Here in the U.S. it’s a holiday, honoring the birthday of Martin Luther King.
In my school years growing up, every January there were assemblies, plays, speeches and lessons about MLK. A major thoroughfare in many US cities, including mine here in Seattle, is “Martin Luther King Boulevard”.
Even though I never knew him personally, and wasn’t old enough to be aware of him at the time he was practicing and speaking love….
….we all recognize him as someone who questioned his beliefs.
About race, hate, love, sharing, safety, law, prejudice, change, transformation, change, war, peace, communication.
For me, to question my violent thoughts (I’ve had many)….against others, and most importantly against myself….
….has been a pivot point of change.
Who would you be without your story of inner violence? This means thoughts like “I’m a failure” or “I screwed up” or “I made a mistake” or “No one cares about me”.
There is nothing wrong with anyone who has “violent” thoughts. What are they, anyway? Forms of energy, a feeling of fear, worry that we are not supported by reality and the universe, scared of being hurt.
This is a deep cry of human suffering, and we all do the absolute best we can with our minds, feelings, actions.
What I’ve seen over and over, as I question my stressed out, violent, aggressive thoughts that arise–and I didn’t “make” them appear–is once they are investigated, an open, wild, mysterious, unidentifiable sense of peace remains. A peace that feels like the real truth.
Thank you all the speakers and leaders who questioned their thoughts, to show us how to live freely in the world, without fear.
I see every time, when I question my thinking, those stressful thoughts I had came only out of fear, confusion, and doubt in the mind.
Otherwise, all is very well indeed. And very, very peaceful.
Even if you don’t “know” it for sure.
“Non-violence and truth are inseparable and presuppose one another.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” ~ Martin Luther King
Thanks for being on this journey of wondering about thought….
….and exploring it, with an open mind. A journey of not needing to “bear” one ounce of hatred or violence, not even towards you.
What a relief. How very beautifully, brilliantly, quietly exciting.
And this journey to love….maybe “you” don’t even have to “decide” on sticking with it.
As Byron Katie says….drop the ‘maybe’.
Much love,
Grace