In 2003 I sat overlooking the Western Wall in Jerusalem. It’s a remarkable place with palpable energy and consumed in ancient history, a history which imprisons many to a limited and violent past.

I had come to a meeting of a Peace Movement which aimed to unite people of all religions, all cultures and denominations. Every Friday morning this group sits over looking the western wall to simply demonstrate  ”being peaceful”. Anyone is welcome to join them.

As we sat, sometimes talking, sometimes playing music, sometimes being silent the sun light up the whole space. At one point one of the Founders of this organisation, an Israeli Jew spoke about the teneths of the organistion. He said “The first teneth we operate from is – that we don’t know. We don’t know the answers. You see most of the conflict in this world is brought about by everyone thinking they “know” and then fighting over it! So we decided we don’t know”

What a fantastic way of being, I thought. It’s a bit like the Buddhists when they talk about “beginners mind”. With such an attitude it opens us up to a new way of being, a way that is free from our limited past. It opens us up to creating a new world, a world where we truly love and care for each other no matter what our differences are.

Last week as we all know there was more violence in the Middle East, 9 people were killed on board a ship bringing aid to the Gaza strip. Another ship called the Rachel Corrie went from Ireland. It too never made it to the Gaza and its passengers were sent back to their respective countries.

Just after I was in Israel in 2003, I heard about Rachel Corrie (1979 -2003) and what happened to her. It was absolutely unbelievable to be honest. She was mowed down by an Israeli army bulldozer trying to stop a Palestinians house being destroyed (a pharmacist, accountant, their wives, and five young children).

Well as the teneth of the peace movement I visited in Isreal said “we don’t know”, I don’t know the answer to the conflict either but I do know like we all know, that violence creates more violence and imprisons future generations to a man made hell on earth. And no matter how strong any nation is with its weapons, I don’t believe there are any people in the world who want to live in fear. And no amount of weapons will ever get rid of fear, only love will get rid of fear!

We must learn to see that underneath our external definitions of what we are, we are the same. And we belong to one group and that group is called humanity! And again no matter how much weaponry we have we still have to learn to live with each other and to love one another. If we don’t we continue to imprison future generations to our limited and violent past. Let’s set them free instead!

As I thought about Rachel Corrie again in the last week I found a video of her when she was in 5th grade. Like many who have gone before, she too has a message worth listening too.

Also see

http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/

“It is easy enough to be pleasant,
When life flows by like a song,
But the man worth while is one who will smile
When everything goes dead wrong.”
Ella Wheeler Wilcox (from The Man Worthwhile)

Isn’t it funny sometimes that we use quotes and sayings alot of our lives and don’t know where they come from. Sometimes I think we subconsciously think they’ve been around forever!

Such was the case for me with Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850 – 1919). I have known and used quotes from her poetry all my life. Indeed as I read one in particular, I could hear my own Mothers voice as she so often used this quote to help  cheer me up when needed. I’m sure you have heard this quote yourself, it’s taken from one of Ella’s poems called ”Solitude“:

”Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone,
For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own.”

After doing a bit of research on the internet I found many other poetic gems by Ella which inspire deeply. The following quote is on San Francisco’s Jack Kerouac Alley.

The following poem particularly inspired me. Take a few moments to reflect and really feel the meaning behind her words.

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“If you live the life you love, you will receive shelter and blessings. Sometimes the great famine of blessings in and around us derives from the fact that we are not living the life we love; rather, we are living the life that is expected of us. We have fallen out of rhythm with the secret signature and light of our own nature.”J O’Donohue

It’s quite ironic really that John O’Donohue (1956-2008), the Irish Philosopher and Poet spent alot of time reflecting, talking and writing about death. However this reflection I feel was really to remind us of how important it is to live a life we love or to learn to love the life we live.

Many of us still don’t like to talk about death, in particular our own. And this avoidance of this inevitable part of life can be a form of escapism or denial that we will ever die. And in denying that we will die we can deny ourselves the experience of “living the life we love” or as I like to say “Daring to Dream Our Dream!”. We simply keep ourselves busy “living the life that is expected of us” only to realise when that inevitable moment of our death arises we were rarely true to ourselves and what we love.

