Listen

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RENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDAN UTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PA ITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LO ANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOP ATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AW AUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRU E GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY RENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDAN UTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PA ITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LO ANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOP ATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AW AUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRU E GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY RENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDAN UTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PA ITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LO ANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOP ATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AW AUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRU E GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY RENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDAN UTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PA ITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LO ANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOP ATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AW AUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRU E GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY RENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDAN UTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PA ITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LO ANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOP ATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AW AUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY COMPASSION PATIENCE HOPE PEACE GRATITUDE TRU E GRATITUDE TRUTH ABUNDANCE FREEDOM LOVE BEAUTY JOY AWARENESS SIMPLICITY

Listen

Oifig an Tanaiste Office of the Tanaiste

Ms Fiona Ni Flaolain Newpark Comprehensive Newtown Park Avenue Blackrock Co Dublin

14th 11ovember 2013

----------------------------

-- --

-- - - - - -

Dear Ms Ni Fhaolain , Thank you for sending me on a copy of 'Listen' which I was delighted to receive a copy of and have enjoyed browsing. I note from the foreword that you , your five colleagues and the wider school community have invested over two years of your time and energy into the publication . You must be rightly proud of the final product, a truly inspirational and touching collection of artwork and written thoughts, but also so proud of the process. I fully agree with you th at time shou!d be given during the school day, in everyone's day really, to take time bat to consider the deeper questions. That is often lost sight of and I commend you on taking the lead on carving time out for the Newpark School Community to do so. I will treasure the gift, thank you. Warmest wishes,

Eamon Gilmore TD Tanaiste and Leader of the Labour Party

Tithe an Ri altais, Sraid Mhui rfean Uachtarach, Baile Atha Cliath 2. Government Buildings, Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2. Email : eamon.gi lmore@tanaiste.gov. ie D0

f)- _()Arna phriomiiil ar ph:iipt!ar athchU~ilte

'CJ <:J

Printed on recycled paper

11 November 2013

Fiona Nf Fheolain Newtownpark Avenue Blackrock Co.Dublin

Dear Fiona, I want to thank you and the school for the beautiful book "Listen" which you recently sent to me. have had the opportunity to read it and I have found it really beautiful and inspiring. I am sure it was a great experience to be involved with, very innovative, and I can see a lot of work went into it from all those who contributed to it. It really is just wonderful. I am wondering if it is for sale? I would love to purchase two more copies of it. Thanks again to you and the school for the lovely thought.

Kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy The Sanctuary

The Sanctuary, Stanhope Street, Dublin 7. Tel: 016705419 Fax: 01 672 8086 Email : enquiries@sanctuary.ie Website: www.sanctuary.ie Directors: Sheila Caulfield , Stephen Gallagher, Mary Jennings, Stanislaus Kennedy. Patricia Leahy, Paula Duffy, Richard Mulcahy (Chairperson), Sile Wall , Barbara Whelan Charity registered number 13076, Co registration number 289733

Fiona
Ní
Fhaoláin
 Newpark
Comprehensive
 Scoil
Chuimsitheach
Na
Páirce
Nua
 Newtown
Park
Avenue
 Blackrock
 Co.
Dublin
 
 Telephone:
012883724
/
2883541
 Fax:
01
2782478
 Email:
office@newparkschool.ie
 
 www.newparkschool.ie

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ©
All
rights
reserved.
No
portion
of
this
publication
may
be
reproduced
or
used
in
any
manner
without
the
written
permission
of
Fiona
Ní
Fhaolain.

