Day 36, March 6 Action expresses priorities. M.K. Gandhi This quote is a direct echo of one of Gandhis heroes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said, Who you are is speaking so loudly that I cant hear what youre saying. The words that we speak are merely words. Our actions, however, express what is true for us in the moment of action. We cannot proclaim non-violence and expect others to believe us unless our actions reflect non-violence. The Roman historian, Tacitus, said, where they make a desert, they call it peace. This is a wonderful description of those who proclaim non-violence while using violence to achieve it. Often in our zeal to achieve our goal, we commit violence upon those who oppose us. In doing so, we not only fail to achieve our goal, we actually set our cause back. Our actions, in every case, express our true priorities. We never get to say, But their actions made me... This statement is not only an echo of childish rationalization, it actually expresses our priority, winning. When someone uses the principles of non-violence as a tool to achieve their own agenda, they will always become violent when confronted with frustration and disappointment. The priority was, after all, not nonviolence, but achieving the goal. This is why non-violent movements often fail. Only when our priority is non-violence for non-violences sake can we succeed. Remembering that our actions express our true priority are also a way for us to monitor who we really are. Humans are remarkably adept at self-delusion. But when we monitor our actions as a daily practice, we will always see the true priorities behind our illusion and denial. Seeing our illusions and self-denial, we can revisit our core beliefs and heal whatever it is that has caused us to lose sight of them in our actions and priorities. Affirmative Practice Today, I will meditate on my true priorities. Today, I will be aware of my actions and what they express about my priorities. Let peace begin with you.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 10:04:24 +0000
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