Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment.
Our 2026 Program Calendar is now available. This year marks another important milestone in our history as we launch new programming, products, and more in celebration of Br. David’s 100th birthday.
The ones I already live by: gratitude, healthy boundaries, self-compassion, openness and curiosity, listening to the voice of God/Love, being ready to be guided by God’s will.
The ones I want to strenghten this year: kindness to others, the courage to be honest when needed, serenity, generosity.
Be kind.
It’s nice to see you again Linda, welcome back 🙂
That’s it. ♥️
I see so many colors
and millions of flavors . . .
a magnificent circle stretching out into the universe,
as I read through the responses to today’s Question,
and they all blend together like honey,
as with the same intention.
Not a single one of them
has aspirations towards hate or violence or lust for power.
We all want compassion and kindness,
love, integrity . . .
patience, participating, connecting.
We’re all in the Colosseum singing to the choir.
So,
where does it start?
What is it that makes the other things happen?
Which comes first,
the chicken or the egg?
The circle then becomes a spiral
and eventually connects to itself
like a great, complex infinity sign.
Do we want to spread kindness in the world
because we love,
or do we spread kindness,
which teaches us how to love?
I sort of got lost in the loop today
(no pun intended),
but I think each response inspires another,
and another,
and another.
They are all connected.
We are all connected,
and we all have the same Source,
no matter by what name we call it.
Which makes me consider those whose core values
promote hate, dissension,
chaos and cruelty?
They are our brothers and sisters too.
What of them? ♥
“Do we want to spread kindness in the world
because we love,
or do we spread kindness,
which teaches us how to love?”
YES 🙂
🙂
All of this! It makes me wonder if this spiral is what truly turns the earth.
I wonder,
dear Deann . . . ♥
Tough at times to see the underlying consciousness of some beings ego, I think dear Sparrow.
I can’t imagine
how terribly angry, afraid,
and wounded
they must be,
dear Joseph. ♥
This. Could we respond to the pain with compassion and care and encourage them to feel hope? What a gigantic task.
Immense,
dear Barb,
even if you can get your foot in the door. ♥
Kindness and compassion. Gratefulness which is chosen often but could be more. Spirituality. Opening up to stillness in meditation is work in progress. Presence as often and to live integrity as much as possible, also work in progress. YES to contribute again and again and with all my heart.
The universe has given the method of completion. To become complete means that I must let go of all my delusions which are : karma ( my life lived ), habits (inheritance from my ancestors since beginning-less time ) and my body . Once I choose to make a choice of cleansing my false illusionary mind world which a false picture- I can live forever and not be caught in the attachment filled dream world of the demon/Maria/ dead zone – because only Truth remains. This method of becoming Truth is real and it’s happening right now in this very precious present moment .
I’m so grateful to the universe for allowing me to truly understand and surrender this false self . Wow 🤩 what an incredible experience this year has been . The core principle is the origin the universe that lives forever and never changes . It’s the only constant- the foundation of all principles is the universe. There is only Truth and this guides my entire existence.
Core principles that guide the way I live. Big question.
*I think it’s as simple as being kind. Try to be kind in thoughts as well as in attitude and actions.
*Be honest except where honesty seems to be unkind, and in that case be as honest as possible without being harsh.
*Be grateful. Contentment, ease, and joy can be found in gratefulness. And as well, gratefulness is its own reward.
*Connect with others. Connect with people, animals, and nature.
*Be welcoming. Take notice of the stranger. Take the time to see him, listen to him, and then to introduce him to others in a group.
*Be authentic. Don’t hide your own light.
*Be generous. Giving comes naturally to the kind hearted.
*Be open minded. Listen to ideas that are new and previously unknown to you.
*Be aware. Notice thoughts, emotions and sensations in one’s body.
*Take time to play. Babies and children love to play. We are wired to love fun. Don’t suppress it.
*Take time to rest. Revel in quiet and peacefulness.
*Be curious. Curiosity leads to greater knowledge, creative expression and all kinds of possibilities.
*Above all be kind and include oneself in that kindness.
These are the principles that I aspire to.
These are great! I liked how you had examples of each one too 🙂
Thank you, Michele. ♥️
These are really good principles. I especially like when you said, “Don’t hide your own light.”
Shine on! ✨
Thank you, SunnyPatti. Don’t hide your own light is an important one for me. wip ♥️
We all are!!