2

A
Thousand
Thanks
to
All

3

4

Foreword

I
work
as
a
mainstream
teacher
in
Newpark
Comprehensive.
It
often
crosses
my
mind
that
that
there
is
something
lacking
in
our
educational
system
about
how
we
care
for
 ourselves
and
each
other
and
what
it
is
that
connects
us
all
globally.
Sometimes
I
feel
we
are
racing
to
get
things
done
for
the
‘Points
System’
and
miss
out
on
what
is
really
 important
in
the
bigger
scheme
of
things.
We
talk
about
peace
‐
but
not
about
the
peace
inside
us
or
how
to
get
to
that
peaceful
place.
Sometimes
it’s
only
when
we
are
 troubled
and
disheartened
that
we
are
instantly
aware
of
the
importance
of
compassion
and
humanity.
In
2010
I
thought
about
what
we
could
do
quietly
in
the
classroom
 and
felt
that
it
would
be
possible
to
create
a
space
for
people
to
express
their
feelings
on
global
themes
that
connect
us
universally
on
all
levels.
 
 I
chose
twelve
themes
and
initially
asked
five
colleagues
for
support
to
solidify
the
idea
and
the
thinking
behind
it.
Although
feeling
vulnerable,
I
launched
the
idea
 as
best
I
could
at
a
whole
staff
meeting.
Simple
guidelines
were
given
to
staff
about
how
to
get
involved
and
why
we
were
doing
it.
I
invited
teachers
to
join
in
by
giving
 over
some
of
their
class
time
to
work
with
students
on
this.
We
began
in
January
2011.
Very
large
posters
of
the
twelve
themes
were
posted
up
around
the
school
to
get
us
 in
the
mood
which
created
a
buzz
of
curiosity
and
interest.
We
invited
everyone
–
staff,
students
and
parents
‐
to
get
involved.
Teachers
who
were
interested
facilitated
in
 class
by
providing
time
and
space
for
discussion,
reflection
and
meditation
as
well
as
for
responding
creatively
through
the
arts.
 
 As
it
was
the
first
time
we
had
set
out
to
express
our
feelings
about
Freedom,
Love,
Beauty,
Joy
and
so
on
in
the
classroom,
it
was
indeed
a
special
time
where
 people
spoke
from
the
heart
about
what
really
mattered
to
them
at
that
moment.
In
those
moments
you
could
feel
the
struggle
and
sincerity
of
the
effort
to
express
these
 feelings.
There
was
something
precious
and
meaningful
about
that
time.
Some
participants
shared
their
thoughts
and
feelings,
others
just
listened
or
contributed
written
 or
visual
responses
either
during
the
class
or
in
their
own
time.
Some
groups
responded
to
the
themes
by
performing
music.
Others
talked
about
songs
that
expressed
the
 themes
which
caused
instant
response,
excitement
and
fun.
Many
brought
their
chosen
music
in
to
share
with
others.

 
 We
 found
 that
 some
 themes
 resonated
 more
 than
 others
 with
 students
 and
 many
 found
 it
 difficult
 to
 understand
 the
 deeper
 meaning
 of
 Abundance
 and
 Awareness.
Zest
for
Life
and
Hope
were
themes
students
felt
had
to
be
added
on.

We
gathered
all
the
written
submissions
and
images.
Collecting
the
data
was
quick,
but
 editing
and
putting
it
together
in
order
of
importance
to
the
students
took
a
lot
longer.
The
co‐ordinating
group
had
lots
of
discussions
about
how
to
go
forwards.
We
went
 in
a
different
direction
with
animation
videos
of
the
images,
text
and
music
which
we
showed
to
students
and
staff.
Between
the
jigs
and
the
reels
however,
we
finally
came
 back
to
the
original
idea
of
a
book:
something
you
can
pick
up,
hold
and
browse
through
at
any
time.
Along
the
way
there
has
been
input
from
many
people
with
many
 different
skills
and
talents.
 
