You are an expression of God (love, peace, freedom, life, compassion).
You are NOT the summation of your actions and attitudes.
Experiment:
For one day look past yours and others looks, actions and attitudes and identify yourself and all others as expressions of God (love, peace, freedom, life, compassion).
then...
For one day identify yourself and others solely by their looks, actions and attitudes.
Then ask yourself which reality would you rather live in?
Peace is the part of us which is conscious of (knows) who we are (an expression of God/all) whether we are living out of that reality or not.
Peace isn't something we need or don't have nor is is an experience we have, it is part of our being/identity.
Humanity pursues peace as though it exist separately, found in quiet places apart from the daily chaos of life (by a stream out in the woods, on a deserted beach looking out at the ocean, on a cliff high in the mountains). People go on holiday to 'experience' peace. Folks go to therapy to find peace. Some even commit suicide to escape the chaos and find peace.
Going to quiet places is helpful...not to 'find' peace but to train your consciousness to focus on the reality you are an expression of peace.
All is. Life, Love, Freedom, Peace are eternal values - part of all but not the totality of all.
"I" (the ego or flesh) is a expression of All with the capability to choose an existence of Truth (I am an expression of All) or error (I am separate from All). Choosing Truth brings Life, choosing error suffering.
No matter the choice, All is. "I" didn't change a thing.
I am Love, Life, Freedom, Peace so in putting those things first (being who I am), I will not labor under undue anxiety about anything no matter my state of being or circumstances.
Society would say I am mom & dad's son, my wife's husband, my kids father, a coworker, neighbor, friend, citizen of the U.S.A., human on planet earth.
Religion would say I am freewill, a descendant of Adam and a child of God, a sinner or saint, a creation of God, a servant or slave, a co-heir with Christ, a branch of the vine, the light of the world.
Spirituality would say I am an expression of all (i.e. God)...perfect love, peace that passes understanding, perfect freedom and Life.
but...
Who do I say I am?
Am I the sum of my actions and attitudes? Am I defined by my occupation, sport, talent or gift? Am I the combination of my physical and mental capabilities...a product of DNA?
Who or What defines you? How can you know without it coming from 'outside of ' or 'apart' from you?
Is it possible to define yourself?...isn't that what we do?...we pick and choose different pieces and parts from the above and knit them together like a quilt?
In this video Bill Strickland describes the motivating factor behind the building of the Bidwell Training Center in the high crime and economically depressed area of Pittsburg..."You have to change the way people see themselves before they will change their behavior" (minute 18 of the video) and "It's all in the way you think about people that often determines their behavior" (minute 11ish).
How Bill changed the way people see themselves with the Bidwell Training Center is ONE WAY it happens. It also happens in our everyday seemingly insignificant attitudes and actions in the check out line, interstate, office, family, marriage, neighborhood, etc. I'm not specifically advocating more Bidwell Training Centers, I don't think you 'need' a building or program to demonstrate your seeing other people as perfect Love, Freedom & Peace. When we see ourselves as Love, Peace & Freedom (of most valuable worth), we'll begin to see other people that same way. Our seeing others that way wakes them up to the Truth about themselves (i.e. that they are Love, Peace & Freedom) and the process continues as they wake others up, and on and on. The Bidwell Training Center is but 'one' expression of that reality.
If the embedded video doesn't work click the title link.
