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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Peace Begins With Me

Nov 28, 2022 08:20PM ● By Joe Dunne

Last month I wrote about peace on earth, spreading that message around and believing each message shared matters. 

It got me thinking once again about peace. Merriam-webster.com defines peace as a feeling of being safe or protected. Seems to me that is the short version and misses the mark of a much deeper desire. “Safe and protected” made me think of my goal as a parent, especially the early formative years when children need it the most even if they can’t express it. 

But I’m off point. Let’s get back to peace, specifically inner peace. Seems everyone is interested in it but what is this evasive thing identified as inner peace? Is it a feeling, a wave of emotion, an energy that overcomes us? Or is it something that simply fills our souls? Can I work to get to this state of peace? Does it change us? If so, in what way? Does it last, transform our personality, is it attainable? Are there principles I need to live by to help myself and get to this shared goal of many? 

I have learned that my quality of life is in direct proportion to my thinking. This is something I really believe in. I also love “If you believe you can or you believe you can’t,” as stated by Henry Ford, “you’re both right.”  

As I ponder my 78 years of living and my experience in pursuing peace of mind I can state this:  there seems to be a direct link to slowing down, acceptance, forgiveness, positive thinking, seeing the good, living in gratitude, meditation, and staying focused on the pursuit of purpose. 

Finding peace of mind for me is exactly that—cleansing my mind of the negative, judge no one (always a work in process), no blame, no resentments, live guilt free, be honest, know your motives, do the right thing. And let go of what you can’t control. Let your god, spirit, your faith take over. So much of the noise that interferes with inner peace is a waste of energy and time. Who I want to be is in direct proportion to knowing what I want, working for that goal through adjusting my attitude and thinking. Most important is never giving up on the reward. 

With peace, love and laughter,

Joe & Asta Dunne

 

In-Print December 2022
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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