 This
initiative
was
an
opportunity
for
our
school
to
take
stock
of
what
really
matters
at
the
end
of
the
day.
We
chose
to
deliberately
stop
and
create
a
space
to
 share
our
feelings
and
thoughts
on
global
and
universal
themes.
We
had
never
done
this
before.
It
was
an
invitation
to
everyone
to
come
together
and
share,
listen
and
 touch
each
other’s
hearts.
From
the
beginning
we
explained
that
it
was
not
an
academic,
competitive
or
migrainous
venture
and
that
it
would
not
be
used
to
make
money
 or
market
the
school.
 It
was
a
 new
 experience
for
us
all.
The
venture
had
an
uplifting
effect
in
our
school
 community
and
naturally
created
good
feeling
as
 words
 and
 thoughts
are
vibrational
in
nature.
We
had
a
lot
of
laughs
and
fun
about
it
all.
Also,
as
we
do
not
often
use
words
like
love,
passion
and
abundance
in
our
daily
work,
it
was
 new
for
staff
as
well.

 
 I
feel
it
is
very
beneficial
to
make
time
in
our
school
system
to
allow
young
people
to
express
their
feelings
on
how
we
care
about
ourselves,
each
other
and
the
 planet
in
a
kind,
gentle
and
loving
way.
In
schools
we
tend
to
search
for
answers
outside
ourselves,
but
the
answers
to
life’s
truly
important
questions
like
Who
am
I?
and
 What
is
 my
life’s
purpose?
 can
only
 be
 found
 by
going
 inside
and
connecting
with
our
 inner
selves.
 Meditation
 and
mindfulness
are
 life
tools
with
infinite
 benefits.
 We
 could
do
with
this
being
at
the
heart
of
what
we
do
in
schools.
We
are
ready
for
this
and
we
deserve
it.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Fiona
Ní
Fhaoláin,
May
2013

5

There
is
a
voice
that
doesn’t
use
words.
Listen.
 ‐
Rumi

6

Contents Freedom................................................................................................................................9 Love ....................................................................................................................................31 Beauty .............................................................................................................................. 47 Joy ..................................................................................................................................... 65 Awareness.........................................................................................................................77 Simplicity.........................................................................................................................85 Compassion .......................................................................................................................93 Patience............................................................................................................................. 97 Hope..................................................................................................................................105 Peace.................................................................................................................................109 Gratitude .........................................................................................................................121 Truth ............................................................................................................................... 125 Abundance ......................................................................................................................130

7

8

FREEDOM

9

Soaring through the air with joy in your heart. When you are free from something that someone forces you to do. If you could see freedom, it would look like a dove flying away.

Freedom would taste like chocolate, feel like silk; it would be white.

10

11

Free flowing energy. Freedom feels like an open gate. Open your wings and fly.

Music is my freedom. Freedom would feel like hay and sound like whishsh. Freedom tastes like strawberries, smells like fresh air, looks like the sea. I would be very grateful if I had freedom.

12

13

Freedom and peace both depend on each other to show their full power.

14

15

Zest for life is a virtue. Try new things every day: we need to get out there and develop our zest for life and that will bring joy for years to come. To have vitality for life is to be energetic in your life and appreciate all the small things that may seem insignificant in life. To have vitality in life is when you enjoy every single aspect of life and everything that it is. If I was to add another word I would add energy. To me it is an excellent quality to have positive energy and a positive outlook on everything. If you have positive energy you are happy and free and content. It is important to be yourself and for me energy is the key to life.

16

17

When you are happy or with someone you love you can push all that away and feel free and live completely in the moment. Pictures of my family, friends and pets, a comfortable place, loads of bean bags and cushions, through the windows and doors a lovely beach.

18

19

On holidays, lying in the grass sipping a cold drink, the sun is setting but the warmth of the day remains. Albatross by Fleetwood Mac is playing nearby - the laziest song in the world. There is nothing I have to do and nowhere I have to be. I feel so warm and relaxed and comfortable. I am completely free. I opened the door and there it was: the fresh breeze on my face. Little speckles of water from the waterfall drop on my feet. I pick something up: it’s baby blue with green spots randomly placed. I drop it and six legs came out and it scatters away. Everything was so beautiful but weird - it was amazing. I’ve never seen so many random colours in one place. In the sky the clouds were pink and the grass was not green but purple. There were things looking like cats but they were red with only two legs. Up in the sky what looked like a fly was a red and yellow bird. I love this place but I knew I had to go.

