Date: Tue, 05 Oct 2004 01:57:27 -0400
Sent To: AdvancedReikiTopics@yahoogroups.com
AttuneMints? By: Reverend R Clark <clark@acceleration.net>
Greetings Folks!
Do any other RM's employ AttuneMints©, when the "Violet Breath" is more like "Violent Breath" <grin>?
Thanks for Everything!
One Love, R
“Domestic and social violence usually starts off with a few angry words and a few hurt feelings that don't get resolved, then escalates into feelings of betrayal, rage and revenge. Inner feelings of rage soon spill over into all aspects of society. Social stress multiplies daily with every new report of political upheaval, child abuse, drug abuse, workplace violence, children bringing guns to school, homelessness, ethnic wars or some other crisis. The root cause of a lot of these social stresses is the inner violence created by dysfunctional communication between the heart and the mind. As social stress increases, we're faced with a choice: Retreat into fear and isolation, become angry and bitter, try to ignore it all, or take responsibility for our own stress reactions.”
- Doc Childre, "Freeze-Frame"“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction.”
- E. F. Schumacher“You need not fear, George; I shall not murder her. I do not believe in violence; it is the last resource of fools. If I did, you would not be alive now.”
- H[enry] Rider Haggard. Dawn, 1884. (Uttered by the character of Lady Anne Bellamy, Chapter XXI, fourth-to-last paragraph)“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”
- Salvor Hardin, Isaac Asimov "Bridle and Saddle" (aka "The Mayors", in Foundation), 1942.“He was opposed to the use of force. Force, he believed, was the last resort of incompetence; he had said so frequently enough since this operation had begun. Of course, he was absolutely right, though not in the way he meant. Only the incompetent wait until the last extremity to use force, and by then, it is usually too late to use anything, even prayer.”
- H. Beam Piper "A Slave is a Slave", Analog, 1962“I vow to cultivate peace by refraining from acts of violence (both verbal and physical), doing whatever I can to protect others from violence, and working with others to end violence in society as a whole.”
- Rami M. Shapiro in MinyanLiterary and Graphical Freeware: Not for Commercial Use.
Copyright (c) 1998-2011 R. Clark - clark@acceleration.net .
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this publication (www.acceleration.net/clark and all children) provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies.
The Top 10 Ways to Reduce Violence by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, speaker and success coach, author of a newsletter and 300+ articles, tools and resources.
I happen to live near the one of the tragic "school shootings" of the recent past, and I've seen how the grief, anger, heartache and turmoil have impacted our community. It has brought home that a general abhorrence of violence is not enough. While I'm sure others will have different, and perhaps wiser, suggestions about how to reduce violence, here are my Top 10 Ways to Reduce Violence. If you can improve them, I welcome your feedback, but I suspect it may be more important and more useful if you write a letter to your local newspaper or school board. Together, we can reduce and perhaps eliminate violence.
Disconnect anger from violence.
I am convinced that human beings get angry, and that anger at injustice is often justified. There is healthy anger that insists, “There has to be a better way!” I shudder when I hear parents tell children, “You shouldn't be angry.” Tell them instead, “Your feelings are OK, you can be angry, but you may not hit or hurt others.”See the connection between the love of violence and violence itself.
Fascination with brutality, guns and bombs, war and evil must increase the chances for violent behavior. I can't prove that, it just seems likely to me.See the connection between all levels of violence.
Insults and taunting, humiliation and shaming are forms of violence. When we treat people badly, it should not surprise us when they try to "get even."Take all violence seriously.
Playground bullies and sibling rivalries do not have to be accepted as part of life, at least not when children are getting hurt. Kids squabbling over "my toy" is one thing; hitting or pulling hair or knocking each other down is something else. We do not have to accept it as normal behavior.Take troubled, angry people seriously.
We talk about needing more early intervention with troubled kids, and I agree. But people of all ages get trapped in situations they can't handle, with emotions they don't know how to express. Domestic violence, violence among co-workers and among children should always be treated as a serious matter. Hitting and hurting, and threatening to hurt, are not OK.Deal with the availability of guns.
Knives, cars, and a thousand other things also kill people, but guns have a unique place in the American imagination. Of course, they also have a place in the rich tradition of hunting and target shooting. I don't have all the answers, but hunting seems different than having military-style weapons available in millions of homes across the country. There must be a better system.Acknowledge the connection between violent images and violent behavior.
I abhor censorship, so this is a tough one. But if 30-second images can sell us lipstick and Buicks, and change the way we vote, it seems likely that hours and hours of explosions, shootings, fights and mayhem may also influence behavior. To be blunt, I am particularly troubled by the violence in video games and the number of violent "action adventure" movies we support as a culture. Something strange is going on!Acknowledge the connection between sports and violent behavior.
Again, sports is a sacred icon in American culture, but it seems that sports have been separated from athletics. Instead of every child participating in gym class and competing in intramural sports, we have a culture of super-hero super-stars who are virtually above the law. Hockey, basketball, football and other sports all tolerate behavior that would result in arrest for assault outside the sports arena. Competition and fitness are valuable; organized violence is not acceptable!Acknowledge the connection between language and violence.
Business uses the language of the battlefield, and sports is full of encouragement to "get out there and kill," "massacre them," and "beat their brains out." Our entire legal system is based on the idea of lawyers doing battle. While hiring a representative to fight with words instead of clubs was a huge step forward in the middle ages, perhaps our society is ready for an even higher level of conflict resolution.See the violence in ourselves.
Sometimes I find myself so angry I "daydream" about violence, or "really showing them." I hear jokes that use the phrase, "Just shoot the bastards!" I know if "looks could kill" or if cutting statements actually drew blood, I'd be in deep trouble. Violence is not just someone else's problem. I must work for peace, love and improved conflict resolution in my own life. How about you?
The Principles of Attitudinal Healing
- The essence of our being is Love.
- Health is inner Peace.
- Healing is letting go of Fear.
- Giving and Receiving are the same.
- We can let go of the past and of the future.
- Now is the only time there is and each instant is for giving.
- We can learn to Love ourselves and others by forgiving rather than judging.
- We can become Love finders rather than fault finders.
- We can choose and direct ourselves to be Peaceful inside regardless of what is happening outside.
- We are students and teachers to each other.
- We can focus on the whole of life rather than the fragments.
- Since Love is eternal, death need not be viewed as fearful.
- We can always perceive ourselves and others as either extending Love or giving a call for help.
