The Heart of the Matter
November 27, 2014
Truly a Free Man

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ED. NOTE: The following guest post was written by Mike Krause who, just three weeks ago, was released from San Antonio's Dominguez Jail after being incarcerated there for the past year. While Mike was on the inside at Dominguez, he had a chance to attend TPRF's Peace Education Class and hear about the message of Prem Rawat. What follows is a letter Mike wrote to his fellow inmates after he got out of jail on November 3rd.

My Dear Friends:

I just wanted to let you guys know that I am thinking about you and hope you are doing well. Although things haven't gone as smoothly as I had hoped for upon my release, the lessons I learned in the Peace Education class have allowed me to stay focused and moving forward in a manner I have never experienced in my life before now.

As I was walking through the doors of Dominguez, upon my release, it dawned on me that I was truly a free man. The irony in that thought was that it had nothing to do with being in jail.

I think very few people get the opportunity, in life, to discover their true character -- what they stand for and who they are. I look back at what I've been through and realize that I am truly blessed to have gone through what I have gone through.

A lot of people talk a good game when it comes to doing the right thing, but so many fall short, or are never truly tested.

Reading the book A Long Walk to Freedom, the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, I was able to get a glimpse of what conviction in one's beliefs is all about. Mr. Mandela went to prison for 27 years to uphold those beliefs. His courage, bravery, and determination showed me what was possible.

Joel Osteen once asked, "Are you willing to do whatever it takes to do what is right?" For the first time in my life, I was.

As it so happened, this epiphany coincided with my being introduced to the concept of "Inner Peace" by my friend, and former classmate, Wallie Reschman.

While in our Computer Aided Drafting class one day, Wallie started to explain the transformation he had experienced brought about by his participation in the Inner Peace class at Dominquez. As I listened to this former hard core drug dealer talk about the changes he had made and the enlightened perspective and appreciation of life that had happened for him, I was beyond intrigued. I had to see what this was all about.

My own journey that led me to jail was one brought about by my fruitless search for a way to fill the emptiness that had been in my heart for as long as I could remember. I had everything and nothing all at the same time and I could never figure out how to change it.

Thanks to Wallie introducing me to the Peace Education Class -- and thanks to Roberto Piriz -- my life was forever changed. For the first time in my life I came to understand that in order to find true peace in my life I would have to start looking within, instead of all of the external places I had looked before.

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When I made the decision to take to heart the principals of Prem Rawat that Roberto did such a great job presenting, I was set free -- set free from the imagined expectations of a father who was never there -- set free from the poor decisions in my life -- set free to know what I was truly about -- and set free to finally understand and be happy with who I am.

Socrates once said, "Know thyself". What he should have said was, "Know thyself and you will be free".

It's been a long journey and an incredible sacrifice not just for myself, but for my family as well. The result is the man I am today. The man I am today is a better and more loving father to my two beautiful children, a more appreciative and understanding son to my mother, a better friend and member of society, and when God blesses me with the opportunity, I will be the most loving and caring husband a wife could have.

Was the price to get to where I am now a high one? Definitely, yes. Was it worth becoming the man I am today?. Absolutely.

In an average lifetime, 25,550 days is all we have. When I first heard this number, I was shocked at how low it was. And that, my friends, is just the point. That number IS low. Like anything else that is in high demand and in short supply, it becomes extremely valuable.

So that brings up the question: "Since you are giving up such a valuable commodity each day, what do you have to show for it?" In exchange for this valuable commodity (a day of your life), do you have something positive to show for it or something negative? The choice is yours and yours alone.

Prem Rawat says, "We start living the moment we embrace the peace that lies in our heart". My hope for you is that you will find, as I have, that divine force that is within you -- just waiting to be discovered the entire time.

Take these lessons to heart and your life will never be the same.

PremRawat.com
The Prem Rawat Foundation
Words of Peace Global

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 03:56 PM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2014
Your Reward

Thanks to Rita Rubin-Long for the link.

PremRawat.com
Words of Peace Global
TPRF

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 09:10 PM | Comments (1)

November 14, 2014
Always Remembering You

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:29 AM | Comments (0)

Prem Rawat on Words of Peace

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In case you haven't seen this yet, here's a very nice overview of the message, work, and life of Prem Rawat on the newly redesigned Words of Peace Global website. Definitely worth a few minutes of your time.

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:04 AM | Comments (0)

November 11, 2014
Sun Tzu on Preparation

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"Every
battle
is
won
or
lost
before
it
is
ever
fought."

- Sun Tzu

What do you need to prepare for? What project is looming that requires your due diligence before hand? What can you do, this week, to get ready?

