We can pause before acting or speaking.

This escalation of words between Trump and North Korea is crazy. It is unbelievable that we are at this point of our media talking about possible nuclear war with North Korea. This is very scary. At the same time it is surreal to think we can be in this precarious position. Two guys speaking like bullies on a playground.  Speaking  tough and taking an immovable, stiff and aggressive stance. Threatening violence on the other. Especially when either one of these gentlemen will probably not be harmed as it will be the innocent everyday people who are harmed and killed.
      Standing back and looking at the situation we see the most armed and fortified and allied country threatening a tiny and undeveloped third-world country who has no allies. Are we not wise enough or self-assured enough to sit down in good faith and attempt to negotiate? Why fly off in reacting to North Korea with this defensive or offensive and immature and bullying stance and attitude?
      We know might does not make right. We know ever since the Vietnam War there has not been a winner of any Modern War. There have been and always are plenty of losers. Especially the civilians who are not fighting are the greatest number of casualties or people killed in war. Not soldiers at war but rather civilians - everyday people like you and I. People taking care of their children and loved ones. People going to market and walking to work to feed their families. People in their living rooms playing and laughing with their children and parents. People who are daughters and sons, mothers, father's, brothers, and sisters, and friends. People. Us. This is true in every country where Modern Warfare has taken place or can take place, including Guam.
        The men declaring violence to the other and threatening violence and war do not go to battle themselves. They do not even drop bombs from planes miles away from conflict. This occurred in Vietnam and Iraq. Trump will not be in battle and neither will his sons and daughters. This aggressive stance and hawkish view of putting innocent lives at risk - everyday people -began prior to Trump taking office.

      Many people today believe we went to war or invaded Iraq because they-Iraq bombed the Twin Towers. Though this is an erroneous statement or view it is telling of our attitude to react in this country rather than respond to situations. After the Twin Towers were brought down by Saudi Arabian Nationals we quickly or frantically looked to Iraq for reasons to invade their country.  “You are either with us or against us” our leader said. - No imagination or space/room for alternative viewpoints to our own.
         We reacted, we did not respond with wisdom. We are repeating and caught up in this habitual knee-jerk reaction again. The news media may take a more responsible part in this by bringing balance to this deadly situation we find ourselves in by not escalating the attitude or contributing to normalizing it but rather by helping to bring calm by reporting on people who are urging restraint and patience and wisdom as well.
          Are we so limited in our skills and imagination we're going to threaten violence again? Another Iraq? Threatening and taking a defensive and violent attitude makes us weaker and contracted. We know this personally from our interactions we experience or witness with others. We have our might have seen the wiser responses of patience and tolerance.   We may have witnessed people who skillfully and honestly relate to others and who negotiate and flow with circumstances and bend within relationships. Like water flowing and shaping even hard rocks. Or would we rather take this awkward and isolating stance we are taking now - like a stiff brittle stick that does not bend but breaks with opposing forces. Is this our Collective ego or Collective self-protection, insecurities and attitude of self reliant isolationism that we are caught up in? It appears so.  What can we do as everyday citizens of this country and this one world -this only world -we call home to help bring wisdom and calmer heads and hearts? I believe we can begin by helping to bring calm and spaciousness into our everyday actions and interactions. We can pause prior to acting or speaking. We can ask ourselves 'What motivates my words?' prior to speaking. We can ask ourselves 'Why am I talking?' We can pause when we feel old habits of mind or body arising. We can pause.

To the leaders of U.S. and North Korea:

I don't want to be killed.

I don't want my wife and family to die.

I don't want innocent civilians to die or be murdered by people at war.

I don't want our planet and the many beings such as fish, animals, plants and people to die or be murdered from war or nuclear fallout.

I love this planet.

This planet -our home- loves us

Why jeopardize our only home and water source and natural gifts that brought us life, brings us life and sustains our breathing?

Why?

-Joe Tedesco

Beautitudes

Some Favorite Sayings from Einstein

A looked at from a simple human point of view, moral conduct does not mean merely a stern demand to renounce some of the desired joys of life, but rather a social interest in a happier lot for all men.

I feel myself so much a part of everything living I am not in the least concerned with the beginning or ending of the concrete existence of any one person in this eternal flow.

I cannot conceive of a personal God who would directly influence the actions of individuals, or would directly sit in judgment on creatures of his own creation. I cannot do this in spite of the fact that mechanistic causality has, to a certain extent, been placed in doubt by modern science. My religiosity consists in a humble admiration of the infinitely superior spirit that reveals itself in the little that we, with our weak and transitory understanding, can comprehend of reality. Morality is of the highest importance - but for us, not for God.

The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained to liberation from the self.

Of what is significant in one's own existence one is hardly aware, and it's certainly should not bother the other fellow. What does a fish know about the water in which he swims all his life?

The life of the individual has meaning only insofar as at it aids in making the life of every living thing nobler and more beautiful. Life is sacred, that is to say it is the supreme value, to which all other values are subordinate.

What is the meaning of human life, or of organic life altogether?... I answer, the man who regards his own life and out of his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unfortunate but almost disqualified for life.

The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life. To make this a living force and bring it to clear consciousness is perhaps the foremost task of education. The foundation of morality should not be made dependent on myth nor tied to any authority less doubt about the myth or about the legitimacy of the authority imperil the foundation of sound judgment and action.

Religiosity consists of a humble admiration of the infinitely superior spirit that reveals itself in the slight details we are able to perceive of the knowable world with our frail and feeble minds. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of the superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the comprehensible universe, forms my idea of God.

But let us not forget that knowledge and skills alone cannot lead humanity to a happy and dignified life. Humanity has every reason to place the proclaimers of high moral standards and values above the discoverers of objective truth.  What humanity owes to personalities like Buddha, Moses, and Jesus ranks for me higher than all the achievements of the acquiring and constructive mind. What these blessed man have given us we must guard and try and keep alive with all our strength if humanity is not to lose its dignity, the security of its existence, and its joys in living.

Quotes taken from the book "The philosophy of Albert Einstein writings on art, science, and peace". For more great quotes see this book.

Just as relevant if not more so today.

https://youtu.be/wrF6RtkTk_I

New photo (1/15) from Hubble shows the unfathomable size of our universe!

Gigapixels of Andromeda [4K]: https://youtu.be/udAL48P5NJU

Krista Tippett interviews Greg Boyle

Listen to [Unedited] Greg Boyle with Krista Tippett by On Being.

Listen to father Boyle speak on the importance of belonging and feeling the belonging to each other and the importance of kinship to the healing of our world.  Father Boyle speaks on the main issue or challenge in our lives is to overcome this delusion of being separate from others and the world.  And the major way he says we can overcome this is to geographically as well as mentally and physically place ourselves with those that are most in need for with/among those who are excluded or seen as "other".
#np on #SoundCloud http://soundcloud.com/onbeing/unedited-greg-boyle-with-krista-tippett

Great article on the power of habit and how habits/actions have a great effect on our lives.

http://www.brainpickings.org/2015/03/23/better-than-before-gretchen-rubin/