Editor’s Note: Peter Blyth is a retired, thirty year veteran policeman, whose primary beat was a neighborhood call Wick in Great Britain. Only this week he finished the “What One Person Can Do” program and for a month he has returned to his old police “beat” to continue work in supporting people in creating lives of value and purpose. Using his own money to fund the beginning of the project for things like room and board, The Boothby Institute has contributed to his training.
The work on the Wick project has been going very well, and I have confidence that deep changes will take place within the people involved. There have been positive changes already; one resident and family have taken on board a change of reaction attitude towards conflict on the estate, which resulted in calm, peace within the family home, and also a lack of retaliation violence from the two sides of conflict.
At first the person mentioned felt weak after reacting to bad behaviour towards them in a good way, but slowly the person is beginning to realize that it creates peace within the self and therefore peace on the outside world.
The son of the person has also taken this on board, as have visitors to the house, in so much as he has with a little assistance actively started to search for a garage to carry out self employed car valeting. All that was needed was a confidence boost to know how to ask for something, in this case for work.
The family involved are also subject to an anti social behaviour order, but due to a question over evidence they will challenge the order and possibly have it removed, this is also a breakthrough in their behaviour as they can talk to the authorities without conflict, even though bad attitude is obvious from the authorities side, the family are starting to realize that, that attitude is within the individual police officer or council official and not within them. The more they know themselves to be full of power and loving kindness, the more it works for them.
The family has started to restrict who they mix with and allow in the family home, and this creates a place of peace. They also react with the powerful hand instead of shouting at each other and with a further intervention in the near future – I am sure they will find loving kindness within themselves.
Another family has also started to develop the kindness to each other and reactions to their children just being children, have started to soften, less shouting and screaming, and less cowering from the children.
One person who has been actively committing crime is now starting to look within himself and is willing and happy to communicate, whereas before no one except his father could talk to him and we shall assist each other to strengthen this bond.
All-in-all, the only resistance has been from the authorities for funding and support, but I can understand their point of view as this is a totally new concept for them in the UK and they handle public money.
I will keep you all updated as I work within this community and I thank you for your continued support, especially The Boothby Institute.
You can contribute to Peter by making a contribution to The Boothby Institute earmarked for The Wick Project.
