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Dear Family and Friends,
I received the following from a close friend (a physician) and felt that I
should pass it on to you. It gave me great comfort and peace while I was
reading it.
Please pray for Kara Speltz, my first wife and mother of my son James, who
left for Iraq yesterday to be with the Iraqi people as they receive the
onslaught of America's military attack. She is a witness to peace in a way
that most of us could never be.
Love,
Francis
+++++++++
>Dear Friends,
>
> The fear and anxiety caused by the possibility of war are the biggest
>health challenges we face right now. As a physician, I know full well that
emotions such as fear and anger impede the healing process and, if held
long enough, actually lock us into a vicious cycle that produces more pain,
more fear, and more anxiety. This can wreak havoc on our minds, bodies, and
spirits. But this doesn't have to be the case.
>
> There are very specific things each of us can do right now to help
>prevent war and at the same time create peace in our bodies, minds, and
spirits. I was strongly reminded of this week. Both of my daughters called
from their respective colleges with concerns and worries about what they've
heard on the news about a possible terrorist attack. One wanted to know
what I thought about stockpiling cash, water, and canned goods. Her
roommate's mother had sent them warnings. The other daughter wanted to know
if I thought it was safe for her to go to NYC this weekend. I told them to
go about their lives as usual, while paying attention to their inner
guidance.
>
>I reassured them that they each had access to guidance from within that
would lead them in the right direction if they paid attention. I also gave
them a way to think about the current global situation that leads to
healing and peace, not further conflict, and shared with them my unshakable
belief that each of us has the power, through our thoughts and emotions, to
influence the energy of the planet in a way that helps prevent further
conflict and also creates peace. Here's what you can do.
>
> 1. Use your thoughts wisely. Understand their power. Thoughts have a
tendency to become their physical equivalent. This is one of the
>fundamental laws of the universe. Another one is the law of attraction,
>which states that "like attracts like." Because it is consciousness that
>creates reality, the kind of consciousness you hold-your
vibration-actually creates the kind of life you're living. It's impossible
to create peace and harmony if you're pushing up against a war. It's
impossible to create peace and harmony if you're condemning George Bush,
Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, etc. You don't have to agree with them, but
realize that you'll be contributing to the energy that creates war if you
assume an "embattled" mentality concerning them. The split in our nation
right now about war is actually creating more of the energy of war. It's
not possible to "fight" for peace without creating war.
>
> 2. To create peace, you have to be peaceful. The only way to stop war is
to start from within yourself. You must do personal disarmament. The only
way to get and stay peaceful is to concentrate on what brings you peace and
resist the downward spiral of negative emotions that blames others for your
lack of peace. Remember, that to which you give your attention expands.
Although there is no denying that we're in a perilous and frightening
position right now, that doesn't mean we are powerless to change it. But
the
>only way to do so is by changing your thoughts and emotions from those of
anger, hatred, and fear to those associated with compassion and peace.
>
> Spend 30 seconds several times a day creating a "virtual" reality of
>what peace would look and feel like. Imagine that it's a year from now and
the economy is flourishing. George Bush is radiantly healthy; the
>governments of the free world are all cooperating to ensure global harmony
and peace. And Saddam and Bin Laden and their influence have disappeared
from the planet. Imagine all our soldiers back home and reunited with their
families. Imagine a global village in which all of us can travel freely and
joyously and with understanding and acceptance of each other's cultures.
>
>When thinking about Iraq or North Korea, imagine the women and children.
Send your energy and compassion to them. Don't try to change the men of
these countries. In fact, don't even give them any thought lest you
energize them. Withdraw your energy from them so that you will no longer be
"feeding"them.
>
> Dozens of studies have documented the fact that our thoughts can and do
affect others in profound and measurable ways. When a critical mass of
individuals (1 percent of the population) was brought together to practice
Transcendental Meditation in various areas of the world, for example, there
was a measurable decrease in the number of violent crimes, suicides,
terrorist attacks, and even international conflicts worldwide.
[Orme-Johnson, et al. (1988)]. International Peace Project in the Middle
East: The effect of the Maharishi technology on the unified field. [Journal
of Conflict Resolution, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 776-812] There are also over
180 studies that have documented the positive effect of prayer on
everything from other humans to yeast cells.
>
> 3. Imagine all the angels and nonphysical beings who are working on the
other side to protect and uplift all of us. Know that they can only do
their work in an atmosphere of compassion, not condemnation. The energy of
condemnation will prevent them from connecting with the hearts of those who
most need their inspiration and love.
>
> 4. Avoid watching the news and reading the newspapers. Headlines are
designed to keep you afraid and disempowered so that you will buy more
papers or watch more TV. Then you get "hooked" on the news because you're
waiting for some official "guidance" that will keep you safe and secure.
This simply can't happen, because it's not the way the media is set up. The
media is designed to get you riled up, so that you remain tuned in to the
"chain of pain." The only lasting safety and security come from the peace
that you create within yourself. What's safe for one person will be
dangerous for another. Remember all the hundreds of stories from September
11, about the people who were supposed to be at the World Trade Center but,
for hundreds of different reasons, simply weren't there that day. Tune in
to
>how you are feeling when you've severed the influence of the mass media.
This will give you the guidance you're seeking.
>
> 5. Finally, know that when you are tuned into your heart, your Inner
>Wisdom, and God, then your energy lightens up and your vibration literally
changes. You become a beacon of light and peace. You become an uplifter and
a peacemaker. There's an old saying, "The rising tide lifts all boats. But
it won't raise a stone." Stop looking at and thinking about the stones.
Join me in raising the tide. And remember the words of the great M. K.
Gandhi, "When in despair, I remember that all through history the way of
truth and love has always won; there have been tyrants and murderers, and
for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall."
*************
perhaps, it is naive, but I do know that going around with bitterness and anger coursing through our veins doesn't do any of us any good physically, spiritually or emotionally (and I am NOT coming at this from a typical "Christian" perspective, because I do not consider myself a Christian)....anyways, something to think about.
