23 September, Montevarde, joining an Inner Peace group

I talked to Bob, Suzie’s husband first thing this morning. Had a long talk about environmental education. I explained to Bob that you cannot create a shift in thinking about the environment until people understand the integral link to inner peace. In other words, much of the destruction in the world is being fuelled by people filling gaps in their lives through products/services. This is the nature of the marketing system to create more needs and wants. Most of them are fabricated. People buy into it because they feel incomplete and are not questioning whether what they are being sold is really needed. I also explained the economic system promotes profit maximization (greed) and does not factor in social consequences or social benefit into decisions. In fact the business community leaves that to government. If government is seeking to attract business then it is complicit and will not be asking for business to take on extra costs in respect of whether products are of a social good. My wish of course is that peace education becomes part of curriculum worldwide. I see it as a foundation before you can even think about the environment. We have to see ourselves as one with nature. At the present time we see it as separate and that is obvious when living in a house. We are not part of nature, we are a part from nature. We have little understanding of the natural balance and we are not aware of our own natural balance. We live a socialized life playing out roles we are taught. We are not coming from the flow within ourselves which leads us to our potential and purpose here. Each of us has accumulated so much without thinking that it has destroyed the natural ecosystem. So inner peace is essential for environmental sustainability. We need to learn how to problem solve, to resolve conflicts and to question our beliefs for truth rather than power. So there is much inner work to be done. Bob asked me if you see a problem with others what do you do. I said all you can do if you feel moved to, is approach people tell them your thoughts and allow them to make up their own minds. People have to go on their journey and we don’t know what the purpose of their lives is. There is much we don’t know. But if you feel moved to speak of peace or the environment then follow that and follow what you feel. To remember not to force others, is the key and is our true nature. I told him about being a clown and how I see people with unconditional love and I feel the clown is a vehicle to use humour to see the lighter side of life, we can create change but it need not be heavy or serious. We can laugh at our foibles and find the creativity within to create real changes that are supported by others. My work in peace is a day by day experience. I am not seeking to expand my work by contacting schools as I travel, I just follow my inspiration and allow that to guide my choices. Therefore, expectations are dropped and I am curiously seeing what happens. If this is my purpose then it will manifest in whatever way it manifests. I don’t care either way, I just ‘be’ myself and see what happens. I feel no fear for the future.

After speaking with Bob, I spent the morning trying to buy an air ticket online, I had to laugh a lot as it wasn’t working. Had some hassles on the website but will persevere tomorrow. Rang the Friends School to set up a meeting with the drama teacher. I am also scheduled to speak as a clown to the school assembly on Friday (tomorrow).

I sat with Suzie and her husband for lunch and Bob was telling me about the rain. He said it is to do with El Nino effect. Apparently the temperature in the Caribbean has increased by 5 degrees, normally it is 2-3 degrees. He said the gulf stream and the Caribbean warmer waters hit (cold/warm temperature) and this can cause hurricane’s. apparently it is affecting further north, although there is much rain here. I am told this is normal for the this time of year. An old fellow told me later today that he felt it was too much rain without breaks. He said it is heavy but there are breaks. I told him about the wild fires in Australia and the droughts we are experiencing (5 years of water restrictions or more). Here there is too much water. It just rains like someone turned a tap on. I had thoughts about how I would get out to go to San Jose. I’ll be alright Suzie said they deal with this every year, sometimes bridges are washed out. It is also impossible to dry clothes as the water content in the air is so high. Bob went on to tell me he was on the School Council at the Friends School. He and Suzie have been here 40 odd years and he said he came in the beginning when they had to set up their own power system and had wind up phones. So they started from scratch. There were no lights or power. It is dense forest and I’ve already discovered how dark it is when you venture out at night. So they are very brave. Suzie told me she came out here from Pennsylvania. She found out about this place and came. She met Bob here. They are Quakers. I laughed when I realized they were, that is why I was given a place to stay. I was really happy to see Suzie putting into practice Quaker teachings. I believe in kindness and helping others, so many people can become suspicious but thank goodness for those who trust. I did need a place so it was fortuitous that I met her or perhaps not depending on your philosophy.

