Cultivating a peaceful nature

Have you ever noticed that the Universe can be a very subtle yet insistent teacher?

My evil twin reminds me that it can be a harsh, unforgiving, task Master as well. Yes, but this is MY blog today. I'll let her have one closer to the elections. You have been warned.

My dreams, conversations with friends and even the ramblings of my teenage son have been stirring up my subconscious . This morning, instead of going to my 12 hour job. I got to lay in bed and drift in that special place where dreams, ideas and grand inspirations are formed. I haven't visited it in a long while. That might have something to do with the edgy belligerence I've been fermenting.
The evil twin grins.

Go ahead and laugh. We all have that dark, petty, mean spirited and selfish "evil twin" inside of us.
I remember a long time ago. Having a conversation with a friend who was and probably still is an arrogant, intellectual who likes to argue his point until you surrender to his logic. Poor guy never thought he'd end up arguing with someone who embraces Chaos Theory and loves the term 'Fuzzy Logic'. Anyway, he posed the question. "Is man inherently evil or good?"
I argued that we were both and developed one more than the other as we grew. He didn't like that answer. He was looking for a black or white answer and he asks the woman with the purple hair and tie-dyed shirt. I don't know who was more frazzled after that conversation. Me or him?
But I believe we come into this world with the potential of both good and evil. We just have to be taught and learn how to cultivate the peaceful side of our nature.
http://www.scienceofpeace.com/document.html

Have you heard the BUZZ over this new game, Spore?
http://www.spore.com/
When I saw the preview I was so excited. What a great way for children and adults to create a wondrous world, from scratch! Then I began to hear the reviews and of course the juvenile, penis monsters. *SIGH* I was hoping to hear about how someone created a world where everything lived in harmony. I'm not so idealistic that I didn't think there would be conflict. That's just part of life, but when a game reviewer says it's impossible to be a peaceful race without some hostile, weapon toting behemoth coming and wiping out your lovely village, so you had better make weapons and join the bloody party. Why is it that we, as humans think it's not only alright but DIVINELY ORDAINED that we crush peaceful cultures, take their stuff that we like and burn the rest? WTF is wrong with us!!
When we came down from the trees, did we collectively hit our heads? I understand the need to protect one's territory, family and own skin, but we've taken it to an insane level.
I'm not a communists but I think we can share the earth a lot better than we are now.
http://www.peaceandsecurityinitiative.org/

This blog started with just the happy thought of a small garden. I'm moving and have a small yard. I have friends who want to encourage people to grow things in urban areas. Edible things that can be shared. Oh, what a beautiful thought! Sharing food is such a basic, human gesture. Look at most animals. Do they offer to share food with anything that isn't their own offspring and even then.. No, we as humans not only sit together and share food with out families, we offer it to people who come to our homes. What a lovely, generous offer.
I grew up around many, different cultures and was taught to never refuse the offer of food. It was rude and ungrateful to do so.
So, as I lay in bed and let my mind wander to where it needs to go. I wonder how I, as an individual can shift our collective, human consciousness into a better direction. The time for subtle shifts is over. We've procrastinated too long and now.. OMG! The arctic can be circumnavigated for the first time in History!!
Iran, North Korea...Nuclear weapons... Ahhhhhhhhhh!!
BREATH! breath and think of your garden. It doesn't have to be a reality, just yet but think peaceful, gentle thoughts and send the ripples out. Unclench your ass and breath, slowly, deeply.
What to plant? Herbs, naturally and some edible flowers for color. Think of sharing the goodies from my garden and turning my compost pile full of wriggly worms.
That's better..
Now, back to sending out urgent, yet peaceful ripples. Things have to change quickly children.. No more time for studying. The test is NOW and it's a pass or fail exam.