64 Days, 64 Ways to Practice Nonviolence
DAY 43 Mar. 13: The practice for today is UNIQUENESS. Dale Carnegie said "The greatest need people have is for love and approval." Most of us cannot help comparing ourselves with others, at least now and then. This has become so entrenched in our culture that to have self-esteem, it seems almost necessary to say "I am better than he or she" implying therefore I am good. As long as we compete with each other and compare one with another, a certain amount of envy is inescapable. It is the very rare person who is completely free from jealousy.
But as our awareness grows, we will know that there is a uniqueness about everyone. The truly nonviolent person never tries to compare himself with others, or others among themselves. While being aware of our uniqueness, also being aware of our oneness creates a sense of peace.
Today: I will do something that shows how unique I am. I may draw a picture, sing a song, dance or write a story. I will praise, compliment or honor the uniqueness of someone I know and by doing so, notice the positive impact I make by recognizing their uniqueness.

DAY 44 Mar. 14: The practice for today is COOPERATION. When we work together, we are stronger than when we work alone. When we find ways that we can cooperate more effectively with the people in our family or workplace, school or community, we are tearing down walls of separation; we are contributing to a nonviolent culture.
Today: Find a very heavy object. Try to pick it up by yourself. Now ask 3 or 4 other people to assist. How did working together with other people help make this task easier for you?

DAY 45 Mar. 15: The practice for today is MASTERY. Labor organizer, Cesar Chavez taught "If you use violence you have to sell part of yourself for that violence. Then you are no longer a master of your own struggle." To practice nonviolence you must learn to master your anger.
This should not be surprising. After all, to attain excellence in anything we have to work at it. An Olympic swimming champion doesn't go for a workout once a week on Sunday afternoon, but practices for hours every day. The impetus to gain mastery over one's mind and senses does not come from some Olympian height, or from a distant deity; it doesn't come from any monastic rule, or even from one's spiritual teacher. It comes from deep within yourself. You have had a fleeting glimpse of the shining presence within, and in its bright remembered light, all your flaws and blemishes are thrown into sharp relief. You can't wait to start removing them.
Today: When I think of something or get into a situation where anger comes up, I will acknowledge the anger then breathe deeply, silently counting backwards from ten, and then decide what action to take. Mastery of nonviolence will come as I continue to practice.

DAY 46 Mar. 16: The practice for today is COMPASSION. Compassion is about both relieving suffering and about celebration (which also relieves suffering by putting it in a context of gratitude). With compassion comes a greatness of heart. Compassion arises when we allow our heart to be touched by the pain and needs of others. Compassion is about transformation from separateness to unity, from being concerned only with ourselves to being concerned about all of humanity.
"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." -The 14th Dalai Lama
A human being is part of the whole, called by us "universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. -Albert Einstein
Today: I will seek out someone with whom I have had a disagreement. I will set aside my own prejudices and preconceptions, step into that person's shoes, look at life through their eyes rather than my own. By doing so, I become one with him, listening and seeing with compassion. Expanding this idea to the broader world, I will engage compassion to lead my actions, my words and my life.

DAY 47 Mar. 17: The practice for today is DISARMAMENT. What if we lived in a world where there were no weapons? What if we used the resources for developing weapons for other projects? What if we really did beat swords into plowshares? Imagine such a world for yourself and your family, because until we believe it is possible, it cannot become a reality. Peace and nonviolence does, and must, begin with each and every one of us.
Today: I will have a conversation with someone today about what the world would be like if there were no weapons, nor any need for them. I will define new uses for the resources freed-up by not developing weapons.

DAY 48 Mar. 18: The practice for today is ECOLOGY. Gandhi said "To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves."
Individuals like you and me who make the final decisions about what is bought and sold in the stores, how much carbon dioxide is pumped into the atmosphere, and what is dumped into the sea. Each of us can begin to heal the environment right away by changing our daily habits.
And what about our internal environment, which is as real as the one we see around us? This internal environment has a powerful effect on the external environment: the way we think affects the way we treat the earth. When we purify this inner environment, we are not only making ourselves more secure and fulfilled, but we are also making an important contribution to the health of Mother Earth. Nonviolence extends from ourselves, not just to our brothers and sisters, but to the earth as well.
Today: I will practice recycling by using recycled products whenever I can. I will pay attention to what I discard, and look for ways to recycle rather than tossing. I will reduce, reuse and recycle the products I use.

DAY 49 Mar. 19: The practice for today is HONOR. "Those who are good and pure in conduct are honored wherever they go. The good shine like the Himalayas, whose peaks glisten above the rest of the world even when seen from a distance. " -The Buddha
People who are as described by Buddha, who work for the welfare of others, will be very deeply loved, respected and honored wherever they go. It is a simple law of human nature that we love the highest, that we emulate such people, and we want to lead the kind of life they lead. This is the saving grace of human nature: when we see someone who is patient, kind, forgiving, and forbearing, we recognize their nonviolent ways, because we too, have those qualities. As we honor them, we honor ourselves.
Today: A simple way to raise my awareness of honoring others is to do so at mealtime. Before each meal today, I will stop to think about all the people involved with the food I eat and I will silently say to them, "I honor you." Likewise, I will bless and honor the earth for its abundance.

www.ArlingtonPeace.org
www.seasonfornonviolence.net/
www.64-days.org/