PeaceOptions - for a better tomorrow

Thrive - the Movie

admin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 23:22:51 +0000

To Change the World, Change Yourself

john dennison — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:34:19 +0000

You're sick and tired of all the fighting, not to mention all the fallout that comes from the pursuit of self-interest that goes with it -- environmental degradation, business excesses, corruption and control in government, disparity of wealth and circumstance, etc.

So far, though, you're probably not quite sure what to do about it. You don't like the way things are. And you sure don't like where they're headed.

But trying to change the way things work without changing human nature is like being a salmon swimming upstream to spawn. Even if it can avoid the bears and other predators lying in wait and finally does reach its destination to lay its eggs, it then collapses in exhaustion and dies.

What kind of life is that? Does creating peace mean living a life of self-sacrifice to change a system that doesn't want to be changed?

The fundamental challenge is not one of fixing the problems we've created for ourselves. Rather, it's about influencing behavior by changing human nature -- or more precisely, expanding the consciousness that motivates it.

Peace, Politics and the State of Our Nation

john dennison — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:41:28 +0000

For a guy who talks so much about peace, I sure don't feel very peaceful these days. The state of our nation is on my mind, in particular politics and the functioning (an oxymoron?) of our government, and it's got me fuming!

It goes without saying that politics is a game of power to determine who will control the mechanism of government -- and in so doing set the course of our common affairs.

As with any game, people play to win. When some win, others lose. Like the cliche says, to the winner go the spoils. And to the loser? The chance to try, try again -- and do whatever possible to regain power at the next election.

Ah, elections. That's a good place to start. When I was young, I used to hear about how bad the soviet system was, offering its people only the illusion of choice, that the system was rigged to elect the candidate selected by a central ruling elite.

So what makes us think it's any different here, just because we get two (and sometimes more) candidates to choose from for most offices? The American electorate is trained to think our choice is meaningful, but for our vote to "count," we dutifully must cast those votes for either a Democrat or Republican. That is, unless things deteriorate to a point that we demonstrate our ire by voting for some third party because we don't like the choices propped up for our consumption.

Dinner meeting Thursday 3/29/2012 7pm

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:17:41 +0000

Just a quick reminder -- the Broward dinner-discussion will be held this Thursday at 7 pm.

Lester's Diner
4701 Coconut Creek Pky,
Coconut Creek, FL

See you there.

Petition for Corporate Social Responsibility

john dennison — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:11:53 +0000

Mitch Gold of HomePlanet.org has asked for our support. He's got a petition asking people to endorse the ISO 26000 standards for corporate social responsibility. Here's the link:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/implement_the_ISO_26000_standard/

We've signed it. Maybe you will, too.

While you're there, check out the link to his crowd-funding project as well.

Why War Isn't Inevitable: A Science Writer Studies the Secret to Peaceful Societies

admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:48:03 +0000

Biologically speaking, we are just as likely to be peaceful as we are to be violent. So what keeps humans bound by a seemingly never-ending cycle of war?

Sometimes it seems as if we can't get beyond the fighting, that it is an inevitable part of the human existence.

Some people don't think so. We don't, either.

A recent article at AlterNet reviewed a new book by journalist John Horgan that says otherwise. The description to End of War says,

Overcoming Our Inner Obstacles

john dennison — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:22:41 +0000

Dealing with the outer world is hard enough. Learning to navigate our inner one is even harder, especially through all the unnecessary filters and conditions we use to distort the flow of our light and love into the world.

One of the biggest is in the demands and conditions we impose upon ourselves and how we go about our lives -- how it should look, what we want it to bring, what we're willing to do, and especially what we're not.

Most of us aren't even aware we have them. But we do. They shape what we create and how we go about it probably more than any other factor.

Take me, for instance.

You've heard me write about this future reading by the Buddhist monk who said I was to be a religious leader. It set off a whole wave of conflicting vibrations within me. "Not me," some inner voices cried out.

"Why not me?" others pleaded. "You've got a lot to offer there."

So I went about trying to do both. First, walking the path of spiritual teacher, sharing what I saw. And then, doing my very best to go in any direction other than that one.

Why should this be important to you?

As far as my own stops and starts or impact, it shouldn't. But as far as the things going on in you that affect your life, it might perhaps start you looking within to see what's going on there that's affecting your life.

Most people never learn how to look inside themselves. It's not an art that's taught in high school or college. And for that matter, not in many spiritual schools, either.

Flood Waters Run Fast

john dennison — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:13:58 +0000

Photo source The Telegraph

Tornadoes have wreaked tremendous damage to large parts of our nation, destroying countless lives and property in the process. Most will have the chance to pick up the pieces and move on. Some, though, are gone, leaving broken hearts and empty lives behind.

It makes me think of the storms that have blown through my life, left to wonder whether I'll be standing and where once they subside -- assuming they do.

They will, won't they????? One can only hope . . . But I digress.

It was almost a decade ago that Tsen Tsing talked to me about embracing the unknown, and trusting that there was a path carved for me. He described the western desert, where even there subtle gullies -- even if unseen -- existed to channel the water during the rare torrential rains.

It was an accurate prediction of what my life was going to be like. My law practice gave way to a long period of what was described by a Buddhist monk as preparation to be a spiritual leader (she used the term religious) -- a leader of whom, to where and for what I had no idea. Moreover, I resisted, not wanting the spotlight and responsibility that often go along with leadership, not to mention I wasn't a religious kind of guy.

My life was always an exercise in trying to go my way, even though the rest of the world seemed headed somewhere else. And when I interacted with it, it was often combative, fighting off others' efforts to direct me where they wanted me to go and into what they wanted me to do. Even when they weren't, I was stirring things up, challenging beliefs and practices that were usually about imposing them upon one person/group or another.

Maybe that's why I now talk about peace so much -- it's like a counterbalance to the first 50 years of fighting, and when I wasn't, training myself for combat.

If that's leadership, it's a new one on me. Because I'm not really trying to lead anyone, but just go my own way. It's just that I do it openly, sharing both my destination and what I discover along the way. And if anyone wants to join me, that's great. If not, that's okay, too.

So what you get from me are breadcrumbs I drop from the insights I pick up along the way. How you use them, if at all, is entirely up to you.

Anyway, on with the story.

Virtual assistant volunteer - Public Relations

john dennison — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:10:05 +0000

We are looking for a volunteer to provide virtual assistance to help with our upcoming public relations efforts.

The job description and duties are still being prepared, but are expected to include:

web research and phone calls to gather media contact information;
assembling media kits, submitting press releases and making followup inquiries
preparing marketing materials, templates, etc. for use with your efforts

This position is anticipated to require between 5-10 hours PER MONTH on an intermittent basis.

It will last for six (6) months.

Forums are now open

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:27:47 +0000

Our forums were also hard-hit by the hackers, but now all that's been fixed and they're open for user posts again.

Here are some that are now available?

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We hope when you visit you'll either start or participate in the discussion.