When I woke up this morning, I recall my dream with such a vividness. I am thanking my old boss for encouraging me to continue my education. It's only in my waking state that I realize his words have been with me for years now. I make the decision to send him an email, even though I haven’t talked to him for fifteen years. Like an obsessed old girlfriend, I crawl the internet to find out where he’s working and send off a quick note. Nothing too fancy, just a simple “thank you”. In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have mentioned the dream…he’s probably sharing it with his wife right now asking if he should respond or pretend it landed in the spam folder.
I realize I neglected to share this with my peer coach in our call today. No, instead we were exploring all her progress, even in the midst of some challenges on the extended family front. She is being strong, courageous, and is focusing on what she needs to learn from this experience. I admire her. I need to ensure to tell her this now, and not wait a decade. Note to self.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Pixie Dust
She wore a standard white hospital coat and called my name. As I neared the door, it was only my intuition that caused me to follow. She was two steps ahead and we walked in silence down the hallway and entered the examining room. I was expecting to be instructed to wait for the practitioner, but no. She awkwardly turned and finally introduced herself, “Hello, my name is Sally your nutritionist and your appointment is with me today.” I can assure you...many more awkward moments followed.
Unfortunately, the appointment did not contain much pixie dust. I received the benign advice to eat right and exercise, received another handout with each question...but there wasn't much magic. Ugh. But, it wasn’t just the outcome that left me feeling flat. There was no spadazzle, excitement or even curiosity about who I was or what brought me there today. I knew my family had a history of high cholesterol, but that didn’t seem to matter as she explained I was at the ideal weight for my height within the first five minutes. "Hello, are you even picking up on the fact that I’m in the room, have some feelings or desires I’d like to share?”
Coincidentally, I shared with experience with someone from the group who is exploring her interest in the area of nutrition. She’s been on a quest to get healthy and in the process, has lost quite a bit of weight. (She looks fabulous, by the way!) I couldn’t help but think how different the scenario would have played out with her. Besides having a great presence and sense of humor akin to David Sedaris, she would care...a lot. She’d bring empathy, compassion and passion to this work. And, I'm sure that's exactly what she meant when she said, "I'd want to know how fat they used to be before I'd work with them!"
Regardless of where she lands, there’ll be plenty of pixie dust. So much so, she should probably wear a tutu and carry a wand.
Unfortunately, the appointment did not contain much pixie dust. I received the benign advice to eat right and exercise, received another handout with each question...but there wasn't much magic. Ugh. But, it wasn’t just the outcome that left me feeling flat. There was no spadazzle, excitement or even curiosity about who I was or what brought me there today. I knew my family had a history of high cholesterol, but that didn’t seem to matter as she explained I was at the ideal weight for my height within the first five minutes. "Hello, are you even picking up on the fact that I’m in the room, have some feelings or desires I’d like to share?”
Coincidentally, I shared with experience with someone from the group who is exploring her interest in the area of nutrition. She’s been on a quest to get healthy and in the process, has lost quite a bit of weight. (She looks fabulous, by the way!) I couldn’t help but think how different the scenario would have played out with her. Besides having a great presence and sense of humor akin to David Sedaris, she would care...a lot. She’d bring empathy, compassion and passion to this work. And, I'm sure that's exactly what she meant when she said, "I'd want to know how fat they used to be before I'd work with them!"
Regardless of where she lands, there’ll be plenty of pixie dust. So much so, she should probably wear a tutu and carry a wand.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Magical Thinking
Why didn’t we do this exercise earlier?
It’s only been a week and I could write a list as long as my left leg of all the coincidences, synchronicities, and answers I’ve received regarding my business direction and what part, if any, spirituality would play in my work. And, there are a few in the group who are also on a roll. So much so, I have now officially dubbed this our month of magical thinking.
This is a familiar place for me – I’ve been here before. It reminds me of a time a few years ago when I was committed to my practice of mediation, was thinking more right-brained, and loving how everything was just falling into place. I expected it. This period lasted about two years, and it’s when the thoughts of this book first came to mind.
