A Season of Nonviolence

64 Ways in 64 Days -- Daily Commitments to Live ByÌýThese principles for nonviolence were adapted by the Denver Area Task Force for: A Season for Nonviolence - January 30-April 4, 1998

Inspired by the 50th & 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

  1. Today, I will reflect on what peace means to me.Ìý
  2. Today, I will look at opportunities to be a peacemaker.Ìý
  3. Today, I will practice nonviolence and respect for Mother Earth by making good use of her resources.Ìý
  4. Today, I will take time to admire and appreciate nature.Ìý
  5. Today, I will plant seeds--plants or constructive ideas.Ìý
  6. Today, I will hold a vision of plenty for all the world's hungry and be open to guidance as to how I can help alleviate some of that hunger.Ìý
  7. Today, I will acknowledge every human being's fundamental right to justice, equity, and equality.Ìý
  8. Today, I will appreciate the earth's bounty and all of those who work to make my food available (i.e., grower, trucker, grocery clerk, cook, waitress, etc.).Ìý
  9. Today, I will work to understand and respect another culture.Ìý
  10. Today, I will oppose injustice, not people.Ìý
  11. Today, I will look beyond stereotypes and prejudices.Ìý
  12. Today, I will choose to be aware of what I talk about and I will refuse to gossip.Ìý
  13. Today, I will live in the present moment and release the past.Ìý
  14. Today, I will silently acknowledge all the leaders throughout the world.Ìý
  15. Today, I will speak with kindness, respect, and patience to every person that I talk with on the telephone.Ìý
  16. Today, I will affirm my value and worth with positive "self talk" and refuse to put myself down.Ìý
  17. Today, I will tell the truth and speak honestly from the heart.Ìý
  18. Today, I will cause a ripple effect of good by an act of kindness toward another.Ìý
  19. Today, I will choose to use my talents to serve others by volunteering a portion of my time.Ìý
  20. Today, I will say a blessing for greater understanding whenever I see evidence of crime, vandalism, or graffiti.Ìý
  21. Today, I will say "No" to ideas or actions that violate me or others.Ìý
  22. Today, I will turn off anything that portrays or supports violence whether on television, in the movies, or on the Internet.Ìý
  23. Today, I will greet this day--everyone and everything--with openness and acceptance as if I were encountering them for the first time.Ìý
  24. Today, I will drive with tolerance and patience.Ìý
  25. Today, I will constructively channel my anger, frustration, or jealousy into healthy physical activities (i.e., doing sit-ups, picking up trash, taking a walk, etc).Ìý
  26. Today, I will take time to appreciate the people who provide me with challenges in my life, especially those who make me angry or frustrated.Ìý
  27. Today, I will talk less and listen more.Ìý
  28. Today, I will notice the peacefulness in the world around me.Ìý
  29. Today, I will recognize that my actions directly affect others.Ìý
  30. Today, I will take time to tell a family member or friend how much they mean to me.Ìý
  31. Today, I will acknowledge and thank someone for acting kindly.Ìý
  32. Today, I will send a kind, anonymous message to someone.Ìý
  33. Today, I will identify something special in everyone I meet.Ìý
  34. Today, I will discuss ideas about nonviolence with a friend to gain new perspectives.Ìý
  35. Today, I will practice praise rather than criticism.Ìý
  36. Today, I will strive to learn from my mistakes.Ìý
  37. Today, I will tell at least one person they are special and important.Ìý
  38. Today, I will hold children tenderly in thought and/or action.Ìý
  39. Today, I will listen without defending and speak without judgment.Ìý
  40. Today, I will help someone in trouble.Ìý
  41. Today, I will listen with an open heart to at least one person.Ìý
  42. Today, I will treat the elderly I encounter with respect and dignity.Ìý
  43. Today, I will treat the children I encounter with respect and care, knowing that I serve as a model to them.Ìý
  44. Today, I will see my co-workers in a new light--with understanding and compassion.Ìý
  45. Today, I will be open to other ways of thinking and acting that are different from my own.Ìý
  46. Today, I will think of at least three alternate ways I can handle a situation when confronted with conflict.Ìý
  47. Today, I will work to help others resolve differences.Ìý
  48. Today, I will express my feeling honestly and nonviolently with respect for myself and others.Ìý
  49. Today, I will sit down with my family for one meal.Ìý
  50. Today, I will set an example of a peacemaker by promoting nonviolent responses.Ìý
  51. Today, I will use no violent language.Ìý
  52. Today, I will pause for reflection.Ìý
  53. Today, I will hold no one hostage to the past, seeing each-as I see myself-as a work in process.Ìý
  54. Today, I will make a conscious effort to smile at someone whom I have held a grudge against in the past.Ìý
  55. Today, I will practice compassion and forgiveness by apologizing to someone whom I have hurt in the past.Ìý
  56. Today, I will reflect on whom I need to forgive and take at least one step in that direction.Ìý
  57. Today, I will forgive myself.Ìý
  58. Today, I will embrace the spiritual belief of my heart in my own personal and reflective way.Ìý
  59. Today, I will enlarge my capacity to embrace differences and appreciate the value of every human being.Ìý
  60. Today, I will be compassionate in my thoughts, words, and actions.Ìý
  61. Today, I will cultivate my moral strength and courage through education and creative nonviolent action.Ìý
  62. Today, I will practice compassion and forgiveness for myself and others.Ìý
  63. Today, I will use my talents to serve others as well as myself.Ìý
  64. Today, I will serve humanity by dedicating myself to a vision greater than myself.