My dear friends, I hope this holiday season has been filled with joy for you.
I hope you have connected with family and friends but also have found time for quiet reflection and continued growth in becoming the person you want to be.
The seeds of all positive change begin with the creative process of self-reflection and vision-making. It can begin with the simple question, “Who do I want to be, and how do I want to express that in my life?”
Offer that gift of time to yourself this week to go within and ask the important questions that facilitate growth. It is the most valuable gift you will receive.
If you would like some direction and questions to use during this quiet time, please read my post on Barrie Davenport.com, What Are You Doing With What You've Been Given?
In spite of the blessings all around me this holiday — the presence of my family and friends, the warmth of my home, the joy I feel in connecting with each of you — the recent tragic events in Newtown are never far from my thoughts. I'm sure you feel the same. A piece of my heart sits with the parents of those beautiful children. I pray that in time, they will find peace. I pray that their loss will facilitate peace.
Part of my personal introspection this week will focus on peace — how I can sow the seeds of peace in my daily life, through my words and actions. We may not be able to impact the violence and hatred around us, but we can be reflections of the peace we long for in the world. In the spirit of peace, I would like to share this with you . . .
AMAZING PEACE by Maya Angelou
In our joy, we think we hear a whisper.
At first it is too soft. Then only half heard.
We listen carefully as it gathers strength.
We hear a sweetness.
The word is Peace.
It is loud now.
Louder than the explosion of bombs.
We tremble at the sound.
We are thrilled by its presence.
It is what we have hungered for.
Not just the absence of war. But true Peace.
A harmony of spirit, and comfort of courtesies.
Security for our beloveds and their beloveds.
We, Angels and Mortals, Believers and Nonbelievers,
Look heavenward and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at each other, then into ourselves,
And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation:
Peace, My Brother.
Peace, My Sister.
Peace, My Soul.
Wishing each of you amazing peace this Christmas and throughout the coming year. Thank you for sharing your lives with me.
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Barrie is a 
“We may not be able to impact the violence and hatred around us, but we can be reflections of the peace we long for in the world”
It seems so many times peace simply comes down to understand what we can and can’t control. I’m reminded of that fact as I get ready for family time over the next few days. I can choose how to respond to the sometimes questionable comments of my loved ones.
Thanks, hope you have an Amazing peace as well Barrie.
Thank you so much Aaron. We can create peace in the areas we are able to control. I hope you are enjoying a peaceful holiday season.
Beautiful poem Barrie. Thanks for sharing it. Merry Christmas!
My son has been really sick the past few weeks so we have had to cancel a lot of our traditions. While it has been hard, the slowing down to care for him has reminding me how important health and family are. Much more important than what’s under the tree. He’s better today and says that he has the best gift of all – his family. 🙂
Hi Marci,
I’m so sorry your son has been sick. Sometimes just being there when loved ones need us is the most important tradition. I hope he has recovered and that you enjoyed a lovely Christmas with your family. Sending many blessings your way for 2013.
Nice poem Barrie! Thanks for the job you’re doing here! Merry Christmas to you and a Happy New Year!
I’m so glad you liked it! Wishing you the same.
Beautiful post Barrie. I think deep in our hearts it what we crave most. I also hope that America decides to do what Australia did and disarm.
I think so too Bryce. We crave peace, but it is up to each of us to sow the seeds of it where we are.
Hi Barrie–I found you after reading through your excellent interview on Scott Dinsmore’s Live Your Legend site recently, and I’m very glad that I did. The world could definitely use more people who are living passionately instead of merely surviving. Thanks for playing a large part in making the world a more positive and energized place by helping others to find their life passion(s).
Also, the Maya Angelou poem is amazing and it’s exactly what the world needs to hear right now–thanks for sharing. Light will always beat darkness, there’s no doubt about it. Happy New Year, and here’s to making 2013 the best year ever!
Hi Shola,
I’m so glad you found me! Thank you for coming by and sharing in the comments. And thank you for your kind words. Wishing you a peaceful and happy 2013 yourself!
Thank you for your thoughtful words on peace, Barrie. Maya Angelou’s poem speaks the unspoken yearnings of our hearts in the wake of such pain and tragedy. Thank you for posting it here.
Hope the final days of 2012 end on a high note for you, Barrie, and that 2013 sees a world tired of self-inflicted pain, willing to take the necessary steps toward a peace that is real and enduring.
Thank you dear Ken! And thank you for the amazing work you are doing to create peace and promote healing on Meant to be Happy. So glad to have connected with you in this big online world. 🙂
What a beautiful post! Thank you for sharing, Barrie 🙂 From our home to yours.. Wishing you a happy New Year filled with love, grace, gratitude, peace, joy, abundance, and truth! xoxox ~
Thank you so much dear Lilly. Wishing you the same. Much love sent your way.
Hi Barrie,
I’m a bit late on this one. Delightful thoughts, much appreciated. Hope you had a great Xmas. Happy New Year to you.
be good to yourself
David
Thank you Barrie. This post is very relevant in view of what has happened in Newtown and elsewhere in the recent past. (as an example more than 40 police officers were ambushed and killed by cattle thieves in Kenya about a month ago). For us Kenyans, with elections in two months’ time, we need peace more than ever. I liked this post so much that I must share it with my friends on facebook.
Thank you and a prosperous and peaceful 2013.
Murigi.