I've posted about the awesome peace turtles that live in the lake outside my back door...
Peace Welcomes Everyone
Peace welcomes everyone. I've posted about the awesome peace turtles that live in the lake outside my back door. The turtles climb all over each other and never snap, despite the fact that they are snapping turtles! They all pile on a single log just to lie in the sun. Yesterday, my daughter called me to the window to see this. All on one log, peacefully sharing some hang time. Peace & Harmony.
While walking through the museum - the words told me I was here, but was I?
You Are Here
While walking through the museum - the words told me I was here, but was I? Where are you now? The question of presence offers us a moment to leave the past there, not fret, worry and waste time over what's not yet happened and to embrace in this breath, this heartbeat, the now of us.
There are times after a school visit, especially when teaching peace, that you hope you've planted seeds that will blossom.
You Are Loved
There are times after a school visit, especially when teaching peace, that you hope you've planted seeds that will blossom. And then you get a note like this. They heard me- they really heard me! Thank you Teresa Sloan for opening the door for me at Mount View. Thank you students for taking it to heart! And also to the one student who said," You really rocked that peace speech." Take a moment and reach out to thank someone today. It may just be the one star in their sky they need!
Make it a play day Sunday- Go on a happy hunt! Find all the things that make you happy. If you've got your camera handy- photograph them and put them in a collection of their own- a happy place you can visit anytime you ned a smile!
Follow the lines of varying green in the leaves. Journey from the center of the flower to the tips of its leaves. Walk the edges of the rippled fronds. If you ever get lost, nature has a thousand roads to take you back to your heart. For this trip, you need to unpack your bags!
"If you want to be happy, follow your happy feelings, not your unhappy ones."
LOVELOVELOVE!
"If you want to be happy, follow your happy feelings, not your unhappy ones." Richard Carlson, Ph.D. from his book, You can be Happy - No Matter What.
This saying to me is that heart light coming on in your brain, reminding you to move your thoughts back into your heart! Every morning you wake up, in that first wakening breath, you're in your innate heart state of joy and peace. As you apply the lenses of your distorted thinking, you can move away from having a miraculous day. So stay in that happy first morning moment and have an awesome day. Or go back and nap and start again! LOVELOVELOVE!
Flowerpot Press has done it again with a fabulous poster for teachers and librarians!
Alphabetter
Flowerpot Press has done it again with a fabulous poster for teachers and librarians and me to hand out! It's the promo poster for Alphabetter - The Peace Dragon Series upcoming Spring title - and another way for all of us to start inspiring people with words that work a little better to express big feelings. There's also a banner on the bottom of every book page that promotes peace words – thoughtful words for compassionate conversations and promoting loving responses to any challenging moment. Perhaps I should send it to congress?
As the founder of the Peace Dragon, I encourage everyone to go to the heart.
Connect to the Heart
As the founder of the Peace Dragon, I encourage everyone to go to the heart. Connect to the heart. Find the heart of the matter. . With this mission in my own heart- I find hearts all the time. If you look at the first photo, you can see it as the noise in your life- in the second photo, when you let go of the noise, hopefully you can see the brilliant, white heart that seems to sing out to me. When you keep your heart focus- the noise falls away to reveal what you need to move on - love!
What in the world do beans and books have to do with Peace?
Southern Festival of Books 2016
What in the world do beans and books have to do with Peace? Come to the Southern Festival of Books and find out!
Join Shirley Amitrano and I this weekend at the Southern Festival of Books as we showcase our new project, The Peace Station, and win one for your home or classroom! This station is a collection of activities to help children release and refocus when emotions run hot or cold and to keep peace in the classroom. Exciting giveaways include a Peace Station, Peace Dragon Decks and opportunities for school visits! Please share with moms, teachers and peace people!
Date: Saturday, October 15, 2016 Place: Nashville Public Library conference room 3 Time: 12:00 until 1:00 p.m.
At the Peace Dragon we are trying to build a compabulary- a compassionate compabulary, and this word absolutely captures the essence of the mixing of words to create "Beyazing" words- Beyond amazing. Let's start using words that can change the world! What's your word?
