Living Together in Peace
Our Afternoon Delight exploration, Fri May 13 at noon ET
First, a prologue…
Are you wondering what the heck these Afternoon Delights even are?
Last fall, I was easing back into work after brain surgery to remove a (benign!) skull tumor. Contemplation, creativity and community were balms that helped heal me, and I wanted to share the love.
“What if I host a monthly get-together that combines all three?” I thought. We could ponder and write, share, be seen, be heard, and delight in an exploration, together.
Now, here we are, six months later!
The gatherings are intimate. Engaged. Often poignant. Always enriching.
I look forward to every single one and relish in the glow of connection afterward.
Participants have said I’m great at bringing lovely, kind, generous people together and the creative prompts allow them to write and express themselves in a way they haven’t in years, or maybe ever.
Read on for musings on this month’s theme and the link to attend!
Hello, BookLoves.
When I sat down to choose the themes for this year’s Afternoon Delights, I looked at the UN calendar of observances and chose the ones that were most resonant. Every single one has been fitting, to my mood and even world circumstances, when the date comes.
This month is no different. On Friday, we’ll be exploring peace, for the International Day of Living Together in Peace:
"United in differences and diversity
“Living together in peace is all about accepting differences and having the ability to listen to, recognize, respect and appreciate others, as well as living in a peaceful and united way."
Honestly, this encapsulates the ultimate hope for my work here at Intralingo. By embracing our diversity and recognizing our shared humanity, through personal stories and the ones inside of books, we become more tolerant of others and contribute to a more harmonious world.
At this point in human history, it may seem like living together in peace is an impossibility. Futile to even try.
Yet peace, like everything else, starts from the tiniest seed, one that may seem contradictory or even selfish: it starts by cultivating it inside of ourselves.
When we embody peace, we positively influence those around us.
For real.
Mirror neurons in the brain are believed to fire when we observe another’s emotions and actions, and their experience is simulated in us. You ever see someone cry and burst out crying yourself? Mirror neurons.
We can literally, physically feel another’s pain. Joy. Peace.
So, when we cultivate our own sense of peace, and actively engage from that place with others, it ripples out.
But how do we find, nurture, embrace peace in this awfully challenging world?
I think there as many answers to that as there are readers…
To me, I don’t necessarily think of it as capital letter Peace. It’s simpler than that.
I find peace outdoors, sitting on my back deck or at the end of a dock, gazing at cedar trees and lake water.
I find it in tai chi, and all the components of my training in those arts.
I find peace in words, beautifully expressed, from the heart.
I find it in purring cat cuddles every morning.
Mostly, it’s fleeting.
But, having noticed it, having recognized the feeling of peace, I can pause and call it up or let other emotions morph into it when need be.
It’s a practice.
So, in this week's Afternoon Delight (Friday, May 13 at noon ET), let's unite around our differences and diversity, explore how we each perceive and cultivate peace to contribute to a world that lives together in peace.
As part of the fun, we'll read a Mary Oliver poem, try a little brain exercise, and play with some presence writing.
Can't come? Share your thoughts and feelings, poems and practices around peace right here in a comment!
Can come? Wonderful, I’ll see you there!
Friday, May 13, 12:00 to 1:30 pm ET
Meeting ID: 892 5282 6610
Passcode: 778007
Confirm your local time here!
Reminder:
There's no cost. No RSVP required. Simply click the link above to attend.
Come exactly as you are, with an open heart, curious mind, paper and pen(cil).
~Lisa
Lisa Carter is Founder and Creative Director of Intralingo, helping authors and translators write and readers explore stories. Lisa brings two decades of professional literary experience, including nine books and multiple other pieces published in translation, and nearly as many years of contemplative and compassion practices to her work. Her inclusive, engaged, caring presence inspires people to share their stories, create new ones and feel truly heard.
The next Afternoon Delight is Sunday, June 19, 3:00 to 4:30 pm ET, on the theme of Light.
*July to November dates will be published soon.
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