Yet please remember since you’re reading this now, you’re still alive! And in this precious time we have we can take inspiration from John’s reflections to at least consider what does it mean ”to live a life we love“.  Here’s are some points/questions which I hope can help:

1. When was the last time you spent some time doing what you love? How could you schedule more time in your week to do what you love?

2. A great indication to know what you love is, you lose track of time as you’re doing it.

3. You feel absolutely joyous as you’re pursuing what you love.

4. People tell you how wonderful you are as you do what you love, even though you’re not doing it to get any approval

5. You touch and inspire people in ways you could never have even imagined

6. You’re regularly spontaneous (just like you were when you were a child)

7. Feelings of inner peace continue to grow in your life

8. You feel great within yourself and consequently you see the greatness in others

9. You let go of the need to judge and criticize

10. You’ve loads of energy to do what you love

Remember even if only a few of the above are true for you, that’s what to put your heart into and let it grow!

Well I hope that helps in some way. The greatest energy in the universe is Love, make sure you nourish and grow it in your life. Needless to say that was one of my intentions in writing the Dare to Dream eBook and it can certainly help you nourish what is loving and truly important in Your Life.

May your most loving dreams continue to come true …
Sean M Kelly

Now enjoy the following short and powerful John O’Donohue video:

Subscribe for Free Dare to Dream online course

Last Friday evening a young man, with love and gratitude in his heart, bent over and kissed his beloved Mother to say goodbye. His Mother making herself more comfortable in her favourite chair turned on the TV to watch her favourite program. As she settled into her chair she heard her son close the front door behind him.

There are millions of moments in our lives which we just take for granted never really being fully present to the beauty and magic that is all around us. Sometimes we rush out the door on our loved ones never saying goodbye or connecting in any real way. Sometimes we don’t allow ourselves to really enjoy whats truly important – nourishing our relationships, being loving and kind to people, sharing our talents, sharing whatever we have to share.

A distinguised pioneer in integrative medicine Dr Joan Boryesenko said one time -
“The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live.”

Let this week be a week in which you choose to live from the highest part of yourself. Let it be a week in which you choose to be fully present to the beauty and magic that is all around you and indeed that is within you. Go the extra mile for someone. Create a beautiful moment for someone, a moment which will resonate postively in their lives and yours for years to come. And most importantly make sure you take time this week to say goodbye to people as you part company. And make sure in your thoughts, words and/or deeds you wish them well and send them your love.

Yesterday evening as I piped in front of the hearse for this mans beloved Mother the grey clouds in the sky cleared revealing a most beautiful rainbow. I knew this lady was special. I knew this even more when the priest during her eulogy said: “she had given many years of service to her family and the community”.

Last Saturday morning the son returned to visit his beloved Mother. She was still sitting in her favourite chair with the TV on. As her son approached her, his heart grew heavy and his eyes filled with tears, as he realised his beloved Mother had passed away during the night.

Remember to say goodbye to those you love this week. None of us know when we will be called from this life.

Carpe Diem!

Sean M Kelly

www.seanMkelly.com

PS: Dru Yoga class commences Tues 9th Sept in Milltown Park, Dublin. Click here for details and to reserve your place

PS: Celebrate Peace on September 11th in a concert with Terry Oldfield & Soraya and supported by myself. It will be a wonderful evening to be fully present and connect with the highest part of yourself. To reserve your place go to www.seanMkelly.com. Watch Terry & Soraya perform in the video below:

A few weeks ago the Irish national TV station did a tribute to John O’Donohue. It was an excellent program. So I asked was it available on the internet and just heard back – they’ve put it on the net! Its just under 30 minutes and well worth watching. Click on the picture across or the link below:

 http://www.rte.ie/tv/wouldyoubelieve/johnodonohue.html

In-Joy

Sean M Kelly

Related Articles

My tribute to John O’Donohue:  http://www.seanmkelly.com/blogjul07/?p=72

In November 2001 I sat in a small chapel in Assisi, on retreat with a good friend of mine James Twyman and others and listened to one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever heard. His name was Fr Maximilian Mizzi.

