A Moment of Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

Just as the soft rains fill the streams, pour into the rivers, and join together in the oceans, so may the power of every moment of your goodness flow forth to awaken and heal all beings -- those here now, those gone before, those yet to come. -- A Buddhist Prayer for Healing   As our nation mourns the tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, I offer our community at large a salve to soothe our aching hearts and to assist in the healing of our wound.   We can begin by filling our hearts and our minds with positive, loving thoughts.  Calming our thoughts of negativity and allowing for positive emotions and thinking to grow are known to negate feelings of despair, hatred, and sadness.    From a place of peace we can be mindful of sharing our love, amicability, and friendliness to all those we come into contact with.  We tell our family and friends that we love, cherish and appreciate them, not just on a special occasion but whenever we see them.      When someone tailgates you or cuts you off, take a breath and let that feeling of injustice go.  You will find that after a while, letting go of the resentment is much more freeing than spewing nastiness in return.  It’s not an easy lesson to learn but lessons take practice.   Be aware of how you use language and the language that you listen to.  Do you speak in the negative? Is your speech made up of gossip? When we use words, we can frame our thoughts using abundance, potential, and gratitude.  In my Quaker Meeting we often “hold” the Media “in the Light” meaning we pray that the Media engages in communication that is free of propaganda, hatred and rabble rousing. What we hear and see often shapes how we think and feel about humanity.   Do good works.  There is an activity for everyone out there that makes their soul feel nourished, enlightened and fulfilled.  Whether it is collecting stories from family, making sandwiches at the food bank, cleaning up litter from the side of the highway or putting down your phone and making time for loved ones, do this.  Not only are you recharging yourself but you are recharging the collective energy of all of us.   There are fascinating productions that demonstrate the power of positive thinking on water as collected by Mr. Masaru Emoto.  “Messages from Water” contain photographs of water crystals next to various publications, websites, etc. that are either deemed loving or negative.  The change in molecular shape is intriguing to say the least.  The point being, our thoughts are not just our own but belong to the Infinite. Imagine when you are pleasing to someone how they are pleasing to another and another and another.  The same can be said in the opposite.  In the face of this tragedy, the way that we can heal our nation and possibly prevent future attacks like this from happening is to live, as best as we can, behaving lovingly and from a positive place.   It is senseless to fight evil with evil, as like begets like.  Rather, to do justice for those children, teachers, and all of the families and friends victimized by this act of cruelty, let us engage in human acts of kindness.  Take this with you friends, today, tomorrow and forever.   In peace and love,   Heidi Aspen Lauckhardt-Rhoades Writer and Social Media Correspondent Fitness Professional Twitter: @ATweetFit