created special for you to use in your peace work.
Work with us and we would be glad to promote the work and tell everyone about the peaceful person who made it. That is something high on our agenda here.
You are powerful. Use your power for peace.
Tags: Peace
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June 15th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
This was Nelson Mandella’s Inauguration speach…not Mariane Williams! Please correct this on your site.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.â€
- Marianne Williamson
June 15th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
This inspiring quote by Marianne Williamson is from her book, A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, Harper Collins, 1992. From Chapter 7, Section 3 (Pg. 190-191).
This quote is often found on the Internet incorrectly credited to Nelson Mandela from his Inauguration Speech, 1994, especially the last sentence of that quote, “As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
For reference, here are links to two official African government sites with Nelson Mandela’s 1994 Inauguration Speech:
June 15th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Just to be extra sure, John F. wrote to the ANC (info@anc.org.za) asking about this very quote, and their representative Duncan Harford confirmed his suspicions:
— begin include message —
From: “dharfordâ€
To: “J. Finlayson-Fifeâ€
Subject: Re: Our Deepest Fear
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2002 07:47:57 +0200
Hello John
We are aware that these words have for some years now been attributed to Nelson Mandela on the internet. We do not know how this happened
These words appear neither in the May 9, 1994 inaugural speech
(http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mandela/1994/inaugct.html),
nor the May 10, 1994 inaugural speech
(http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mandela/1994/inaugpta.html),
nor any of the other speeches, statements and writings by Mr. Mandela
(http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mandela/).
Regards
Duncan
— end included message —
July 6th, 2007 at 7:36 am
Those we elect to public office promise to uphold and defend the Constitution. This includes preventing unlawful multinational influences and foreign ‘entanglements’ and wars from eroding our individual, state and national rights and sovereignties.
Regaining integrity and honor while restoring lost communities and neighborhoods standing in shambles across the land is the real business at hand. Those who feel they have no say - must say ‘no’, to elected representatives seeking further wars and supporting endless lawlessness and provocations to strife. Let the day of ‘profits above life’ come to a close and the morning of true hearted good will begin.
These ideas don’t come from committees, nor are they approved by those who claim to own the world and all who are in it. No, friends, this is a voice and a call that has been drowned out of the public media, replaced by shouts and postures, issued and framed by propagandists with only corporate interests at heart. That limits trust or real truth - which are the main components of our real values.
This breakdown of decency and humanity has a design of evil, revealed by its fruit - and must be sent into history with its supporters wearing an albatross of shame, indelibly disgraced. We must humbly seek to repair that which has been damaged, seeking peace and reconciliation with other peoples around the world.
There is a lot of work to do - and it will take our best efforts, pulling together, to take back our lives and the future of our children from those who have robbed us of it. But we can do it - with unity of will. We can do it by deciding to do a better job and cleaning out the nest of sell-outs roosting in our highest halls. We can do it by standing up for our word of honor, our pledges, and our heartfelt willingness to cooperate to bring this new day about.
It’s not parties or re-hashed ‘issues’ or disputes that separate us into lonely pockets of misunderstanding and isolation. It’s name-calling and narrow characterizations - false motives of anything ‘other’ that have been drummed into us by media manipulators, by a handful of wealthy ‘decision-makers’. We could sit around a table with the parties in disputes around the world - and reach agreements that were fair - if that were our goal, and it should be. But it isn’t.
If you, like many decent-hearted folks around the country agree that we owe our children a better world than what has come about, then we must show them that we intended so - with out actions, and our refusal to support any further ‘inter-nationalization’ of any kind. Our policies should be our own - and all aid should first go to the most neglected in our own land, especially the abandoned, mal-treated veterans and unhealthy poor and ill. They are left homeless and treated as refuse. Just a few of those ‘footballs of hundred dollar bills’ being tossed around in Iraq would’ve come in handy to those dying in New Orleans.
There can be no doubt that we are being ignored by Congress, by our representatives, when we say we want the wars to stop and impeachments to begin. Representatives who promote unjust wars and take impeachment off the table - must be removed and we must press charges against those in violation of their Constitutional oath of office.
Then we can begin to clean up our own backyard with peace, justice, fairness and genuine human decency for all. No more New Orleans, no more Waco’s, no more attacks on citizens or violating their rights without due process. We must re-open investigations to all past government crimes as well as all secret supporters and foreign collaborators in these crimes.
People’s grand juries can lawfully carry these things out as stated within our Constitution. Once the truth becomes widely known and responsible criminals arrested, we can perform our duty to those unborn, by taking a personal stand that our Constitution is not simply words written on paper, but is an unquenchable flame burning in millions of hearts and souls.
There is a better future waiting, if we choose it, but we must come together to achieve it - and agree to reach for it with open hearts. That is why, without backing of any kind other than good will, this opportunity has come to us at this dark hour. I ask you to choose the better, brighter day of harmony - and leave juvenile pre-occupations with profits and fears behind.
Let us lead the way to a more mature world where grown children fighting over toys is a dim memory - and kindness and wisdom becomes the common rule.
J. P. Edson