<H2>The Peace Warrior's Journey</H2>
The Peace Warrior's Journey -- 14 Sep 2009
You come into the world open, curious, exploring, living fully in each moment. This is the experience of childhood. If you doubt it, spend a day with a child under the age of 7 and really watch, listen and learn. No preconceived ideas about things should or shouldn’t be. Open mind. Open heart.
Slowly, surely, the layers of conditioning begin to be laid down. Each layer hiding your open heart and closing your open mind. It’s not planned and it’s not a conspiracy. It's simply part of the human experience.
Very often, this conditioning is the result of well-meaning, well-intentioned friends, family and society. With the best interests of you and society at heart. Wanting to keep you safe, wanting to keep you protected. Trouble is, that protective instinct is encased and founded in fear.
One day, you may notice something doesn't seem right. The inner you and the outer you just don't match up. Without knowing it, your open heart and open mind have been wrapped up in a shell of protection.
Even so, the curious mind and open heart of your childhood remains. It's tug can be felt in those unexpected places and times where your mind stops and you feel things directly and deeply... Listening to music or looking at art. Hearing the joy of a child's laughter. Witnessing the suffering of others. Experiencing the power and stillness of nature.
Being a Peace Warrior is about re-connecting with your open heart and curious mind in the middle of everyday life. You may not be able to return to being 7 years old again, but you can reconnect with the spirit of your entry into the world. And you can do it without going to live in a monastery or on a permanent vacation. You can do it right here, right now, one small step at a time, peeling back the protective layers with kindness and patience.
That's the journey of the Peace Warrior. Discovering the courage within you to re-connect with the wisdom and curiosity of the open heart of your childhood. To stay awake when you’d rather sleep. To be in harmony with your heart while navigating the challenges of everyday life.
Peeling back the layers takes a commitment to practice conscious living in everyday life. Peace Warriors do this by
* Knowing that their actions in everyday life make a difference in the world
* Knowing that peace flows from the inside out
* Living by the ripple principle…knowing that what they do in the small moments is just as important as the big
* Planting seeds and not worrying about outcome
* Listening deeply
* Not believing everything they think
* Learning to observe without judgment
* Pausing when emotions take over, feeling the energy, knowing they will pass
* Taking time to understand others' points of view
* Practicing opening their hearts when they would rather stay protected
* Honoring each person's uniqueness while remembering connectivity at the level of heart
* Remembering their shared humanity with every person who crosses their path
* Being kind and patient with themselves so they can be kind and patient with others
Going on the Peace Warrior's journey is a choice only you can make for yourself. All it takes is one small step... one first move.