Eighteen smiles...

Did you know the average 4 year old smiles 400 times a day?

The average adult smiles 15-20 times a day.

There's even some science behind the benefits to smiling, genuine smiling, not a fake smile. You can read more about the benefits of smiling here.

Last year I told my students (university seniors) that just because I don't smile very much doesn't mean I don't care about them or their success. It's true I don't smile a lot but I find there are lots of times I'm smiling "on the inside." But maybe, just maybe if I smiled more I wouldn't have to tell people I care... they'd know that I care because of the way I am around them. Hmmm....that's something to think about.

Peace tip #19...

How many times a day do you smile? It's Day 18, smile at least 18 times today. Because as St. Teresa says, "peace begins with a smile."

What makes you smile? Is it certain people? Wearing your favorite sweater that makes you feel special? Watching your children or perhaps a pet play? 

QUESTION

I'm considering having project bags made for Project Peace. The bag would be approximately 10 inches by 12 inches, a drawstring cord and screenprinted with the Project Peace artwork and the saying "peace...this we choose each day..." Bags would be $12 plus shipping. I need to decide if I should order 100 or 200 (or any at all). If you would be interested in a bag, please leave a comment below and if you perhaps want more than one, please tell me that as well. I've never done anything like this before so it's uncharted territory. I love the idea of having a Project Peace bag as a reminder of this peace-along however I don't want to end up with 100 extra bags :)

Have a peaceful day filled with lots of smiles...

Salut seventeen...

I've quite a few ideas for you today so I'm going to just jump right into the tips. 

Peace tip #18.

Several suggestions for you today as we continue to identify simple ways to cultivate peace in our day.

1. There is a wonderful (free) app called BrainyQuote. Each morning at 8 a.m. I receive a quote of the day. It's amazing how the quote helps remind me of the "big picture" whether it's about peace, change, gratitude, the importance of education, etc. So even after our daily peace-along shifts to a non-daily approach, you'll have a nice little quote to guide you through the day.

2. Create a gratitude "jar." Each day write a little note for something you are grateful for in your life. Place it in the jar. If you choose to do this each day after 1 year, you'll have a collection of 365 things to remind me of the good in your life. I've seen this done with nice glass jars and fancy lids but really you can do this with a bowl, envelope or whatever moves you. It's nice to have the notes be small rather than a notebook so you don't get overwhelmed with having to write lots.

Perhaps you want to start a gratitude jar as a present for someone else...write some notes about what that person means to you (or get several people to contribute). Then whenever they need some inspiration they can go to the gratitude jar. 

3. Many of you are making the peace cowl as a gift for someone in need, a loved one, friend or a complete stranger. Lisa has once again provided us with another version of the Project Peace cover page. This time in the form of a greeting card. You can print and then fold the page in half. You'll just need to find an envelope. Now when you gift the cowl, you can write a peaceful note to the recipient.

May you have a productive day in whatever form or shape that takes for you. Perhaps it's preparing for the upcoming holidays, spending times with friends and/or family, or maybe just a quiet, relaxing day. May you find time for peaceful knitting and perhaps a walk if the weather is not too dangerously hot or cold. 

Peace...

Christina

Sweet sixteen...

Yesterday we talked about world peace and what that means. The comments were inspiring and uplifting. All of you have continue to demonstrate that world peace stems from each one of us choosing peace albeit there are multiple approaches. Just like the way in which everyone has developed their own version of the Project Peace cowl, we can create peace and make peaceful choices in a multitude of ways.

Searching for more information on the topic of peace I feel as if I've opened Pandora's box. The magnitude of resources and organizations focused on peace is amazing. Who knew? In 1984 President Ronald Reagan signed into law the bill creating the United States Institute of Peace, a government agency. I had no idea. There are grants and fellowships focused on peacebuilding. You can even earn a doctoral degree related to peace.  

