Talking Our Walk
From the Editors

Believe in your highest concept of yourself and others, and you will contribute to the upliftment of the entire planet.
~ Mike Quinsey

We’ve all heard “You are what you eat.” Perhaps even more significantly, you are what you feel, and ultimately, what you believe. Feelings, of course, are experienced on the emotional level, and when held firmly, they become your beliefs. Your beliefs are your reality -- which you have created. But, have you consciously created your reality? For a great number of us, that answer would be “No.”

Each day offers new opportunities and an infinite number of choices in how we respond to and create our own reality. Events will always occur outside ourselves that we cannot control. We do, however, choose how we react to these events, regardless if it’s the weather, the fiasco in Iraq, or high gas prices. Choose to remain angry about the Iraqi war and accomplish nothing-- except remaining angry.

Rather, you can try a positive and proactive approach -- attend peace rallies, sign petitions and call your representatives (they do want your vote), and most importantly, visualize and feel peace.

If you resent spending $100 to fill up your over-sized “status symbol,” you can choose to drive a more fuel-efficient vehicle, car pool, or maybe even drive less. SUVs were an environmental disaster from their conception and need to go away. I don’t know how many fewer millions of SUVs would be on the road today, if consumers consciously considered their automotive choices.

This past April, my mom transitioned from this life. It was unexpected and relatively quick. I anticipated my reaction to be inconsolable grief, much as I had experienced when my dad passed away when I was 13. But most surprisingly, I instead felt a real sense of peace. At age 49, my perceptions are considerably different. As much as I miss my mom’s physical presence, I know that she did not “die,” she simply changed form. In fact, I’m certain she’s not that far away, because we’re still able to communicate (really). And equally comforting, my mom’s service became a tribute to her, celebrating her life, rather than simply grieving her loss. And from this loss, my sister, brother and I gained so much. An otherwise traumatic episode shifted to a transformational experience.

Bringing a more conscious perspective to life’s daily challenges, is the difference in whether we react with anger and hopelessness, or respond with understanding and compassion.
In Peace & Gratitude,