New Year Resolutions

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr.

 
 

What are your resolutions for the New Year?!

 
I usually make one resolution that is focused on improving my internal world. I did a lot of reflecting and research before choosing the focus of my resolution. All my research pointed to peace. So, this year I am going to work on amplifying the vibration of Peace in my life. 
 
Accordingly, I have set aside four hours of silence every Friday afternoon for this practice.
 
Here are a few of the more enticing tidbits I ‘discovered’ through my research:
  • Peace is freedom from disturbance
  • Peace has the quality of silence of the mind
  • Peace is the sound of your feet walking away from reacting
  • Peace allows each person to choose their response
  • Response is internal
  • You can choose how to feel
  • You have a moment to understand and not judge
  • You can pause and check your perception of the situation
  • Reaction is the external action that arises from the internal response
 
I tested my four-hours of silence approach twice before 2023 arrived.
Here are a few of the things I noticed! 
 
  1. I talk to myself… out loud and it seemed it was a lot! I was not aware of this habit.
  2. The second four-hour session was very different in that it was easier to go silent.
  3. I noticed after both sessions that my thoughts were significantly quieter for the balance of the Friday and into Saturday.
  4. For a couple of days after each session, I found that being quiet in my day-to-day interactions was easier.  I did not have the desire to fill in the silence.
 
My takeaway from my research, two ‘trial sessions’ and Martin Luther King, Jr’s words of wisdom ….
 
If I want more Peace in my outer world, I need to foster this by bringing more Peace to my inner world. I look forward to discovering how my weekly silent time cultivates greater inner and outer Peace.  
 
Big Hugs and Much Love,
Cindy