As I listened to his gentle loving wisdom I knew I was in the presence of someone very special. I listened as he spoke about how we are making progress towards peace in the world and how the world needs prophets of peace to keep working in this direction. His presence had such an influence on me and most especially his words when he said “when someone turns to you and says they hate you, you turn to them and say – I Love You“. As anyone who has ever been in such a situation knows this is not an easy task and takes a lot of courage. (click on photo above to hear his voice from an album called Graceful passages – also see end of this article)

In 1986 for the first time in human history twelve of the worlds main religions gathered to pray for peace. Fr Mizzi was one of the main organisers of this event and indeed worked for peace almost all his life, encouraging dialogue between religions. In fact he was himself a refugee at the end of WWII when his families home had been destroyed in Malta. In January 2002, Pope John Paul II called the religious leaders to Assisi again to pray for peace.

In 2003 Fr Mizzi came to Ireland and spoke with others about peace in a “Paths to Peace” conference myself and others organised.

Today I received an email from Assisi to say Fr Maximilian Mizzi has passed on. There is absolutely no doubt in my heart and mind that this world is a far more peaceful place because Fr Maximilian Mizzi lived. In honour of Fr Mizzi I’ll finish this short tribute with the

Christian Prayer for Peace

Love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you,
pray for those who abuse you.
Blessed be the Peacemakers,
for they shall be called the Children of God

 Fr Mizzi’s funeral will take place in the Lower Basilica, Assisi on Wednesday 5th March at 15.00.

If you’d like to hear Fr Mizzi on a beautiful album called Graceful Passages click here (it make take a moment to start but believe me its worth it) 

If you’d like to read more about Fr Mizzi’s life click here

In Peace & Gratitude

Sean M Kelly

 ps: If you’d like to purchase the CD Graceful Passages click here

“Macushla! Macushla!
Your red lips are saying
That death is a dream,
And love is for ever,”

It was 30th December 1999, our fifth wedding anniversary. It was the first Christmas after my Father died. I got up early to reflect on the day. As I wondered around the kitchen I thought about my Dad and wondered how he was healthy and strong at our wedding but was no longer with us. It was one of those moments when you really miss someone who had such a great influence on your life and no matter how you think about it, it’s impossible to make sense of their parting.

My Father, John J. Kelly, loved the music of John Mc Cormack (1884 – 1945) a famous Irish Tenor. One song which he sung was called Macushla. For me this song always meant “my son, my son”. While my Father was in hospital with cancer I gave him a gift of a CD, entitled “Faith of our Fathers”, with Macushla on it. It was to be the last gift I gave him.

As I wondered around our kitchen that morning, unusally, I turned on the radio. Gay Byrne (a famous Irish presenter) was interviewing John O’Donohue. He asked him what song he’d like played. John requested Macushla. I stopped for a moment. The first few bars of this wonderful song began and I felt a warm presence surround me. I felt it was my Father wishing me “Happy Anniversary”. With each singing of the line “Macushla, Macushla” the feeling got stronger and of course more emotional. When the song finished I whispered “Dad, if thats you … thanks”.

John O’ Donohue, philosopher and poet died peacefully in his sleep on Jan 3rd 2008, aged 53. I’m sure his warm and gentle presence will continue to enlighten us and help connect us with the divine purpose behind lifes lessons and challenges. May he rest in peace.

Here’s a few lines from the song Macushla. 

“Macushla! Macushla!
Your red lips are saying
That death is a dream,
And love is for ever.”

If you’d like to listen to Macushla sung by John Mc Cormack click here:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mewWLrvIfjk

If you’d like to read an article which John O’Donohue wrote entitled:

Awakening the Mind, Awakening the Soul, clik below:
http://www.kripalu.org/article/348

Sean M Kelly

www.seanMkelly.com

May Your Most Fulfiling Dreams come true