Keep a temperate mood

There are times when we witness conflict between people. Sometimes we are in it and with the personal element to that, it is difficult to keep a cool and reasonable head. 
Try to be temperate. 

I've witnessed people have a disagreement with one party getting angry and raising their voice, attempting to dominate the interaction. So long as one side of the exchange keeps relatively calm, the moment of anger can be expressed and then float away. Dangers occur when both people become angry and seek to dominate, each claiming the other is not listening. As we know, some serious incidents end up in a physical fight. It is simply poor communication that causes this.

I was involved in a situation somewhat like this the other day. The disagreement was certainly not going to be resolved. The subject was about a persons anger. Voices getting raised on both sides made it worse. I became aware that I kept calm at all times. I had the advantage of being less involved. I recognised the issues on both sides. I was tempted to be critical of how the communication was breaking down, but to have voiced that would have got me involved unnecessarily. I actually caught sight of myself in the mirror and became aware that my calmness alone stopped the interaction escalating. 

I've said in the past that "Sitting on the Fence" can cause us to get splinters in our backsides! The secret in being on the outside is to stay outside and say little. Just allow your calmer spirit to enter the space. I'm suggesting it helps those in conflict to feel safe. That occurs in their sub conscious. 

• If you get into a conflict, try to stay as calm as you are able to.
• If you feel an injustice, take a inventory of your emotions and feelings. It is probably better to do that at a later, more appropriate time when you feel less angry. 
• Decide what your options are. What creative ways can you get the best out of the situation?
• Look at what you can learn from the experience.
• If you feel bad, recognise that the feeling is there for a reason. We have been granted a wide spectrum of feelings at the point of existence. They are there for a reason, so resolve to make use of them to learn.
• If you are not directly involved in the conflict, try not to get too involved. People are entitled to get angry so allow that anger to be expressed in a natural and appropriate way.

Take care folks. 

Choose to give credence to belief

There are many "religions" in our world. Most strong followers of them state that they are the one and only way. I find it sad that conflict often results from arguments that prevail. It seems to me that almost always, the central edicts of the various belief systems promote the same or a similar message.
Love.
Peace.
Respect.
I find it sad that often, these (and other) central edicts get downgraded in importance allowing the emphasis of differences and dogma to get in the way. 

Man loves to be right and hates to be wrong. 

On a personal level, I'll state that I am a Christian. Much of this comes from the culture I live in. When I chose to commit to Christianity, I did so based on the concept of love and respect for others. It is something that is a challenge to maintain, but is central to my desire. I believe that the very same foundation of other belief systems applies to all other "religions" or belief systems including those of humanism and/or atheism.

In my pursuit of self development and research, I discovered "The Way to Happiness". I received the DVD, booklet and promotional material a couple of days ago. It's pretty impressive. It ties in some cases to The 10 Commandments lovebut has the interesting principal of not claiming to be part of any "religious" organisation. 

You'll notice that I use quotation marks when writing the word "religious". This is deliberate. I find the word comes with labels that generate assumptions and creates fear and prejudice. I prefer to refer to myself as spiritual and of the Christian Faith for which I choose to believe. 

It is pretty clear that virtually all war and conflict occurs as a result of "religious" conflict. Some of it is generated as a result of anti "religion". Many of the ancient conflicts are all detailed in The Old Testament/Torah/Koran as I'm led to understand. (I'm not much of an expert on The Old Testament and have read only parts of it. In truth, I find it a bit hard work!) 


One of the most profound statement in "The Way to Happiness" is reference to being respectful of other peoples belief systems. If we all simply did that, then surely we can all live in harmony?

All this has been said before I know. These messages get written and re-written. I believe it is natural to do this in order to keep the message fresh. Otherwise the message simply goes stale and is in danger of being forgotten. 

It is always advised to be careful when discussing "religion" and politics. It brings forward so much emotion. I do so today to attempt to share some balance to the arguments.

So endeth Marty's thoughts for today!