#peace archivos - The Resilient Human Project

Without connection there is no future

I spent much of my childhood in Cyprus. I have memories of myself as a child of 8 or 9 years of age lying in the back of an estate car whilst my father drove us through the night from Nicosia to Limassol. This was in the sixties in a time before seatbelts and airbags. Lying in the back looking through the window, seeing the stars, I remember a sense of wonder, of floating, of peace. Even at that young age I felt a deep sense of awe. Where I live now the night sky is very dark. What few lights there are come from the small village down in…

Anger is hell

Anger and its twin brother hatred are based on projections and exaggeration, not on objectivity or wisdom. Johnny was living in his own private hell, surrounded by people who just wouldn’t behave how they should. His need to be right was paramount. He was constantly frustrated that the world simply would not work the way it should. He was furious that people would not see him the way he wanted them to, the way they should. He often felt righteous in his anger and hatred. He couldn’t see that 'righteous hatred' is in the same category as 'righteous cancer' or 'righteous tuberculosis' − all utterly absurd concepts. The few friends…

The prisoner and the rain

The prisoner had sat all night in his cage in the rain, condemned to die in the morning. He was waiting, hoping with every fibre of his being for a reprieve; that his appeal would be heard and that somehow he would be spared. The hours came and went but no news came. He realised that this really was the end. He was soon to be executed. At first panic gripped him. He shook with fear. His heart ached unbearably with the thought of all that he was losing. Then, as he accepted that there was nothing more to be done, he experienced an immense peace, a profound stillness. His…

Turn towards or turn away

A sensation of discomfort arises, but before you consciously register your discomfort, your “autopilot” cuts in and you turn away from the sensation. You turn towards your habitual distractions - distractions we’ve all been conditioned to pursue: work, shopping, TV, sex, alcohol or another drug/activity. We are very creative, so there are lots to choose from. All of this happens in a split second. It’s so automatic, so fast, you don’t see it; you don’t know it’s happened, but it is precisely this loop which keeps you stuck, repeating unwanted behaviours in spite of your conscious desire to change. If we are ever to find peace in our hearts then…

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