July 29th, 2011 — 7:01am
Many people with life dreams hope to one day see a world that is free from conflict and violence, where everyone has a chance to equally pursue their aspirations and goals. However, the current state of things in the world put this type of world peace day somewhat in question.
In particular, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently said that climate change and global warming threaten to drive nations of the world even farther apart, as the situation could result in stiff competition over dwindling resources. Additionally, destruction from hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires threatens peace by spreading security forces thin.
"Extreme weather events continue to grow more frequent and intense in rich and poor countries alike, not only devastating lives, but also infrastructure, institutions, and budgets – an unholy brew which can create dangerous security vacuums,” he said, according to the Vancouver Sun. "[Climate change] not only exacerbates threats to international peace and security; it is a threat to international peace and security."
This spring and summer brought strong reminders of the destruction that can be caused by climate-related natural disasters. In the U.S., a string of deadly tornadoes ripped through many parts of the country. In Pakistan, violent flooding caused major damage. And Somalia is currently gripped by a devastating drought that is threatening already thin food supplies.
When situations like this persist they often contribute to unrest and violence. However, author and philosopher Ilchi Lee says that this only underscores the need for nations of the world to work together to solve these issues. While the UN may not be making much progress at the moment, at least there is a body through which international representatives can air their grievances.
As part of the Earth Citizen movement, Lee says nations and cultures will have to work together. Climate change may be an important issue to start with.
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July 21st, 2011 — 6:16am
Ilchi Lee tells us that it is sometimes not enough to simply challenge our minds through educational pursuits or relax our spirits through meditation. There is an important third component to our inner selves, and that needs to be exercised as diligantly as the other two parts.
In order to establish harmony throughout our multiple parts, we must engage in physical pursuits that challenge and work out our bodies in the same way that meditation pushes us to expand our spiritual limitations. Enhancing your mind body spirit can be a rewarding process that is sure to put you on the path towards total peace and harmony.
Hiking is one of the best ways to use one's mind, body and spirit at the same time. The process of engaging in spiritual contemplation while enjoying physical activity has been termed 'moving meditation' by Ilchi Lee and is a very effective way of establishing harmony between one's mind and body. When one hikes, they are able to practice moving meditation easily, as their spirits reflect upon the beauty of nature that surrounds them and their bodies push themselves to overcome the physical challenge that such a trek requires.
A fantastic place for peace-seekers to hike and practice moving meditation is Jordan. There is a particular trail entitled Petra Through the Back Door that National Geographic lists as one of the top 10 hikes on the planet. This trek leads travelers from the Dana Reserve more than 50 miles to the city of Petra. For moderately skilled hikers, this trip can take as little as 7 days.
The travel magazine suggests that individuals who wish to establish harmony in their lives travel to Jordan for this hike between the months of October and April. During this period, the desert climate is most agreeable and the scenery is intensely beautiful.
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July 20th, 2011 — 7:05am
Stress and anxiety can cause a person to lose perspective on their life and forget about their mind body spirit connection. Instead of embracing this relationship, their head is constantly fighting their body, pulling them in two different directions at once. However, new research suggests that there may be a simple solution to this problem.
Investigators from Ohio State University showed that higher levels of dietary omega-3 fatty acids reduced inflammation and curbed anxiety in a group of healthy individuals. The findings further confirm the intimate nature of the mind body spirit connection.
The researchers said that anxiety is known to activate elements of the immune system that cause inflammation. Since inflammation is known to contribute to chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, controlling anxiety plays an important role in keeping people healthy.
For a period of several weeks, the researchers administered either active omega-3 supplements or a placebo to a group of medical students. Those who were given the active supplements had much lower levels of inflammation-causing immune system activity. They also reported feeling less stressed.
"These students were not anxious. They weren't really stressed. They were actually sleeping well throughout this period, so we didn't get the stress effect we had expected," said Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, who led the study.
The findings show the mind can have a significant influence over a person's physical condition, indicating that the mind body spirit connection may be stronger than doctors and scientists previously admitted. The results have important implications for how a person lives their life and works to manage their daily stress levels. This could have a strong impact on their health.
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July 20th, 2011 — 5:19am
It is not unusual to wake up one morning and find that your mind and spirit are out of balance with your body. In the busy world that we live in, many distractions, pollutants and stressful obligations can influence the harmony of our inner selves in a negative fashion. When this happens, it may be helpful to get away from the over stimulating world and take a time-out in a secluded, peaceful place. A national park is an ideal destination for this sort of escape from the world, as they are well-preserved, always beautiful and designed to be a refuge for individuals seeking peace.