Actually, it started before that with a poignant moment when I was very young. During a chance meeting a physic declared a book would one day change my life. Now, whether you believe in the clairvoyant is not the point. What is important was the thirst for books I developed over the years based on this speculation. I read an endless array of books on every subject matter imaginable. As I’d open to the first page I was always met by an old friend who’d cry out in childlike wonderment, “Is this the one?”
Then one Saturday evening about four years ago I sat down with self-indulgent plan to settle into another good book when those familiar words popped into my head. But, this time the response shocked me. Instead of that familiar questioning voice, I heard myself saying something foreign to my ears. With steadfast conviction I proclaimed, “No, silly - you’re not going to read a book. You’re going to write a book!” To this day, I’m still not sure if I said this out loud. Even though I had no idea how to write a book or where the inspiration would come from, I knew this was true.
This was the same voice I heard yesterday when I asked the divine intelligence to show itself again. This time, it said, “come closer.”
It’s only been a week and I could write a list as long as my left leg of all the coincidences, synchronicities, and answers I’ve received regarding my business direction and what part, if any, spirituality would play in my work. And, there are a few in the group who are also on a roll. So much so, I have now officially dubbed this our month of magical thinking.
This is a familiar place for me – I’ve been here before. It reminds me of a time a few years ago when I was committed to my practice of mediation, was thinking more right-brained, and loving how everything was just falling into place. I expected it. This period lasted about two years, and it’s when the thoughts of this book first came to mind.
Actually, it started before that with a poignant moment when I was very young. During a chance meeting a physic declared a book would one day change my life. Now, whether you believe in the clairvoyant is not the point. What is important was the thirst for books I developed over the years based on this speculation. I read an endless array of books on every subject matter imaginable. As I’d open to the first page I was always met by an old friend who’d cry out in childlike wonderment, “Is this the one?”
Then one Saturday evening about four years ago I sat down with self-indulgent plan to settle into another good book when those familiar words popped into my head. But, this time the response shocked me. Instead of that familiar questioning voice, I heard myself saying something foreign to my ears. With steadfast conviction I proclaimed, “No, silly - you’re not going to read a book. You’re going to write a book!” To this day, I’m still not sure if I said this out loud. Even though I had no idea how to write a book or where the inspiration would come from, I knew this was true.
This was the same voice I heard yesterday when I asked the divine intelligence to show itself again. This time, it said, “come closer.”
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Synchronicity at Work
Have you ever decided to buy a certain type of car and then…you see them everywhere you go...…and, in exactly the same color you swooned over when you saw yourself behind the wheel. Or, have you ever asked yourself a question – like should I go to Belize or the Caribbean on vacation…only to receive emails highlighting the right destination, overheard conversations of strangers as they reminisce about Belize or you receive an invitation to join friends in their families’ timeshare in St. Thomas? Have you ever thought about an old friend or wondered…whatever happened to this person...only to have them call you the next day?
Coincidence? I say not.
This is our experiment this month in context to what we are being called to do in our work. Already the sparks are flying. Though our group has barely adjourned 48 hours ago, the signs are coming from the conversations and questions we released into the world. Let me give you a few examples.
One member of our group talked about being called to help educate children about the issue of poverty in developing countries. It was a calling she received over a year ago when she stumbled on a coffee sleeve that held a quote by Jeffrey Sachs that says (I’m paraphrasing) we are the first generation that has the ability to end poverty in our lifetime. As you can imagine, this is a big calling and could dwarf even the mightiest. In fact, she confessed that the task seemed daunting and wondered out loud what her contribution could be to this effort. The reframe from the group was think about what you can do in the moment - in this present moment to take small steps.
The next morning we both received the same quote from Marian Wright Edelman (b. 1939); activist, president and founder Children's Defense Fund in our email. It said, “We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.” When I sent it to her, she said she was already laughing at the irony and was preparing to send it to the group.
But, if you’re still skeptical…let me give you another example. One of our members declared she was going to make a significant career change about two months ago. She wanted to use her creativity and organizational prowess in unique ways. With tons of enthusiasm she created a company that offers organizational services and coaching. However, she wondered out loud if this was really what she was supposed to be doing. Though we don’t yet know the answer, the glowing recommendation on her services from her realtor to her entire network just 24 hours after our meeting was some sort of clue.