The core principles that guides the way I live at is –Love. Under my main principle I strive to live in curiosity and awe, and with my Divine in me work on equality, equity, justice, civility, honesty, respect, compassion and empathy, connections … as I work to be the change I want to see in the universe not forgetting to be grateful for all my ancestors beings’ and all the current beings working and teaching me how to live my core principles. “So, I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers, and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.” John Lewis
What a strong, proud list,
dear Kansha . . .
(in a good way).
I need to think more about connections,
which his a place where I am lacking.
Thank you for this . . .
the Divine in me
bows to the Divine in you. ♥
I try to keep it simple. I do have goals, but the guiding principle is kindness. Everything flows from that.
♥
Charlie, I love simplicity. It’s relaxing on the mind. As far as kindness goes, it all starts and ends with the heart.
Kindness.
Care for the earth and all that lives on and with it.
Patience, most days.
I make a difference through my choices and actions.
I recognize my privilege and commit every day to applying it in the direction of justice. (That line about the arc of the moral universe being long, but bending toward justice? That’s only true if we’re pulling on it. https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/11/15/arc-of-universe/)
I can get through whatever comes along if I just keep going.
The greatest of them for me is empathy…for through that lens, I strive to see all things, to recognize the beautiful fullness therein and reflect back love, kindness, generosity, acceptance, and safety that understanding brings.
Contributing
Responding
Learning
Treat others as I wish to be treated
Integrity, curiosity, persistence, health, compassion.
Persistence, oh yes. I forgot persistence.
My core values I live by are: integrity, autonomy, and simplicity. Autonomy may be my basic desire, but I make sure to stay clean when getting my way which is why I value integrity above all else. It’s what motivates me to connect more to my root people consistently. Simplicity happens to be the intersectionality I have with them that makes it easier for me to bench my ego and trust them.
This was an eye opener if contemplated honestly:
Fairness
Respect
Humility
Try not to hurt other living creatures (man or beast)
Tolerance
Trust and listen for the voice of a greater power.
I do not live this perfectly but it seems those are the principles I live most closely
We all come from the same Source/Divine Spark/God/the Universe.
Love, Gratitude & Forgiveness.
Being authentic to myself and holding healthy boundaries.
Recognize our respective brotherhood
and sisterhood,
dear SunnyPatti . . .
for that we are. ♥
I really have to think of that when I see those you mentioned who seem to be guided by hatred, power and fear, although they would probably never admit that fear was a part of their process.
I believe in forgiveness, but didn’t include it. I think forgiveness is very tricky. I remember once being especially hurt by some things said to me by a person who was very important to me in my life. I thought it would be best to forgive, but I just wasn’t feeling it. So, after a period of time, I asked God to forgive him for me, because I just couldn’t do it. After that I was able to let go of the incident, and I think that led to my hurt gradually fading and then to forgiveness. Still I think forgiveness is a tricky one. I think it mostly has to do with letting go. But letting go can’t be forced.
I agree with you, Mary. Forgiveness *is* tricky. I could not forgive my ex-husband for a very long time. I didn’t think he deserved it after the way he treated me. And truth being, I wanted him to hurt as much as I did, most especially after I left him. I had a turning point some time after that where I realized my resentments were only causing me to dwell on what he did and that he probably wasn’t thinking about me or his actions over the years at all, being the kind of person he was. I forgave him for myself, not for him. I forgave him and prayed that I never saw him ever again. I did it so that I could truly let go of that period of my life. Take my lessons and move on.
I’m still working on forgiveness with others. Some things go way back, like with my birth father and his absence in my life. That’s where that letting go part comes in, too – but also finding a way to think about their path and why it caused them to do the things that they did. Kinda like that quote from Ram Dass about seeing people as trees. Thinking about why they bent a certain way because they didn’t get the light they needed helps us understand, although that doesn’t justify their actions! I think I could write a lot more about this subject! I hope whatever forgiveness we might need to find with others comes in a way that we can truly let go and continue moving forward on our paths 🙏🏼
Thanks, SunnyPatti. Your response helped me. The part about people being like trees, and bending a certain way because they didn’t get the light they needed. That helps me to let go of some of the pain and anger I feel toward two people that I have not been able to forgive. Baby steps. 💕 ♥️