Tag Archives: Activism and Peace Work

Why is being right more important than doing the right thing?


IMG_1077Sometime we tend to be our own worst enemy, we get wrapped up in what we think we want and neglect what we truly need. This seems to be the dilemma of humanity.  We are social creatures for the most art but it seems we have become more focused on our individuality than the group, clan or community. We forgot how to care and be part of a community and to work together. It’s all about taking care of ourselves and our own instead of we are all a part of an extended family. It’s all good to be an individual and to express such, but not at the expense of  loosing our connection from the great family of humanity.

We allow politics, religion, race, culture and many other things get in the way of being the great creation God made us to be. We as a species are capable of doing such good and amazing things when we work together and put our differences aside. We are all basically the same, we all really want peace, love and happiness for ourselves, our family and especially for our children. Why cant that be enough of a motive for us to be civilized and mature enough to be at peace with one another and learn to work together to make this world a better place for everyone? Why is greed more important than your neighbor or the poor guy begging for his next meal? Why is being right more important than doing the right thing?

It is far better to be poor and have your next meal than to be rich and want for nothing, for without anything to aspire for there is little to enjoy. It is far more important to do the right thing than to worry about who is right or wrong. For doing the right thing is being in the right and worrying about who is right or not is such a waste of time and energy.

Raymond Barbier

for peace to manifest itself


p10143Some see peace as the opposite of war, well when there is a lack of war there is room for peace but it doesn’t always seem to be the case.  Others think it’s a state of mind or being, well definitely peace can be within and my opinion all peace is created within each one of us. It takes a peaceful mind, heart and spirit to find a true personal peace. How do we spread peace and encourage others to be peaceful, well first we must learn and teach how to love unconditionally and teach understanding as the key aspect of daily living. So much can stand in the way of peace such as greed, lust and the lack of tolerance of differences between people. Sometimes I think peace is in everyone and that it’s the negative actions, thoughts and emotions within us that blocks that peace from being realized and for peace to manifest itself on a grand scale.

We must love one another, see that if we put our differences aside that basically we are all the same. We all want happiness, peace and for our children to have a life full of love and peace as well. We need to overcome fear and learn to accept the fact we all have the right to believe in the religion of our choice or not to believe at all. That even though we believe differently we do not have to persecute, condemn or even kill one another. Most religions teach peace and unity, yet it seems somehow that fact gets lost in translation somehow. Sad that humanity as advanced and civilized we are, can not live together and embrace the differences between us all as the strength that it is.

We should teach our children to love, how to be peaceful ,how to  be understanding and how to be respectable as well.

Ray Barbier

I must be cautious of my thoughts, actions and how I interact with the world


IMG_1077 I am who I am and I should embrace that which I am. I am who I am for a reason and I am who I am supposed to be. I am ever-changing and evolving within myself and slowly becoming who I am truly meant to be. The mistakes of my past were there to teach me and help me change into a better me as well as the wrongs done to me are to help shape me into the person I will become. Nothing happens without a reason and all things create change within and around me for better or for worse. The actions that I take now will ripple through my lifetime to create reactions and change in my future. My choices don’t only affect me but they affect the world around me. My thoughts become action and a part of the reality I live within. So I must be cautious of my thoughts, actions and how I interact with the world for everything I do, think and say can affect the world around me.

Christianity, my faith / belief teaches compassion, forgiveness and to be compassionate and that is what I try to follow. Though I do stray from the path at times I still strive to be a force of good as much as I can. I am wrong often and right occasionally, but the more I experience the more I learn where I had gone wrong. I try to live my life in a peaceful and non judgmental way thought I fail at times. I am but who I am, a ever-changing and constantly evolving person who longs for happiness and peace. May God’s will be done and may he lend me the wisdom to make the right choices in life.

Even if I put my religious beliefs aside I still am a caring, peaceful person by nature and still would seek out a path that would be beneficial to all those around me. For I find I am happiest when those around me are happy and at peace.

A lifetime is but a drop of  water compared to the infinite stream of time, we should enjoy life and seek to make other people’s lives enjoyable for the short time we are here.

Ray Barbier

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution By license.

Just some random thoughts to ponder on.