20

21

Everyone should have the right to be free and live their life to the fullest. Someone skydiving from a planet really high up. You need to be free to reach all others. Freedom is in yourself. Even if you cannot control your circumstances you can have freedom in your mind.

22

23

Everyone should have the freedom to make choices and mistakes.

24

25

To be free from bad things. Everyone has freedom - but you have to know how to find it. Freedom means you have the right to live your life the way you want to, with responsibilities.

26

27

Passion is life: without it we are nothing. Love, beauty, freedom, truth – it all comes back to passion.

28

29

30

LOVE

31

Without love you would be lost. The sound of a butterfly. Love would feel soft and gentle, taste of lust. Someone kissing or holding hands.

A flower, because when it blooms love is there. A place full of everyone I know.

Love is happiness. Love is when your heart pounds fast. Like bundles of smiles.

32

33

Amor es cuando una persona ama a la otra, es un sentimiento que te entra al coraz贸n. En la vida hay diferentes tipos de amor como el amor para tu familia tu mam谩 y tu papa el otro amor por nos mejores amigos que te ayaudan en cualquier cosa. El amor es una palabra de Dios para que las personas se lo digan a las otras para que se pongan contenta.

34

35

Tattered teddy bear

a child drags it everywhere lifelong companion.

Love is very special and it is always important to know that you are loved - no matter what. No-one can be themselves without love. Love is powerful - it can change a person. I see love everywhere.

My favourite things are football and rugby - scoring a goal, winning a try! My pet is there when I come home from school, home from training, home from everywhere. Love is something strong: a rock that is hard to break ... but it can be broken‌

36

37

Love forms a person: you need love. If you have love for everything around you, you’ll get love back and everything else will fit into place. Buster: When I go home from school he gets so excited that he jumps up on the couch to get as close to me as possible.

38

39

Why are you waiting? Take my hand and run away I love you, you know. It’s just like heaven. Feel your body close to mine: dancing with you now. Love is like a river. It can kill and save someone. It is so powerful.

40

41

Love is when you get this amazing feeling. It makes you feel you are on top of the world. Nothing can stop you - love makes you so tingly. I love a great game of football: it’s the best in the world. The galaxy is massive with a billion stars so high. The love you have for your family or for your loved ones: when I think of love I think of family and someone who I love, someone who is close to me. I love love songs! The new mother smiles down at her new baby girl eyes shining stars.

42

43

A child hugs his bear. A man adores his woman. Love is all around. Love hasn’t and will not grow old: the most important aspect of life. Love is sunshine and rain. The reason to live and to die. If you have love for everything around you’ll get love back and everything else will fit into place.

44

45

46

BEAUTY

47

Beauty is a strong word.

48

49

Beauty would taste like honey. It would feel soft, warm and cosy. A family together laughing. Blue and bright purple. It would sound like waves crashing. Beauty is a light that never ceases to shine: I love beauty.

50

51

Beauty is within, but people take advantage: beauty is abused. The warm sunset like a warm sunset glows, like a candle flickering in a room at night.

52

53

Beauty would smell like roses; the air on a summer’s day in the morning. Freshly cut grass. A harp playing. Candy floss!

54

55

When I opened the door I saw the most beautiful landscape. It was dark and the moonlight was shining a purple glow on everything. The ground felt velvety and really soft like marshmallows. There were many trees all glowing with flowers like those things on a stem that you blow to make a wish and all float up. It was nice and calm and there was a cool breeze blowing. I sat under a tree and just looked at anything and everything. I saw there was no noise it was just really peaceful. It smelt like vanilla candles. I picked up a small mushroom that was glowing and glistening, it felt really soft and gentle. I decided that I’d come back when I wanted to and when I was in need of relaxation. I closed the door and locked it, put the key in my pocket and walked away.

56

57

Beauty’s a piece of art that someone will love some day, it will make you smile. Beauty on the inside as well as the out.

