I just love this woman. 
A little background history ~
From
1953 to 1981 a silver haired woman calling herself only "Peace
Pilgrim" walked more than 25,000 miles on a personal pilgrimage
for peace. She vowed to "remain a wanderer until mankind has
learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until
given food." In the course of her 28 year pilgrimage she touched
the hearts, minds, and lives of thousands of individuals all across
North America. Her message was both simple and profound. It continues
to inspire people all over the world:
"This
is the way of peace: overcome evil with good,
and falsehood with truth, and hatred with love."
"STEPS TOWARD INNER PEACE"
FOUR PREPARATIONS
1. Assume right attitude toward life
Stop being an escapist or a surface-liver as these attitudes can only cause inharmony
in your life. Face life squarely and get down below the froth on its surface to discover
its verities and realities. Solve the problems that life sets before you, and you will
find that solving them contributes to your inner growth. Helping to solve collective
problems contributes also to your growth, and these problems should never be avoided.
2. Live good beliefs.
The laws governing human conduct apply as rigidly as the law of gravity. Obedience to
these laws pushes us toward harmony; disobedience pushes us toward inharmony. Since many
of these laws are already common belief, you can begin by putting into practice all the
good things you believe. No life can be in harmony unless belief and practice are in
harmony.
3. Find your place in the Life Pattern.
You have a part in the scheme of things. What that part is you can know only from
within yourself. You can seek it in receptive silence. You can begin to live in accordance
with it by doing all the good things you are motivated toward and giving these things
priority in your life over all the superficial things that customarily occupy human lives.
4. Simplify life to bring inner and outer well-being into harmony.
Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens. Many lives are cluttered not only with
unnecessary possessions but also with meaningless activities. Cluttered lives are
out-of-harmony lives and require simplification. Wants and needs can become the same in a
human life and, when this is accomplished, there will be a sense of harmony between inner
and outer well-being. Such harmony is needful not only in the individual life but in the
collective life too.
FOUR PURIFICATIONS (Top)
1. Purification of the bodily temple.
Are you free from all bad habits? In your diet do you stress the vital foods - the
fruits, whole grains, vegetables and nuts? Do you get to bed early and get enough sleep?
Do you get plenty of fresh air, sunshine, exercise, and contact with nature? If you can
answer "Yes" to all of these questions, you have gone a long way toward
purification of the bodily temple.
2. Purification of the thoughts.
It is not enough to do right things and say right things. You must also think
right things. Positive thoughts can be powerful influences for good. Negative thoughts can
make you physically ill. Be sure there is no unpeaceful situation between yourself and any
other human being, for only when you have ceased to harbor unkind thoughts can you attain
inner harmony.
3. Purification of the desires.
Since you are here to get yourself into harmony with the laws that govern human conduct
and with your part in the scheme of things, your desires should be focused in this
direction.
4. Purification of motives.
Obviously your motive should never be greed or self-seeking, or the
wish for self-glorification, you shouldn‘t even have the selfish motive
of attaining inner peace for yourself. To be of service to your fellow
humans must be your motive before your life can come into harmony.
FOUR RELINQUISHMENTS (Top)
1. Relinquishment of self-will.
You have, or it‘s as though you have, two selves: the lower self that usually
governs you selfishly, and the higher self which stands ready to use you gloriously. You
must subordinate the lower self by refraining from doing the not-good things you are
motivated toward, not suppressing them but transforming them so that the higher self can
take over your life.
2. Relinquishment of the feeling of separateness.
All of us, all over the world, are cells in the body of humanity. You are not separate
from your fellow humans, and you cannot find harmony for yourself alone. You can only find
harmony when you realize the oneness of all and work for the good of all.
3. Relinquishment of attachments.
Only when you have relinquished all attachments can you be really free. Material things
are here for use, and anything you cannot relinquish when it has outlived its usefulness
possesses you. You can only live in harmony with your fellow humans if you have no feeling
that you possess them, and therefore do not try to run their lives.
4. Relinquishment of all negative feelings.
Work on relinquishing negative feelings. If you live in the present moment,
which is really the only moment you have to live, you will be less
apt to worry. If you realize that those who do mean things are psychologically
ill, your feelings of anger will turn to feelings of pity. If you
recognize that all of your inner hurts are caused by your own wrong
actions or your own wrong reactions or your own wrong inaction, then
you will stop hurting yourself.
To read more ~ Peace Pilgrim General Information Page