64 Days, 64 Ways to Practice Nonviolence
~~~ WEEK 6 ~~~

DAY 36 Mar. 6: The practice for today is MINDFULNESS. Mindfulness is thinking about what you’re doing and knowing why you're doing it. If we just act in each moment with composure and mindfulness, each minute of our life is a work of art. Be aware of the motivation behind your action, the intention behind your words and the needs and experiences of other people. By doing so, you are making life more beautiful and you are more likely to make nonviolent choices.
"The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers." -Thich Nhat Hanh
Today: Choose something simple to do, such as eating a piece of fruit. Bringing my complete attention to it, I will not allow myself to talk to anyone or think of anything else except what I'm doing. Notice what my hands do, the way the food feels in my mouth, the taste, the texture, the idea of nourishing my body. Is this different from the way I normally eat? I will practice being mindful in everything I do today.

DAY 37 Mar. 7: The practice for today is GRACIOUSNESS. Are we willing to make all sorts of gracious concessions on things that do not matter in life and yet stand unshakable on essentials? To do this, we have to be detached from our opinions. This doesn't mean being wishy-washy, or lacking strength in our convictions, but that we cultivate the forbearance not to force our opinions on others.
Today: I will create a skit with at least three other people to show the difference between graciousness and selfishness. I will observe and share with the others how graciousness adds to nonviolence.

DAY 38 Mar. 8: The practice for today is KINDNESS. Every day we hear of random and senseless acts of violence. By participating in the counter-revolution of kindness started by Anne Herbert ("Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty") you are contributing to a culture of nonviolence.
If someone does or says something unkind to me, if I return kindness, I am not simply being kind to that particular person, I am being kinder to myself. I am taking one more step towards being free. I am turning wrath away from myself, as well as being kind to the other person and by doing so, I am reinforcing kindness as a part of my personality.
"My religion is kindness"
-The Dalai Lama
Today: I will do something kind for someone for no reason other than to be kind. I will bring beauty to a place where it may be needed without letting anyone know I was the one who did it. I will write about how I felt and then share this story with someone.

DAY 39 Mar. 9: The practice for today is DIALOGUE. Marianne Williamson describes a healthy society as one in which "those who disagree can do so with honor and respect for other people’s opinions, and an appreciation for our shared humanity."
We might not always agree with other people, but when we really listen to what they have to say we are having a dialogue. We never argue in a dialogue. We say what we think and then we listen to the other person so we can understand what they think and learn from them. When we engage in dialogue, we seek not to prove we are right, or that the other person is wrong, but to state clearly - from a place of ahimsa and truth force - what we believe to be true. We listen deeply so as to be able to understand the perspectives of those who do not appear to share our understanding.
Today: I will speak my truth quietly and clearly, and not enter into the spirit of argument. I will listen with an open heart, with compassion, to the truth as perceived by others.

DAY 40 Mar. 10: The practice for today is UNITY. Differences give variety to life and are often only on the surface. Most communities are made of diverse groups of people who have different opinions, who look different, and who speak many different languages. Our challenge is to see beyond outer differences in opinions and appearances and find a meeting point of underlying unity that exists in diversity. There is peace and nonviolence in unity as we recognize who we are in others, a transformation from separateness to unity.
Today: I will look for three ways to see beyond outer differences in opinions, appearances, or goals. I will seek out someone who looks different from me; looking beyond these outer differences I will see the unity which is inside and journal about what I have discovered.

DAY 41 Mar. 11: The practice for today is OPENNESS. A Turkish proverb says, "he who builds himself a fence, fences out more than he fences in." If you don’t listen to someone because they look different or have different ideas than you, you’re building a fence around yourself and you’re missing out on having a new friend and learning something new. When we refrain from acting on a negative emotion or selfish desire, we stop building the wall around our life - we can open our life up to others. When we can be open to the opportunity for growth, we can use this as a way to find nonviolent ways to resolve differences.
Today: I will be open to understanding ideas and people that I have previously opposed. I will find somebody with whom I never wanted to talk to before and find a way to have a conversation with him or her.

DAY 42 Mar. 12: The practice for today is ACCOUNTABILITY. In conflicting situations, personal accountability allows me to take responsibility for how I contribute to the conflict. I can then make a different choice that can lead to a peaceful resolution.
Today: I will be accountable for my words. I will make a list of the thoughts I think and the words I speak that are violent. Every time I become aware of my violent thoughts or words, I will say to myself "delete" and start again. Every time I become aware of my nonviolent thoughts or words, I will say to myself "thank you".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
64 Days, 64 Ways to Practice Nonviolence
You are invited to open your heart during these 64 days of A Season For Nonviolence and actively become part of your community by offering your help and your talent to others. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez all showed us that one person can make a tremendous difference in the world. The time is now, and we are the people.

We learn to practice nonviolence one step at a time, one choice at a time, one day at a time. This is how each of us, in our own way, move the world in the direction of peace. If it was up to me, there would be 365 days a year dedicated to A Season For Nonviolence.