58

59

I walk through the door. I feel it gets warmer straight away but there is a cool breeze which is very relaxing. I look all around me and there is a meadow with horses and monkeys and all sorts of different types of animals. There is a massive lake with rocks all around so if you wanted you could jump in off the rocks. There is a waterfall running straight into the lake and there are rocks around the waterfall. I decide to climb up the rocks and I am sitting at the very top of the waterfall watching it gush down the lake. I feel little drips of water splash on my face as I lie down. I take in deep breaths and it smells like the air on a fresh summer’s morning. There are hot springs beside the lake and they feel just like Jacuzzis. There are forests just past the meadows and in there I can hear all sorts of different animals and just beyond the forest are mountains that go up past the clouds. I feel very warm so without knowing what I’m doing I get up and dive down the waterfall. As I hit the water if feels ice cold, but in a good way. It feels so refreshing and I feel so clean - like the water is cleaning my body and skin.

60

61

An Angel from heaven. Beauty is the way people want to be. The way I look at my self. It’s the sunset in the morning.

62

63

I am on a long beach, with golden sand and mountains living all around. I am very warm and when my bare feet touch the water it cools and I feel more relaxed. And when I pick the stone out of the water it is cool and really smooth.

64

65

66

JOY

67

Even when there is something bad in the world there is always joy and happiness. The realization of what you have brings great happiness.

68

69

It’s endless amount of fun - like scoring a goal. Joy gives you motivation for yourself and those around you.

70

71

Woo hoo, jump for joy! Joy brings happiness, woo hoo! Happiness brings joy! Being with a friend or family.

72

73

Be aware of everyone around you and the environment.

Live your life. Enjoy every day: make the most of it and cherish every moment.

74

75

76

AWARENESS

77

Most bad things happen because people aren’t fully aware of what they are doing and the impact it is having. If everyone is aware of the precise minute impact they have, then people would treat each other better.

78

79

If there was more awareness in the world we would be able to do more to help people in need. There would not be as much discrimination. We should be more aware about people in poorer countries like Haiti and other Third World countries. Awareness is the key to our behaviour, emotions and understanding.

80

81

Be aware of everyone around you and the environment. We need to be aware that there is enough food in the world but that does not mean that everyone has some. No matter how bad things get for us there is always someone worse off. A good self awareness has a positive vibe.

82

83

84

SIMPLICITY

85

Tax man taken all my dough and left me in my stately home lazing on a sunny afternoon I can’t even sell my yacht he’s taken all I’ve got all except this sunny afternoon all except a sunny afternoon. -The Kinks Even a simple smile can make a huge difference. Chips and Domino’s - simplicity at its best better than anything.

86

87

It’s the simple things, like a comfortable bed, that make up a life‌ I saw a forest full of leaves. A bag of chips and a chicken burger.

88

89

We forget about the simplicity in life and we let ourselves overcomplicate things and we also forget how simple the truth is and how the truth makes life easier. We need to remember that life isn’t complicated. It is also connected to freedom: when you are free life is simple, and everything is simple and clear when we are free within ourselves. The simplest answer is usually the best one. We should always keep things as straight forward and basic as possible. If we do that everything in life will soon become nice and simple.

90

91

92

COMPASSION

93

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean: if a few drops of the ocean are dirty the ocean does not become dirty. Compassion is everywhere.

94

95

Compassion can bring incredible creativity. Compassion would be white if it was a colour for a symbol it would be a unicorn’s horn it would smell like chocolate sauce it would sound like the sea it would feel like soft sponge it would taste like Turkish delight. Peace and love won’t die. They make the world a better place – it starts with you.

96

97

98

PATIENCE

99

I believe patience is a good characteristic. It's important in life because if you are impatient, you not only put stress on yourself, but stress on others. To be patient is to be kind to people. To be patient is to be calm. I think patience is the most important one. I think so because if we had more patience in the world there wouldn’t be so much greed and people wouldn’t want wars to take things over. They would just wait for it to happen. A patient mother waits as her child takes its first steps footprints on her heart. A person has to work hard for it, but a minute of perfection was worth it. Patience is worth it: except for the doctor. Then you can be scared!