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 05:29 PM | Comments (0)

November 09, 2014
Breath By Breath

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Who
can
wait
quietly
while
the
mud
settles?

- Lao Tzu


Illustration

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:14 AM | Comments (0)

November 08, 2014
Li Po Speaks

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"You ask
why I make my home
in the mountain forest,
and I smile,
and am silent,
and even my soul
remains quiet:
it lives in the other world
which no one owns.
The peach trees blossom,
The water flows."

-- Li Po

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:55 AM | Comments (1)

November 07, 2014
ALL OF US: A Wonderful Peace Project

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I want to call your attention to ALL OF US -- an inspired music video project being developed by Cara Tower and friends to help forward the cause of peace on the planet. Cara is deep in crowdfunding mode now, trying her best to raise $3,500 to get the project off the ground.

Click here for more info about the project on GO FUND ME and to view a 4-minute video of Cara singing the song that inspired her efforts.

The text below is Cara's description of the project. If this moves you, please consider becoming a supporter of ALL OF US. Every little bit helps.

IN CARA'S OWN WORDS:

We're raising seed money towards the making of a music recording, video, and film.

Whats it about? We want this project to display the unifying message that we are all human beings first and foremost. Therefore, when we can place our politics and religious beliefs aside.

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Our goal is to invite a musician, choir. and singers from each continent to participate.

This is a non-profit project. When you contribute to the production you become a collaborator. You will be informed of each expenditure and of each new development. This is a transparent project. You can write feedback. Each one of us who contributes will have their name and country of origin scroll in the ending credits. It is our hope that many people from many countries will have their names appear as a clear, collective statement that says, "We are simply united as people of the earth".

The ALL OF US project is an opportunity for everyone, everywhere to get involved with a creative unifying, collaborative effort. Together, we can bring awareness, through song, as we focus on the solution, not the problem.

The videos are demos of the "All Of Us" song so you can listen and read the lyrics. It's a song to be shared to help unite the focus of everyone, everywhere by helping us all to remember that we are human beings first and foremost. When we recognize this simple fact, it's easy to see that we have everything, fundamentally, in common, regardless of our circumstances, beliefs, religion, economics or demographic location.

There are two phases of the project.

The first phase is to raise support for the musical production. We'd like to record the basic tracks in a professional studio. We'd then like to invite a few singers and musicians to participate in the production from around the world via the internet. For example, a singer from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas -- and a Chinese harpist, Turkish percussionist etc.

The second phase is to compile, shoot, collect and/or borrow footage from film makers around the globe that shows people doing a variety of things in a variety of ways; getting married, protesting in the street, celebrating, laughing, fighting, painting, dancing, or even singing on this song!

When the project is complete you can download it and use it for your own initiatives, because it will belong to you. It will belong to All Of Us.

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We launched this project on Sept. 22, 2014 -- the day after the International Day of Peace, not only because peace needs to be renewed everyday, but because it gives us a good head start so we can be ready to submit to the next Words of Peace Global cast on September 21, 2015.

Have another idea? It's your project too! Together, let's see what legs it might grow. Peace will come from each of us.

Peace is the responsibility of individuals, not nations. If not now, then when? If not us, then who?

I hope you will join us on the ALL OF US project and that you will make it your own by contributing and helping us spread the word.

Thank you! Cara Tower and the ALL OF US Team.

LYRICS TO THE SONG

We come from the same universe
We live in the same world
We shoulder the same sorrow
We turn with the same sky
We sleep by the same moon
We stand under the same sun,
It Shines on everyone...
Everyone of us
We're all of us.

We swim the same sea
We breathe the same breath
We quench the same thirst
We feel the same pain
We long for the same love
We dream under the same stars
Venus and Mars
Everyone of us
We're all of us.

Everyone of us is touched by time
Not one of us is born to be unkind
Behind the cruel divide
When anger takes it's side
As strange as it may seem
We're all on the same team.

We warm by the same fire
We cradle the same heart
We bleed the same blood
We seek the same peace
We follow the same light
We dream under the same stars
Venus and Mars
We stand under the same sun
It shines on everyone
Everyone of us
We're all of us
Everyone of us,
We're all of us.

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 04:18 PM | Comments (0)

November 05, 2014
It's Really Very Simple

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PremRawat.com

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:51 PM | Comments (1)

November 03, 2014
Groucho and Jesus

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Excerpted from this book

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 04:29 PM | Comments (1)

Welcome to Mitch Ditkoff's blog about what's really important in this life: Peace, gratitude, love, joy, clarity, and the effort required to wake up and smell the roses. Enjoy!

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