Join me as we take the power of words into personal reflection.
Power
Join me as we take the power of words into personal reflection to tap into the energies we can use to find and stay in our happy place, a loving heart space!
Memories of the most amazing first journey of the Peace Dragon.
Memories of the First Journey
Memories of the most amazing first journey of the Peace Dragon- my heart is filled with joy thinking about this journey, the friendships deepened, made, reunited with the survivors of our group- and revisiting the dinner table where my peace journey became clear.
If we could find the way to release our personal anchors, that freedom, that peace...
Personal Anchors
If we could find the way to release our personal anchors, that freedom, that peace, would inspire us to do so for everyone. What anchors can you cut away? How can you find your wings?
There's nothing better than an activity that elicits the big Aha moment.
Thank You Forest Hills Eastern
There's nothing better than an activity that elicits the big Aha moment. I've had people write me notes about how they were shocked at their response, I've heard Oh's and Ah's and other utterances (some not repeatable!) The surprise seed of this activity plants a bud of thought when we face conflict or challenges – how will we respond? Thank you Doreen Barnes for sharing your Forest Hills Eastern High School students with me. It was a maxcellent (magnificent and excellent) day!
"Every heart has a point, every point a direction, which way way shall you go?"
Thank You Pine Ridge
One of many cubbies housing paper peace dragons heading off to new homes! Thank you Pine Ridge kindergarteners for adopting these Peace Dragons and honoring peace! Thank you Merrily Holladay for snapping the pics!
As the creator of The Peace Dragon, I share why peace and love are the foundations that help us keep our balance through all adversity
My Second Act
For any event life may throw at survivors, we're born again with a new stage, a new opportunity. Speaking at the historic Bluebird, as the creator of The Peace Dragon, I share why peace and love are the foundations that help us keep our balance through all adversity, and have us finding the gems in every moment. Are you carrying a treasure chest or a trash bag through your life?
"Every heart has a point, every point a direction, which way way shall you go?"
Divine Directions
Omani the Peace Dragon says,"Every heart has a point, every point a direction, which way way shall you go? As for me, I choose the path of Love!" Peace in!
Fill yourself with love, & love is what you'll have to give. Love your whole self, & you'll live whole-heartedly. Love starts within you & flows outward. Let it flow in & out!
Come in from the cold and join us this Saturday for a night of amazing speakers
No Name Calling Week
Did you know it was No Name Calling Week? Come in from the cold and join us this Saturday for a night of amazing speakers, tasty snacks and the unity of community. Southern Word, ICN will join GLSEN and The Peace Dragon to put the power of words to positive use. Games and prizes – if you needed any more enticing!
Please RSVP to : peace_in@icloud.com and reserve a place!
Here are the details!
When: January 23rd Where: The Icon in The Gulch 600 12th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37203 9th Floor Time: 6:00 – 9:00pm Light snacks served
Here are the details for this amazing evening. Don't forget to RSVP if your in the neighborhood!
Celebrate Kindness
Here are the details for this amazing evening. Don't forget to RSVP if your in the neighborhood!
Come expand your compassionate vocabulary and see what we can can build together as we celebrate the end of No Name calling week, and the beginning of a great New Year. Add your voice to a night where we celebrate the power of our words and actions to grow together as a loving community. Good people, great snacks and surprises in store!
When: January 23rd Where: The Icon in The Gulch 600 12th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37203 9th Floor Time: 6:00 – 9:00pm Light snacks served
Please RSVP with names of attendees by Thursday January 21, to: peace_in@icloud.com Use “Call me RSVP” in the e-mail subject line.
Parking is available on the street and paid parking in the Icon.
Peter Reynolds, Ny times best selling author and illustrator posted this beautiful peace of art..
Make more light!
Dear Friends, Peter Reynolds, Ny times best selling author and illustrator posted this beautiful peace of art which calls us to action. We have watched the news over the weeks and last night brings it to crisis heights. We see what hate and darkness can do, its time to pour on your light. Go do good things. Shift the motion of the world into a different action. Smile at your neighbors, pick up garbage, gift a stranger a meal or a coffee- go work in your local community charities. We can be the light. Let's shine!