100

101

Not to rush. Wait.

Taking your time out to think. We should always have patience to wait for things. For me patience is a very important thing in life. To have the quality of patience is a very good thing. I believe that rushing things and people turns out to have bad results. It is important to sit back and relax and let the world flow by. When you relax and you are patient the world is a better place.

102

103

104

HOPE

105

The road that is built on hope is more pleasant to the traveller than the road built in despair, even though they both lead to the same destination. -Marian Zimmer Bradley

106

107

The colour of hope would be snow white. It would feel like a butterfly’s feathers. Its symbol would be a pearl. Hope would feel like a velvet cloud but not too soft. It would be the colour purple.

108

109

110

PEACE

111

You need peace for happiness. Peace is good - it makes everyone happy. Please don’t look back: the world has had some tough times. Time for a fresh start. The sun rays tickle my face like feathers as I rest on the warm sand.

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Peace is when there’s no fighting, no rude words and no talking. When you are calm and you are alone, you’re peaceful. If you pray you have peace and if it’s silent in your class it is peaceful.

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Peace is wonderful

sitting on a sunrise beach alone and waiting.

If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change. -Michael Jackson I think that whatever the colour of your skin, your race or your background we should all be treated equally.

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Peace rarely feels present for more than five minutes, it’s a difficult thing to find a sense of peace within but there are brief moments when we find it – it’s special. All any one person can do is spread the Love and spread the Peace. Support is one theme I would add, we all need support.

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GRATITUDE

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Being appreciative of others. Thanks by a thousand - it shows you really care you did a good thing. It’s good to be grateful for the things you have. A lily. I was in a room. The word gratitude was right in front of me. It was really big. I was walking past the word and I stood on something. It felt very small. I looked down and it was a tiny flower made of gold. I picked the flower and started to walk around the other side. On the other side I saw a door. On the door was a place where a golden flower sat. The door clicked open. I went inside - it was like another world. There were lots and lots of flowers all around me. The realization of what you have gives a sense of happiness.

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TRUTH

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Truth makes everything clear, has no wrong. Tell the truth and you’ll be fine. Being truthful means you are a good person and you will live a good life. Everyone should be true to themselves and believe that they can do anything. We should always be honest with everyone and yourself, so people know how you feel about things. When the truth is hard to handle, everything around you feels like it’s hard. To be truthful is to be good and when you are good it’s the most comforting thing in the world.

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Sometimes we do not answer truth when it calls us - it’s nice when we do. Truth is important: be honest whenever you can. Don’t lie, tell the truth. Truth is a soft, relaxing place with a waterfall. It is covered in a pale blue and baby pink cosy, soft cushions all over the ground. Without truth it makes living hard and unpleasant. If people are true with each other it makes life easier. If you are not true to yourself then who are you? To be happy you have to be true to yourself.

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ABUNDANCE

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I came that they may have life and have it abundantly, Jesus said. There is abundance of love, compassion, simplicity, beauty, freedom, honesty, truth and all others. -St John 10:10

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Life is abundant it’s freely given to all and we cherish it. Abundance blossoms its elegant petals spread enough to go round.

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When I open the door with the silver key, a warm breeze rushed over and almost knocked me off my feet. The place I saw was magical. I stepped in, breathing in the fresh air. The first thing I saw was a huge waterfall, the water was leaving into a big crystal lake. I was standing on a beach, I looked around and spotted a large blue flower on the ground. I picked it up and looked at it in the topaz lake. Then I took off my sandals and jumped in, still in my clothes. I could see to the bottom - it was perfectly clear. I swam across the lake to the waterfall. I was careful not to swim into the current. I climbed up to the right of the waterfall, sat down and took it all in. It’s warm all around me. I can see greens, blues purples and pinks. It’s beautiful in a very ugly way - everything is leafy and alive. There is a big, long path. I’m at the end I can see my way home.

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www.newparkschool.ie

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