I’ve had my clues, as well – an introduction to someone who does both spiritual work and consults with the UN, a foreword in a book I’m reading highlights the same person, and a great conversation with a group member on Tuesday about whether the business world is ready for a conversation on consciousness and awareness in the workforce. That wouldn’t be too surprising, but she missed the session last night. She had no idea of my question nor of my interest in forging new ground. This was her question – not mine. Hmm….
I’m excited about the prospect of good conversations, some introspection, signals from those conspiring on my behalf, and following the clues to what shape my work takes beyond the book. I have a business plan due on the 14th of August, so is it fair to ask the Universe to work FAST?
Coincidence? I say not.
This is our experiment this month in context to what we are being called to do in our work. Already the sparks are flying. Though our group has barely adjourned 48 hours ago, the signs are coming from the conversations and questions we released into the world. Let me give you a few examples.
One member of our group talked about being called to help educate children about the issue of poverty in developing countries. It was a calling she received over a year ago when she stumbled on a coffee sleeve that held a quote by Jeffrey Sachs that says (I’m paraphrasing) we are the first generation that has the ability to end poverty in our lifetime. As you can imagine, this is a big calling and could dwarf even the mightiest. In fact, she confessed that the task seemed daunting and wondered out loud what her contribution could be to this effort. The reframe from the group was think about what you can do in the moment - in this present moment to take small steps.
The next morning we both received the same quote from Marian Wright Edelman (b. 1939); activist, president and founder Children's Defense Fund in our email. It said, “We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.” When I sent it to her, she said she was already laughing at the irony and was preparing to send it to the group.
But, if you’re still skeptical…let me give you another example. One of our members declared she was going to make a significant career change about two months ago. She wanted to use her creativity and organizational prowess in unique ways. With tons of enthusiasm she created a company that offers organizational services and coaching. However, she wondered out loud if this was really what she was supposed to be doing. Though we don’t yet know the answer, the glowing recommendation on her services from her realtor to her entire network just 24 hours after our meeting was some sort of clue.
I’ve had my clues, as well – an introduction to someone who does both spiritual work and consults with the UN, a foreword in a book I’m reading highlights the same person, and a great conversation with a group member on Tuesday about whether the business world is ready for a conversation on consciousness and awareness in the workforce. That wouldn’t be too surprising, but she missed the session last night. She had no idea of my question nor of my interest in forging new ground. This was her question – not mine. Hmm….
I’m excited about the prospect of good conversations, some introspection, signals from those conspiring on my behalf, and following the clues to what shape my work takes beyond the book. I have a business plan due on the 14th of August, so is it fair to ask the Universe to work FAST?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Symbols as Questions
Well, when things don’t work out like you plan – you improvise and pretend you expected it to go that way. That’s what tonight’s session was all about. In some ways, it was the best session we’ve had to date – so flying by the seat of your pants seems to work.
The group did not have a chapter to read before this session due to my writer’s block. As I explained to the group, the topic of purpose seemed to stop me dead in my tracks. Over the month, my thoughts seem to be settling on a brief conversation we had last month when we broached the subject of purpose as a precursor. Over the last month, I’ve concluded that humanity shares a similar purpose – to love, to be loved, and to be authentic to who we are – in a balanced and ecological way. Meaning, it’s good for you, others, the planet…you get the point.
As one person said last month, it is no different than the purpose of a tree. It can’t be anything but a tree… that’s what it is. The tree is a tree, until; the tree meets the needs of others and manifests itself to serve the needs of others. The tree might create shade for a tired traveler, offer a child a place to climb, or become paper. In the same way, our role is to align ourselves with our authentic self, hear our own voice and listen for the needs of humanity. In other words, how can we honor our purpose by paying attention to what we are being called to do – at this very moment?
Tonight we used metaphor to check-in on our progress. Each person was instructed to bring an icon or item that represented their progress and a recurring question that keeps greeting them as we meander through this purposeful journey. The intention of the exercise was to raise the questions so the Universe could support us by giving us answers to our inquiry…it’s just hunch.
