"Without my consent, this war happened..."

In mid-stream, I changed course on the publication of our Spring issue and decided to publish this special issue dedicated to peace, anti-war and the support of our troops.  Until the war is over, our webzine will maintain this special theme and update our content frequently.  Interestingly enough, as I type this page there are speculations that Saddam Hussein is injured and his troops may surrender and turn him over to us.  With any luck, you are reading this and the war will already be over!  One can only hope.  I did not support Bush's ultimatum.  I am dumbfounded that our supposedly technologically-superior country chose war, over all other options,  just to contain ONE man!  Upon hearing claims that we are doing this for the sake of the Iraqi people, it's amazing that we are willing to invest billions of our dollars and risk the lives of our military troops to help others (deserving as the Iraqis may be), yet we barely invest a fraction of these war costs to help the homeless and sick in our own country!  No hidden agenda?  My **#@$$!!  Without my consent, this war happened, and though it's easy to fume and point fingers I will strive to find some peace within myself and with those that actually support this war.

I encourage everyone to consciously perform actions which promote peace.  When you strive for peace, it reminds me to strive for peace, and so on and so on.  For myself, in addition to spreading the word of peace through this webzine, I have found some simple, yet effective, ways to generate and feel peace amidst chaos and anxiety:

Pray - for our troops, for Iraqis, and for the wisdom of world leaders.  Pray with others.
Empathy - it's easy to ignore what's happening "over there."  Don't ignore it.
Actively, peacefully protest - join candlelight vigils, march for peace, be creative.
Celebrate - that life is still wonderful and remember that there is more to life than this war. 
Exercise - do yoga, breathe, play baseball, dance, whatever...just move and have fun!

Monitor your emotional and spiritual temperature

Beware of getting caught up in the 24-hour news coverage and being consumed with rage or anxiety.  Maintain a balance by trying to live a "normal" life and taking your emotional and spiritual temperature.  Gauge your "temperature" by your sense of peace and contentedness.  Feeling rage and your breathing is shallow and fast?  You're running a high spiritual fever, and, incidentally, your blood pressure and pulse are probably high.  You need to chill out.  Feeling like staying in bed or never leaving the house and your breathing is heavy and labored?  This is a time to connect with others, with your friends, family, community or your church.  "United we stand, divided we fall."  Don't be afraid to tell someone you would like company.  More than likely they will appreciate that you were brave enough to ask for exactly what they were too shy or fearful to say!  Finally, if you're aware of what's going on in the world and are grieving a bit about the war yet, you're still able to function and enjoy the things you love, then your spiritual temperature is probably normal, given the challenging times we are experiencing.

Treat yourself special in simple, ordinary ways.  Make Eleanora's chocolates or one of her other mouth-watering recipes on her web site.  Play drop-in basketball at the Y.  Paint your house.  Cut those blooming flowers in your garden and put them in a vase on your dining table.  Laugh, love and live.  And, if you're feeling overwhelmed with emotions, write it in your journal, write a poem, compose a song, or paint a picture.  Then, share it with us!

We pray for a quick end to this madness.  Regardless of our position on this war, we have a great appreciation for all of those willing to fight for our country.  May truth and justice prevail.  

Thank you for caring about your spiritual health and for nurturing the spiritual health of our planet.

Peace, 
Amelia Andaleon
Chief Editor, SpirituallyFit.com

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