day 43 - uniqueness

"Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!" 

- Dr Seuss

No two origami models are ever exactly the same. No two lives are either. Uniqueness is something we don't have to earn — we already are it.

In real life, elephants are known to have individual memories, character, and presence; each one is recognized and remembered by their herd.

In the context of nonviolence, uniqueness invites us to honor the irreproducible nature of each being — each story, each history, each environment, and each situation.

This little elephant reminds me that being different is not a flaw; it's the whole art.

Today I'm practicing uniqueness by celebrating all handmade objects as delightfully one-of-a-kind.

Elephant by Jo Nakashima

day 42 - accountability

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” 

- John Muir

I think of accountability as a practice.

My choices don’t live in isolation — they live within relationships, systems, ecosystems, communities, continents, the world.

I feel like a better global citizen and steward of my environment when I choose reclaimed paper for folding.

These stacked masu boxes also nest, interconnected — each one precious and unique, despite being made from atlas paper that was discarded, unwanted, obsolete — the collection forming something greater than the sum of it's parts.

Today I’m practicing accountability by owning what I bring to the work.

day 41 - openness

"There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." 

- Leonard Cohen

Openness isn't the absence of boundaries; it's the presence of room to breathe. 

This structure literally holds its shape by leaving space. 

Folded by my origami teacher more than 25 years ago, this woven cube is still letting light in - on the benefits of cultural exchange, learning through experience, the joy of folding, and expanding attitudes and possibilities.

Today I'm practicing openness by remembering that a strong form can still be open.

day 40 - unity

"Unity in Diversity" 

- A phrase popularized by Jawaharlal Nehru, and inspired by the ancient wisdom of the Rig Veda

Unity doesn’t have to mean sameness.

In many societies—and in many moments of daily life—people belong to one whole while carrying different traditions, viewpoints, and histories. Diversity doesn’t weaken unity; often, it enriches it.

I’m usually a bit timid when it comes to aesthetic risks. I tend to choose familiar color combinations and make sure everything neatly “matches.”

But when I took a chance and folded this modular box using four different patterned papers, I was surprised and delighted by the result. The colors settled into harmony, creating a charming patchwork effect.

Today I’m practicing unity by celebrating the many parts of my life that come together in harmony—despite their differences, and sometimes because of them.

Modular Box Design by Tomoko Fuse

day 39 - dialogue

"Every little thing wants to be loved." 

- Sue Monk, The Secret Life of Bees

Dialogue is one of nonviolence's quieter tools: listening, responding, and letting ourselves be changed by what we hear.

Origami teaches me this. 

I can't force the paper without damaging it. I have to work with its grain, its thickness, its size. Each crease is a kind of proposal. The paper answers by holding, resisting, reshaping.

That's a conversation. 

Folding feels like that. It's a practice of shaping without coercion. Of staying curious about what this material - or this person - can become. 

Nonviolent communication isn't about winning. It's about tending the space between us - like a small field where many little things can land, hover, and be heard.

Today I'm practicing dialogue by working with different papers and attending to how they respond.

Origami Bee: Designed by Leyla Torres of Origami Spirit, based on an Origami Fly by Angel Ecija

day 38 - kindness

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” 

- Dalai Lama

This is one of the reasons I return again and again to origami as a contemplative art.

It shows me that kindness can come in many forms —even when all you have to start with is something small: a piece of paper and a willingness to try.

Paper is almost always within reach. A receipt, a scrap, a square from a notebook. 

Possibility is everywhere.

When the folds are challenging, I remember that someone, somewhere, was kind enough to lay out the path so that others could follow. Each diagram is an act of kindness, given from the heart.

And from those simple folds — all sorts of possibilities:

• A heart folded for a friend.
• A little frog to amuse an impatient child.
• A flower left behind as a thank-you.
• A shape that bridges language when words feel far away.

This double-layer heart reminds me that kindness, too, has layers. There is the kindness we receive, the kindness we learn, and the kindness we choose to pass along.

Today I’m practicing kindness. It doesn’t need perfect timing or special materials. Because kindness — like a piece of paper — is almost always within reach.

day 37 - graciousness

"Your graciousness is what carries you. It isn't how old you are, how beautiful you are, or how short your skirt is. What it is, is what comes out of your heart. If you are gracious, you have won the game." 

- Stevie Nicks

Graciousness shows up most obviously in how I respond when things don't go as planned. 

But it's not just about perfection, it's also about timing. About knowing when to speak, when to listen, and when to pause. 

This bookmark, made from old sheet music, reminds me that even silence has a place in the score. A rest is not for nothing. It's part of the music. 

Today I'm practicing graciousness by resting when I'm tempted to react.