I went off to a inner peace meeting at the local yoga centre and met a group of lovely people. We talked about our experiences in life and how we are feeling. It was refreshing to see how wise these people were and how they were questioning their own beliefs in life and advocating going into the heart to face life head on. They had come from backgrounds that were varied, one dealing with a fathers suicide, another had self esteem issues, another had to face a colleague that drove her crazy and one indicated he spent most of his life intellectualizing things. Even as we went round the group he was writing stuff down. I smiled at his uniqueness. What I loved about the group was the honest and self awareness each person had shown. The guy dealing with his father’s suicide realized he didn’t come to Montevarde to forgive his dad but to forgive himself for holding beliefs about his dad. He had been getting counseling from a lady in this group and she was definitely a wise woman. She kept encouraging people to go into how they feel (without blaming others) and owning their issues. It is not about the other because we formulate within ourselves our negative thoughts ad that is what we need to investigate. I thought of Byron Katie (www.thework.com) and it turns out that they were familiar with her work. To examine our own beliefs and find the love in the situation and ourselves. The people who press our buttons are the ones we thank, as they help us see something is not healed. The lady indicated that we are here to heal (self love). They were an evolved group and even the woman who felt she was unworthy and unintelligent was full of wisdom and intelligence I found listening to her. Our criticalness is about how we feel about ourselves but it is not correct, we are indeed wonderful people and far greater than the limited person we often see in the mirror. So the challenge is to look in the mirror and turn it around. I really loved to hear that.

I talked about being a clown and how I see everyone as beautiful (which I do). You can’t choose to hug this person and not that, you go out with an attitude of love and are available to extend it. It is a wonderful training to learn how to love without limits and have fun at the same time. After the meeting I could see the rain was torrential. I asked people if they were heading down the road (only 5 minutes). I needed a lift, the nice woman who does the counseling offered to take me and then go back to the shop. She put herself out. I remembered a really good book I have on Jeshua Channellings by Jon Marc Hammer she may like. She was teaching a Course in Miracles which is a channel of Jesus. So I figure she may want to read my book as it is from the same source but put another way. It is ultimately about love. It is all about transformation and ascension. We are all seeking to awaken ourselves spiritually, so many now are finding these books and learning to love again. We are learning to take full responsibility for our thoughts, words and actions. This is what is termed coming home. So I went out of my way for her. I had to run down this rocky path and it was pouring with rain. I laughed as I ran back as I was more wet doing this then if I chose to walk. Anyway, that is life and clearly she was meant to see this book. She dropped me off at the Bakery and I waited for the teacher from the school. I waited 40 minutes and she didn’t show. I had a feeling she wasn’t going to. My attitude is ‘all is good’. Then a man came from across the road and said that Suzie had rung to say the teacher wasn’t coming as she wasn’t feeling well and the rain was too heavy. So I got some shopping and headed back to Suzie’s, only 5 minutes away.

Suzie is such a lovely character she mumbles to herself and appears not so sure about things, often changing her mind and putting others first, she is extremely kind and I noticed she is aware. She has given me a place to stay, she has fed me, she has invited me out with her friends, checked on me, she has given me incense as I was seeking to reduce the rising damp smell. She also gave me tops and blankets to keep warm, all my clothes are summer. She pulled my clothes in from outside when the rain started and kept them dry for me. Her and her husband allow me to use their wireless connection she also gave me a pot to cook with. Anything I want she is helping me with. I find her an incredible person and living her beliefs of loving others. So I find myself in a place of love. I feel very happy here and I am getting plenty of rest. In amongst the forest is very healing and energizing. I am in a high energy location, not unlike the sacred sites I have visited. I can feel the energy of the forest and am keen to go up to look at the reserve. Bob said it is an ecological reserve of worldwide ecological value. The Quakers have been responsible for ensuring it is protected and the school they created was to educate for peace and sustainability. So I will gain insights tomorrow when I clown there.

So it has been a great break as I have moved a lot in 3 months and 16 countries later. How important is kindness, it makes the world of difference. If no-one had been kind there is no way I could do a world trip and make a further contribution to peace. It is essential for progress and inner growth.

So find your inner peace my friends,
Don’t look for excuses or denials,
Refuse to believe in the negative,
Collect together the beauty of your life,
For it is a bouquet of possibility,
And wrap it up with a rain bow,
For you are the rain maker,
And in each moment reach into your box of creativity,
For this is the sensitivity of inspiration that we hide inside,
So bring it out in the sunshine of your love,
For you are the dove that will lead the way,
For millions.