Shenandoah National Park in Virginia is a fabulous outdoor vacation destination if you are a traveler who needs to work on enhancing your mind-body-spirit connection. The park stretches over close to 200,000 acres (around 312 square miles), and includes a multitude of incredibly beautiful natural wonders. Individuals should consider embarking on a ride through the Skyline Drive as soon as they arrive at the site. The path runs for 105 miles, and while it can be traversed in a car or truck, athletic individuals may find it very enjoyable and satisfying to travel on bike.
In addition to the Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park includes more than 500 miles of trails perfect for hiking, walking or trekking. Deer populate this area in great numbers and individuals are almost guaranteed to spot at least one family of these majestic creatures while exploring the area. Hiking through this incredible national park is sure to bring one's mind, body and spirit into a harmonious state. After all, the combination of physical activity with meditation exercises has been lauded by Ilchi Lee as a great way to bring balance into one's life.
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July 14th, 2011 — 9:24am
The latest jobless claims numbers, which came one week after the Labor Department's disappointing monthly report for June, showed that fewer Americans than expected filed for jobless claims in the week ending July 9.
According to the Labor Department's jobless claims figures, applications for such benefits decreased by 22,000 to 405,000 last week, much lower than the median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg, which was 415,000.
Just as Ilchi Lee says personal change is critical to one's ability to live a balanced life, these numbers represent a positive sign for those looking to switch careers and start from the ground up in the employment search.
Bloomberg reports that the positive data from the Labor Department was supplemented by the fact that automakers experienced less layoffs than are typical for this time of year.
"Seasonal factors expected a fairly large rise in claims," an official with the agency told the news source. "There were some state-reported auto layoffs this week, but probably not as many as usual. If you go back traditionally in the first two weeks of July you have a large amount of layoffs primarily from manufacturing."
The positive jobless claims numbers also come on the heels of comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, who attributed the "disappointing" job numbers of the past few months partially to temporary issues such as the increased cost of fuel and supply chain setbacks from Japan in the wake of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in March, according to the news source.
While the drop in jobless claims is a positive, job seekers still need to exert effort during the summer to secure employment and enhance their personal development, and networking both online and in person can help get one's foot in the door at a company.
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July 12th, 2011 — 9:09am
Students will meet at the Darden School of Business in Charlottesville, Virgina this week and next week to attend the World Peace Game summer academy. At the academy, students will be given a country to represent and will then learn to develop strategies that both enhance their country and the concept of world peace.
The idea is to teach the students how to be leaders without promoting war and conflict. The students are a variety of ages and come from all over the world from places such as as Germany, South Korea, Norway, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. to participate in this event. Teachers will also be attending, in order to see how the game works and learn how to incorporate it into their teaching. The hope is that the lessons learned while playing the game will extend into the children's lives as it strives to teach strategy, negotiation and leveraging difference in other types of classroom scenarios.
Organizer John Hunter understands the importance of teaching children about world peace. The educator was once chosen as one of seven children to be integrated into a then all-white school in his hometown in rural Virginia.
Hunter believes this truly teaches children of all ages valuable life skills and helps them build the confidence to achieve their life dreams.
"When the older and younger students play together, my experience has been that the older kids actually display a greater depth of compassion and help the younger students," said Hunter. "The younger students, in the company of their seniors, seem to 'step up' to challenges and show greater confidence. It's beautiful to watch happen, this interaction."
Author, philosopher, and trailblazer Ilchi Lee understands the importance of educating children. He believes world peace is attainable, and in the power of human beings to carry out their life dreams.
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July 7th, 2011 — 10:00am
A favorite film around Christmastime, Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life" is a truly inspirational story that has applicable lessons year-round.
The film has garnered a reputation as a Christmas classic, mainly because the climax of the story occurs during the holidays. It also helps that NBC broadcasts the film on Christmas Eve every year, making it a tradition among many families. Yet much goes on in the film before the climax, and the majority of it has little to do with Christmas.
The movie tells the story of George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), and follows him throughout his life. Bailey inherits his family mortgage business while his brother goes off to fight in World War II, and has to balance keeping the business afloat with helping out his friends and neighbors. Bailey is contrasted with the repugnant Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore), who is portrayed as a ruthless capitalist always out to make a buck off his fellow man.
Bailey never really does well for himself, but when he finds himself in trouble toward the end of the film, it's the numerous friends he has made throughout his life who eventually save the day. In the end, the film is about the richness of personal relationships over wealth, making it one of the more inspirational stories ever put to film.
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