A couple of things exude poignancy this evening. The lives of these women have changed and evolved in such delightful ways over the last eight months…in amazing ways…from the person who couldn’t create a clearing in her mind to see her love of spirit, art and creating community coming together, and watching her move into a diligent, yet patient, search for what’s now possible in her mind. Or, the woman who is moving into her birthright to live the life of her choosing by making conscious choices to create and sustain a healthy lifestyle that honors the beautiful person she is – one day at a time; to see her move away from inner conflict and into this place of power and peace. It’s been extraordinary to watch. Or, the person who is being called to – to use her own words, “to thine own self be true”; and seeing her look for ways to put herself first and bring her creative talents and ability to organize to the marketplace. Yet, some realize the need to change jobs as subsided as they focus on rediscovering themselves, taking time to heal, or honor family first.
I bring a book as my icon, Creating an Engaged Church. I have this book in my collection but have no recollection of buying it, yet it sits behind a glass wall in a dresser in my bathroom. I use this to represent my question of spirituality and what part this will play in my work. What I am really being called to do? What is the dissonance I feel telling me and what is stopping me from taking focused action in building my business?
Now that we have our questions, we will look for our own moments of dissonance or congruence, excitement or fear, synchronicity, coincidence, and listen to what our bodies, dreams, and thoughts are trying to tell us about our question.
Over the next 30 days we will be a witness to our own lives and look for answers to what we are being called to do....stay tuned….
The group did not have a chapter to read before this session due to my writer’s block. As I explained to the group, the topic of purpose seemed to stop me dead in my tracks. Over the month, my thoughts seem to be settling on a brief conversation we had last month when we broached the subject of purpose as a precursor. Over the last month, I’ve concluded that humanity shares a similar purpose – to love, to be loved, and to be authentic to who we are – in a balanced and ecological way. Meaning, it’s good for you, others, the planet…you get the point.
As one person said last month, it is no different than the purpose of a tree. It can’t be anything but a tree… that’s what it is. The tree is a tree, until; the tree meets the needs of others and manifests itself to serve the needs of others. The tree might create shade for a tired traveler, offer a child a place to climb, or become paper. In the same way, our role is to align ourselves with our authentic self, hear our own voice and listen for the needs of humanity. In other words, how can we honor our purpose by paying attention to what we are being called to do – at this very moment?
Tonight we used metaphor to check-in on our progress. Each person was instructed to bring an icon or item that represented their progress and a recurring question that keeps greeting them as we meander through this purposeful journey. The intention of the exercise was to raise the questions so the Universe could support us by giving us answers to our inquiry…it’s just hunch.
A couple of things exude poignancy this evening. The lives of these women have changed and evolved in such delightful ways over the last eight months…in amazing ways…from the person who couldn’t create a clearing in her mind to see her love of spirit, art and creating community coming together, and watching her move into a diligent, yet patient, search for what’s now possible in her mind. Or, the woman who is moving into her birthright to live the life of her choosing by making conscious choices to create and sustain a healthy lifestyle that honors the beautiful person she is – one day at a time; to see her move away from inner conflict and into this place of power and peace. It’s been extraordinary to watch. Or, the person who is being called to – to use her own words, “to thine own self be true”; and seeing her look for ways to put herself first and bring her creative talents and ability to organize to the marketplace. Yet, some realize the need to change jobs as subsided as they focus on rediscovering themselves, taking time to heal, or honor family first.
I bring a book as my icon, Creating an Engaged Church. I have this book in my collection but have no recollection of buying it, yet it sits behind a glass wall in a dresser in my bathroom. I use this to represent my question of spirituality and what part this will play in my work. What I am really being called to do? What is the dissonance I feel telling me and what is stopping me from taking focused action in building my business?
Now that we have our questions, we will look for our own moments of dissonance or congruence, excitement or fear, synchronicity, coincidence, and listen to what our bodies, dreams, and thoughts are trying to tell us about our question.
Over the next 30 days we will be a witness to our own lives and look for answers to what we are being called to do....stay tuned….
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