New York Times Best selling author Peter H. Reynolds presented Linda Ragsdale with his vision of a peace dragon earlier this month.
A Gift Of Peace
What a gift!
The amazing New York Times Best selling author Peter H. Reynolds presented Linda Ragsdale with his vision of a peace dragon earlier this month. Peter and his twin brother Paul are the co-founders of Fablevison, a company dedicated to everyone reaching their potential through groundbreaking programs where technology and teaching inspire learning through fun. Linda is an ambassador for the company. When she received the drawing, Linda was moved to tears. "The connection with the child and the dragon captured my heart. This is truly peace."
There is a story floating around which offers hope for humanity through the observations of monkeys on an island.
100 dragons- Island Monkeys revisited…
There is a story floating around which offers hope for humanity through the observations of monkeys on an island. As the story goes, yams were placed on an island beach to note the behavior of the local monkeys. The monkeys did not like the sandy condiment, so one washed off the sand in the water. As monkeys began to emulate this behavior, one by one, the monkeys began washing off their yams.
By now, you are surely wondering what yam eating monkeys could have in common with hope for humanity, but indulge the story for one more moment…
After the one-hundredth monkey washed a yam, the washing behavior jumped from island to island, not through monkeys being transported, but by the power of a universal thought. Monkeys all over the world wash their food because this thought registered in the monkey’s behavior!
Do you see where the hope lies? Transfer this story from monkeys to humans and instead of washing yams, drawing peace dragons – peace as the universal thought! Aha! Now do you get the picture?
So let’s create the first one hundred dragons and not stop there. Let’s create millions, billions! Let this be the energy to fuel the entire galaxy with thoughts of peace to endure the lengths of time. Let us be the stars and this effort be the starlight…
January twenty-third marks the beginning of the year of the dragon in the Chinese calendar.
Year of the Dragon
This is so in sync with what I have come to understand about my journey with the dragon. I often comment about the myths of the dragon today as compared to the original understanding of the dragon from the Asian culture. Revered as a source of luck, a guardian of the elements and benefactor, in the years its reputation has been tarnished to an evil, destructive beast.
How can one possibly create a peace dragon? Well there is the first of the lessons we can garnish from this amazing creature. To draw a peace dragon, you must first be able to release the dark images, and embrace your open heart to create an image that reflects this unbiased reflection. And then you have to go one step further – come to an understanding of what peace is to you. When I work with children and ask what the "dragon" and "peace" conjure up in their heads, it is non-stop answers about the dragon, but when I ask about peace, silence falls across the room. Sets of tired idioms are called out. Quiet is the usually the first word thrown out, and I have to giggle, because of course, I can only imagine an adult in a not so peaceful voice yelling, "Give me peace and quiet!" To draw a peace dragon we not only have to let go of the negative myths, the tired, empty answers, but find truths for all these "dragons" in our lives to understand them. We need to go to the source of them. Paired with the search for our understanding peace, we transform the fire of our lives into beacons of light.
The above graffiti reflects a sentiment I wish to hold near to me in this honored year of the dragon. Love your dragons. What does it mean? It means for us to embrace the world without the myths that have been attached to them, to come as the masters of heart have described, to see everything as a newborn with the eyes of objective joy without judgment. It also means to let go of those personal myths that anchor us in the limiting stories we commit to, instead of being the most brilliant light we can be. Love your dragons. Why? Because love provides a fullness of being that allows you to take flight. And perhaps when you have learned to love your dragons, you'll find yourself winging it on the back of one of those amazing creatures. To close, I'll quote from a book called the voices of our ancestors by Dwani Ywhaoo, who eloquently states what the dragons have shown me. She is a Tslagee Indian, which brought a new layer of understanding the breadth of the dragon culture of our world. This notation was sent to me by a friend who heard about my mission, and knew this passage would ring true for the work ahead.