A Season For Nonviolence

As part of our homeschooling/life schooling adventure, we expose our kids to a variety of curriculum choices and many hands on real life experiences. Developing a successful person is the ultimate goal for all of us. But what is success? Well we may all have a different definition based on our own success or lack of. One common value all must embrace is peace and kindness.

I have been taking time to develop my spiritual connection to the greater being and through this practice, I was introduced to the 64 ways in 64 Days to commit to for the Season of Nonviolence. I had heard of this a few years ago and didn't pay much attention to it, because I'm not a violent person. When I heard it described this time, the reverend said that we probably think we aren't violent, but violence comes in all forms and causes harm. It could be the tone you are using with someone, the judgement you make, the gossip you engage in. When I heard the tone statement, I thought: guilty. I never thought of it as harmful. Of course I know it doesn't feel good to be yelled at or to be the yeller. So in honor of the anniversaries of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, I have made a commitment to be conscious of the way I am everyday, all day.

Now to the hard part. The first day was Thursday the 30th. The commitment was: "Today, I will reflect on what peace means to me." It wasn't very long after we got up that my 12 year old upset me and I may have yelled. I was upset that I failed the test already. Then I remembered that life gives you do overs, and so I went on. The next day was: "Today, I will look at opportunities to be a peacemaker." The same thing, at some point in the day, I found I was using a tone, that could be harmful. By the evening I was wavering between guilt and failure. How could this simple commitment be hard for me! Then I had a light bulb go on.

I have been reading and discussing a book by Bruce Lipton, called Biology Of Belief. It is a new science book on the brain and how it works. He claims that we are only conscious 5% of the time. 95% of the time our actions, habits, etc. come from unconscious place. Take a moment to think about how routine you day may be and how you interact with people, often you are in a fog, not having to think. When you are conscious you are completely aware of your tone, your words, your actions, etc. It has taken me a few years to understand and embrace this knowledge. I really saw it in action over the last few days, when I was trying to teach my kids to be aware of their actions and words, in a effort to make a commitment to nonviolence. The gift I have been given, is the awareness when I come from harm. It will go off like an alarm, as soon as it happens. This is not failure, this is a breakthrough. Many folks will not take the time, to look inward at their patterns and scripts that they come from. It's too painful to do self development. As for guilt, I have none, because I'm working on myself, now, before my kids grow up. I'm helping them to become conscious people, whom come from that 5% more and if they can do this, they will be successful. So it is my hope and dream, that I can inspire one person to check themselves. To look up and print out the Season of Nonviolence and become more aware. Lets keep the momentum of these great peacemakers alive. It starts with you, your family, in your home.