One agency I found, The Peace Alliance has a plethora of resources on cultivating peace. I love their motto "Be the Movement. Take a Step for Peace." For me this provides a direct link between walking and peace. They've identified 5 cornerstones of peacebuilding. 

1. empowering community peacebuilding
2. teaching peace in schools
3. humanizing justice systems
4. fostering international peace
5. cultivating personal peace

And see, right there it is, cultivating personal peace is a key part of this process. With peaceful lives we are then able to extend a hand to others, our families, friends, communities, and domestic and international organizations/causes. We have to remember to not overextend otherwise we'll revert back to unpeaceful  behaviors and choices. We can only help others in the name of peace if we have peace in our hearts. 

“First keep peace with yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.”

— Thomas a Kempis

Peace tip #16...

As a result of the peace-along you know the importance of fostering peace in your own life but you feel compelled to do more. What can you do? The 5 cornerstones of peace as defined by the Peace Alliance provide a structure for thinking about where you might play a role. The following quote also lends itself to suggested approaches.

“Peace, to have meaning for many who have only known suffering in both peace and war, must be translated into bread or rice, shelter, health and education, as well as freedom and human dignity.
”

— Ralph Johnson Bunche (1904-1971)

Spend a few minutes today thinking about one way you might be able to assist others in need of peace. Jot your ideas on a piece of paper and place this someplace meaningful so you'll be reminded of it daily. 

To help you get started I've brainstormed a few ideas. Perhaps you want to knit for others, identify what and who you might provide with your knitted gift. Perhaps you make a monetary contribution to an organization that supports peace or provides assistance to victims of violence (e.g. natural disasters, war). Maybe you identify your local food pantry and volunteer to assist with meal preparation. Why not find a nearby assisted living facility and visit the residents...listen to their stories, find people that knit or used to knit and want to tell you about it. Several of you have mentioned knitting in public seems to soothe others around you, perhaps it's as simple as that? What if knitting were taught in schools with a message of peace? The kids could make simple hats that could be distributed locally, regionally or even sent to an organization that distributes knitted items around the world (see below). 

There's a non-profit organization called Knitting4Peace based in the US that might interest some of you. Knit for Peace is a similar UK group.

Please leave your ideas in a comment. If we document everyone's wonderful ideas it might provide someone else with an action item. 

And I know how much all of you like songs so I found another relevant one for today's theme. It's a blast from the past. Listen to the song and think about if and what you might want to do to extend peace.

Peace be with you...

Hello number 15...

Yesterday was beyond belief. Thank you to all for posting a comment. There were almost 200 comments; all magnificent. I was moved to tears multiple times. I would encourage anyone looking for some evidence that peace can be a reality to read each and everyone of the comments. The winner of the give-away was Martha. Please send me an email (thehealthyknitter at gmail dot com) Congratulations!

As much as my heart was lifted with hope and promise yesterday, I find myself saddened by the world affairs, specifically regarding Aleppo. As I read more on the current events and struggles I found myself thinking that my approach to creating peace was insignificant. Here are 1000's of people truly suffering. 

And so I took my concerns to the mat (aka yoga) to contemplate and simultaneously escape. To say the class was uplifting would be an understatement. I was deeply moved throughout the class by many of the pearls of wisdom provided by the instructor. And then there was the final song (peace tip below). I was reaffirmed that world peace can only happen when individuals choose peace. I know it's true that so many people can't make that choice but let's look at it from the other side. How many people in the world CAN make this choice?

Peace tip #15

I'm including another song for you. Probably all of us have heard this song. You many even have some strong emotions or feelings attached to it. Listen now and then read on.

Everyone talks about world peace. Humans have been in pursuit of peace for 1000's of years. So, what does world peace mean to you? It's a phrase we use all the time but just like defining "peace" we need to have a firm understanding of what it is we are seeking. 

Please leave a comment. Our collective ideas are better than one alone. Tomorrow we'll talk about some action steps. 

Until then...may you find peace in every stitch and step (if you aren't in the midst of a polar freeze, brrrrr)...