Love Notes for Peace

Last set, my friends.

It’s been a slow, snowy day at home. Kids are scheduled to fly out early tomorrow morning, then I’m signed up for two consecutive classes at Ethos. Will get back in the new usual swing of things until they come home again!

Everything changes. So many things stay the same. We humans are so complex and so simple. We make our world so hostile and unforgiving, and yet there is still so much love and potential for peace everywhere we look.

How can we amplify that peace? Is amplifying peace an oxymoron? How does peace manifest and spread? I think it’s actually small and personal, something that speaks to each of us quietly and grows within…Then connects from that small, deeply held place in us to the same in others. I think peace is modeled, inspired, and then cultivated, by and in each of us intentionally over time. Some have a naturally peaceful nature, and they likely model more visibly and effectively.

For the rest of us, it is effortful. Thus the more we can do it together, out loud and mutually positively reinforced, then we can actually amplify it.

Let’s see what comes out of this idea tonight!

  1. Wishing you the comfort and reassurance you need to get to peace, eventually, with anything in life. Just want you to suffer as little as possible.

2. Peace ninja! May yours sit always on your shoulder, watching for your nervous system, to protect it, employing both overt and stealth tactics to keep your being even and strong.

3. When I am around you, your peaceful nature affects me. I feel more calm and I aspire to be more like you in my own life.

4. Whatever brings you peace, darling, whatever helps you de-escalate and feel grounded – both solid and soft – this is what I wish for you.

5. When there is unrest in you, when you feel unsettled, may you not resist it. May you be in that paradox of peace with unease. And breathe.

6. Peace can be difficult sometimes. But that tells us something – it means something matters. There may be exploration to do. And it’s okay to get help, don’t forget.

7. Solitude and communion, challenge and ease, life and death. May you be never far from peace in any of these circumstances and others. May you carry your peace with you.

8. Does “fighting for peace” really make sense? Maybe modeling peace, encouraging it, and working tirelessly, patiently, consistently, lovingly, and peacefully for it. Ya. I think so.

9. With all the chaos and uncertainty that surrounds us today, may you continue to tend the garden of your inner peace, the home of your agency. Peace, dear one

10. Sometimes all we need is to just sleep on it and peace and clarity come in the morning. Not always, but sleep is good for almost anything. May you rest your mind and heart.

11. Deep breaths, dear darling… We know and control so precious few things! May we take solace in the love we cultivate daily!

12. Imagine if we were all a little bit more at peace within ourselves, how much less conflict there’d be in the world? May we each and all keep breathing our way in this direction.

Well I’m pretty happy with how these thirty posts turned out. I’ll figure out soon what to do with these 360 unfolded, organized notes. Your suggestions are welcome! Thank you for reading along, and I hope some of these spoke to you over the month! Peace, my friends.

Love Notes for Change for Good

“Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better. But because I knew you, I have been changed for good.” —Wicked: For Good

I have always loved a good play on words.
Daughter and I saw Wicked: For Good in the theater today–highly recommend!
As always, it’s the nature, development, and evolution of relationships that captures me.
Friendship, romantic connection, love of all kinds, as well as fear- and shame-based decisions and actions… It’s all on my mind a lot this weekend.

So here on the second to last day of my 11th thirty day blogging challenge, I will explore relationships that change us for good. I’m excited to see what emerges!

  1. Was it a teacher? A special childhood friend? Whoever has changed you and your life for good–why not let them know today? You may not always have a chance.

2. “Like a handprint on my heart.” May you be acutely aware of the mark you make on those you meet. And may the mark be one of love.

3. Even if our encounter is brief, I believe we can impact one another in significant ways. Human connection is so powerful that way. Wield wisely, please.

4. Please know how much you matter – Your posture, your face, your words, your actions – no matter how small. Decide how you want to impact others – then own it. Do good.

5. OH my goodness our potential to impact one another’s lives for good! It’s almost infinite, I think! 😀 May we all be reverent of this power!

6. Wishing you people in your life whose influence makes you a stronger, more aware, more honest version of yourself. I wish this for all of us!

7. I so admire you – for committing to your heart’s desire and trusting yourself to pursue success with confidence! You inspire me.

8. Worthy rivals. Respectful, energetic, alert, and engaging relationships that challenge us to strive, to reach, to grow. May you have at least one great one.

9. May we hold ourselves open and willing for experiences that will change us – that will teach us lessons we may not seek. Life is about learning. Let us all be students.

10. On the highlight reel of your life, may you see repeated and bright scenes of connection and meaning. And may those people remain in your life, in your heart.

11. You push me. You challenge me. I grow through the struggle of our exchanges. You make me question and solidify my convictions. Thank you.

12. Because I know you, I have been changed for good. You think and feel differently from me and I learn from you. These lessons are important.

Well, not as good as I had hoped, but a good effort.
We’re almost to 360, my friends. That’s cool. 🙂

Love Notes for Honesty

This one will be a challenge, friends. How does one write love notes about honesty without sounding condescending? Most of these will be self-reflection, I think. So I invite my friends to join in exploration and aspiration. Let’s see what happens!

  1. May we always be honest with ourselves first, even and especially when it’s hard. Then we can be honest with others when it matters.

2. Let us hold ourselves compassionately accountable for our biases, prejudices, assumptions, and stubborn narratives. May we own our shit for all our sakes.

3. Telling the truth can be scary and painful. But let us step up and do it anyway, kindly, directly, humanely. Our future selves will thank one another for our moral fortitude.

4. When I show up honest and open, especially facing your passive aggression, I aim to both honor my integrity and earn your respect. It’s all I can do.

5. May your most honest self always have a strong hand on the wheel of your moral car. May the signals and headlights shine bright so others see your integrity clearly.

6. May you experience many times over the benefits and rewards of honesty more than the risks and costs. The net positives outweigh the negatives if we stick with it!

7. I assume you are an honest person. I know it’s really hard to tell the truth in many situations. I respect you for standing in your honesty however possible. Thank you.

8. Ugh, my biases are strong and steer me to the far lanes of human traffic sometimes. How ’bout you? May we be both firmly and gently honest with ourselves.

9. Let us all always combine honesty with empathy, kindness, and compassion, and deliver our truths from love before anything else. Easier said than done; worth the effort.

10. Even when we are honest (which we too often are not), our truths are still only stories we choose to tell. Even we ourselves must take them with a grain of salt.

11. Yes, always be honest. And attend to context. Not every truth is appropriate for every moment. Choose wisely. Protect relationships with kindness and respect.

12. Thank you (for) being kind and discerning in your honesty. It means so much when you take others’ feelings into account when you offer your truths.

Huh. Are they love notes? Do you feel loved reading them? I hope so. 🙂