Say what needs to be said with softness, and with a wide open heart

"You may speak your truth, but soothe your words with peace. Tell your truth as soon as you know it. Yet tell it gently, kindly, and with compassion for the hearer.

Someone needs to hear the truth from you today... but that person also needs your deep compassion as you speak it. Seek to say what needs to be said with softness, and with a wide open heart.

Remember, the truth can hurt... but it hurts a lot less if you care how it feels while saying it."

Neale Donald Walsch

Promoting the Positive

by Madisyn Taylor
We always have the option to not participate in negativity or to find a way to create a positive direction instead.
Sometimes we start out with the best intentions to think and speak only positive thoughts, but the people around us throw us off course. Not everyone fully understands the power our thoughts and words have, or even if they do, they may be stuck in old patterns of negativity. Much of our habitual communication takes the form of complaining and criticizing, and it can be hard to find a way into certain conversations without lapsing into those old habits. However, we always have the option not to participate in negativity or to find a way to influence the situation in a positive direction. In the right company, you may even be able to directly acknowledge the fact that things have taken a negative turn, thus freeing yourself and others from the negative pull.

Not everyone will respond to your cues, and there’s no need to become overly attached to the idea of changing other people, because people have to choose for themselves how they will be in the world. Many people choose negativity because it is familiar to them and feels safe. It is important to give people the space to find their own way, but you can always set an example, subtly representing the power of being positive. At times you may interject an affirmative statement into the conversation, and at others you may simply change the subject. You may also simply withdraw your energy and presence, which also makes a subtle statement. If you feel comfortable enough with somebody that is always negative, perhaps you can have an honest conversation with them; after all, awareness is the first step to change.

A powerful way to free yourself from the negative pull is to enlist allies who are similarly minded. You and a friend, coworker, or family member may agree to work together to continually shift the energy in a situation in a positive direction. The power of two people working to promote the positive is exponentially greater than one person working on their own. As you and your allies work together to lift the energy around you, you will be amazed to see how quickly the positive pull begins to draw people into its orbit, freeing one mind after another from negativity into light.

Daily OM

Be Peace

"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal."

Martin Luther King Jr. said that, and he was right. And his wisdom holds true not only for peace in our world, but for peace within ourselves.

All of our spiritual traditions teach the same thing. To achieve peace, be peace. Yet how does one be what one is wishing to experience? By a sheer act of Will.

And...by causing others to experience what you wish to experience.

Neale Donald Walsch

"Why do I consider it is so crucial to balance the outer aspects of nonviolence and compassion with the inner support of contemplative practice? Because in the end, all politics are local, and we cannot love life and humanity if we do not love each other, one on one." 

Lama Surya Das

We actually need very little to be happy - Interview with Thich Nhat Hanh

"We already have so many conditions for happiness that cost us nothing at all. Just take our eyes, for example. Our eyes are miraculous; they are like a pair of jewels. We only need to open them to see the blue sky, fluffy white clouds, beautiful flowers, the faces of our loved ones. Or our ears: anytime we like, we can take in the sounds of inspiring music, of bird songs, of a burbling stream, of the wind whistling through pine trees. These are wonders of life, accessible to us at any moment through our eyes and ears. Our body's still healthy, our legs are healthy, and these are wonders in our very own body. 

When people's bodies and minds are relaxed, they are much less likely to speak or act in violent ways. We also can access many insights and a wellspring of energy we haven't had since childhood.  

How can we balance being engaged with the world while nurturing our inner life?

We must be willing to challenge the assumption that time spent in relaxation and meditation takes away from our realizing other goals, such as a successful career or successful relationships. My own experience and that of my students has been that, as paradoxical as it may seem, when we take time for meditation we actually gain in the other areas of our lives.

Relationships are like a forest: it takes a long time to build up precious trust, but one really thoughtless act or remark can be like a lighted match that destroys everything. Those of us who practice have seen very clearly that meditation and relaxation are the most effective ways of promoting creative, innovative thinking, intelligent choices, success and satisfaction in all areas of our lives."

For more information on Thich Nhat Hanh, visit www.plumvillage.org.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marianne-schnall/beliefs-buddhism-exclusiv_b_577541.html