003Sometimes we go through our day without telling those who we care about how important they are to us or how much they impact our lives. We throw the word love around so much we tend to forget how to show love to others, both those we like and those who are strangers. Taking anyone or anything in life for granted tends to lead to the loss of those people and things. We get so hung up on our daily routine and sometimes even our own problems we forget those people and things that are important to us. We need to slow down and smell the roses as well as share a positive thought or a caring action with others as we go through our daily lives.  Compassion does not mean to have pity, it means to have concern and love towards all living things. Charity does not mean throwing money at a problem, it means helping those in need with not only physical needs but to educate them in ways to help themselves as well. It may be natural to focus upon yourself and those close to you, but it is supernatural to care about everyone and everything in this big world. We tend to get hung up on one thing or another to the point we can not see the whole picture. We either become self-centered or apathetic to the problems in our world around us. We need to wake up from our foggy self-centered apathetic dream state and see that as a world community we can overcome and achieve almost anything. Only if we can set our differences aside along with finding tolerance for each others cultural differences. In the end we all want the eradication of starvation, the end of all homelessness and a brighter future for our children.

This world needs a change of direction as well as a change in heart, we can not take anyone or thing for granted nor can we go on being in a foggy state of denial. We must find compassion, tolerance and love for one another as well as a less self-centered view of the world around us. We need to see that every living creäture big or small is an important part of our world and its ecosystem. No one person is greater or lesser than the other, they are equal though different. The differences between each and every one of us is what makes humanity a wondrous species and an unstoppable force when we work together. We should strive towards a world of love, equality and peace as we rid ourselves of the greed and hatred that plagues us as a species.

Just some random thoughts to ponder on. Right or wrong they are here for all to see.

Raymond Barbier

Ramblings of a Middle Aged Average Joe


007-2 Social Unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, Earthquakes, Tsunamis and threat of an nuclear meltdown in Japan. Anchovies and sardines dying is the millions in a San Francisco harbor. The honey bee population dwindling and still no explanation as of why they are dying off. Something seems out of balance, change is coming to our world and it isn’t looking too good to me. Change is unavoidable and paying for our neglect / disrespect towards our home plant earth. Greed and lust for power outweighs the welfare of mother earth and those who live on it. The Select or Elite rule our world and care little about anything but their own gain while the masses stand by watching it all fall to pieces before them.

Violence is not the way for change though it is an unfortunate reality in our world. War and violence is a necessary evil at times to keep the balance in our world. Peace, love, understanding and cooperation are the best ways to enact change. Also Truth is a great igniter of change, for knowledge and truth are the building stones for a better world. The fact we all are responsible for this world we live in and we must find better ways to do so. Better ways to generate electricity and an alternative to Oil.

Oil, coal and natural gas will eventually become depleted and the pollution from their use will further damage our environment and also our economy. The world needs to wake up and see the wisdom in both renewable fuel sources and power sources like solar wind and hydro. Our children and grandchildren have to live in this world we leave them, so we should try to leave them with a Ecofriendly and wiser world. The fact that eventually oil sources will become scarce and depleted brings to light we need to have an alternative fuel source to avoid possible wars over the dwindling supply.

There is so much we need to change in the world and in the way we both view and live in it. It is going to take the effort of governments, businesses and the civilian  population to make the changes needed to get our world on the right track. There will have to be some sacrifices in the process but so many benefits will be found along the way. Nothing of great value is ever gained without hard work and sacrifice, Neither does any good deed done go without an award in the end. Even if our labor and sacrifices don’t bring forth fruit until several generations it will still be worth the effort.

The good thing about truth, love, peace, understanding and change is that they all can start in one person.  Just like one seed can grow a orchard if not a forest  , one persons voice can become a nations or even the worlds in time.

Well enough of my tree hugging ramblings for now.
Peace to all

Raymond Barbier

Doing the Right Thing.


Bokeh meditation

Doing a good deed or action with no thought of any reward is truly the most humble and holiest of acts one can produce. To do something with no desire for reward and for the good of someone or something else is the true path to inner peace and happiness. The thing is no matter if you desire reward for and action there is always the satisfaction of doing what is right. That feeling of satisfaction to me is far more precious and important than any monetary or material gain.

The thing is the satisfaction you feel is a mirror of the happiness and peace you brought to the one you selflessly  helped out. Even if the one you helped seems unappreciative it still doesn’t rob you of the goodness you shared nor the satisfaction of a good deed done well. The only way you are robed of the satisfaction is if you focus on the lack of appreciation above the fact and truth you did what was good and or right.

Another good thing about helping out others is you seem to look at your own problems and trials in life to be less important if not less severe than you once had. You also realize that you are not the only one with problems. To do what is right because it is right, is the most honorable and humane thing to do.

Well enough of my Babbling for now.
Peace to All
R. Barbier