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the money tree - part 2
Published on 2011-12-18 09:42:00
So did you look at the Money Tree video from last week? Did you guess what would happen? I was totally surprised. For me this experiment is an interesting take on our state of mindfulness...especially around what we are tell ourselves we want more of. Given all the information and stimulation out there, I don't expect myself to notice everything. Impossible. I would however have thought that something different - and something I want more of (like art, like money hanging from a tree) - would [..] > read more
the money tree - part I
Published on 2011-12-10 15:10:00
If you walked by a money tree ... what would you do?Amy decided to find out. She hung bills in a small city tree along a busy sidewalk...and then filmed what transpired.What do you think happened? Myself...I imagined people would respond with delight, maybe call their friends to come see, take a few (perhaps take a lot). But really, in my heart of hearts, I thought what would happen is that some people would end up adding their own money to the tree and a recurring cycle would begin. I did not e [..] > read more
home sweet home
Published on 2011-12-02 16:36:00
I know, I know it's been way too long between posts. Not sure why... I certainly haven't forgotten.All I can suggest is that the past two months have taken way more out of me than I'd acknowledged to myself. Or because I'm trying too hard to write the 'perfect' post that aligns with what has been going on for me. Maybe too much has been going on.The past few months have been a real life experience of rolling with the punches (change, the unexpected, disappointments) while simultaneously appre [..] > read more
simple pleasures
Published on 2011-10-18 14:21:00
Creativity to the rescue.A few weeks ago, in a spontaneous moment, I started a game with my 9 year old friend. I am staying with her and her Mom while I am temporarily ousted from my home. (Nice friends eh!?)With a number of women in this household an abundance of toilet paper rolls and tissue boxes tends to accumulate. I decided to do a spontaneous sculpture one day with these items. A few days later my young friend re-arranged things to create her own work of art. And we've been playing back [..] > read more
this too shall pass
Published on 2011-10-11 22:44:00
Dare I say it?Given all my talk about, my belief in, authenticity, I have to. I have officially hit the "I'm-tired-of-handling-it" phase.That's where I am.That's all I can be right now.This too shall pass. > read more
midstream reflection of a renovation
Published on 2011-09-29 12:41:00
Planned or not, renovations sure present an interesting metaphor with which to perceive and work through our own internal journey of change or transition.Discovery:what's really going on below? Clearing the Decks:getting ready for the work to be done. Letting Go:cleaning out what is no longer useful ...and keeping what is. Midstream Reflection: taking time to notice where I have landed. Appreciation (it's still standing...and so am I). Anticipating the next step which will bring different m [..] > read more
another layer
Published on 2011-09-21 10:24:00
The sound of my typing blends with the sound of my floor being ripped up.What a journey the past two weeks have been! Though there are still many unknown's and a number of fears, I am feeling better - compared to Monday. Monday the worker didn't show up. Monday I couldn't get a hold of him to find out why. Monday all the stress came crashing down on my head and weighed very heavy. How could I have been so proud of myself regarding how I was handling things and now suddenly I find it all too muc [..] > read more
both farmer and field
Published on 2011-09-08 17:56:00
I just learned that I have to completely redo my floor insulation...yup, the whole floor, the one upon which I eat, work, visit, sleep, live. The one upon which all my belongings currently sit. The one upon which all the walls rest.It appears that the clay upon which the barn sits has led to condensation build up, which has given way to wet insulation, which has begun to compromise the wood frame. Any way you look at it...chaos and a huge expense has descended! No easy answers here.What surprise [..] > read more
tender moments and empathy
Published on 2011-07-29 11:13:00
Sometimes two days is all that it takes.When it's with a dear friend, when it involves a canoe and camping, when the weather and every other detail is perfect, when there is space and time for conversations, for swims in the nude, for song...and then another song. I just experienced such a blissful couple of days. It included deep listening and sharing too. In the slow flow of our time together we found ourselves opening, revealing, touching deep desires as well as the places that are tender. Pl [..] > read more
the novel of novels
Published on 2011-07-14 12:39:00
I'm reading novels again. It is an absolute joy to be returning to this simple pleasure. Especially while gently rocking in the hammock, feeling the light breeze, occasionally glancing out at the treesI gave up the habit a long time ago when I noticed I couldn't put novels down to attend to the other things in my life. Played a lot of Russian Roulette. I began to reserve fictional reading to holiday time...and before long that dwindled too. For the past few months, perhaps stimulated by my sh [..] > read more
roller coasters and rock walls
Published on 2011-06-23 17:02:00
My beautiful rock wall, built by a friend, draped in flox given as gifts, held together by weeds and wild flowers...a metaphor for life ? Despite beautiful weather day after day, despite the luscious rain last night that gave the gardens a deep > read more
why is it so hard?
Published on 2011-05-31 20:50:00
I truly mean to write weekly.I often have snippets in my head as I'm driving or walking or day dreaming. I notice provocative quotes that take me down a particular path and I wonder what others would take from it. I drink in the lush greens that > read more
a package deal
Published on 2011-05-11 10:41:00
The last few weeks I've noticed that, along with the daffodils and the bright green shoots on the trees, I too feel like I'm coming alive again. I see it reflected in my energy level, my day timer, and the number of community adventures I'm embarking > read more
body mind connections
Published on 2011-04-15 12:09:00
How goes the dancing? Did you try the experiment I suggested? I did and loved what it moved inside me.I chose to dance to Melissa Etheridge "Your Little Secret" album to help me shake out my feelings. I haven't listened to her in a long time so it wa > read more
dancing the journey
Published on 2011-04-03 10:20:00
I just saw the creative spiral image on The Fertile Unknown site. Ah the stimulation of a visual. It prompted this musing:"The experiential learning cycle...shows up everywhere with different names. I love spirals - a pictorial representation of our > read more
forgiveness
Published on 2011-03-16 15:16:00
Lately I've been reading about forgiveness...and the mirror concept is here too. What I notice in someone else is often a reflection of what is also a part of me. When I feel disgust, anger, disappointment or even rage at another person's beh > read more
turning point stories
Published on 2011-03-09 23:21:00
The other day I gave a team I was working with the exercise of bringing in an artifact that represented a turning point in their life. I thought that would be a good warm up to our discussion on our response to change.On the day of the retreat just a > read more
appreciated, warts and all
Published on 2011-02-24 17:10:00
I've just returned from Tucson where my brother Mike and niece Jessica and I laughed and cried our way through the process of saying good bye to my brother Peter. In some ways it also felt like I was saying 'hello'.Through the actions and stories of > read more
wake up calls
Published on 2011-02-06 16:58:00
I lost a favourite earring again.Spent a good part of the evening berating myself. Why don't I use those little keepers on the end of the hook to avoid this loss? What stops me? Is it laziness, one more step I simply can't be bothered with? Do I real > read more
glass half what?
Published on 2011-01-21 13:47:00
While writing my morning pages the other day a familiar metaphor surfaced. Are you a glass half full or half empty kind of person? Remember that one? I discovered I was 'seeing' it (actually more like feeling it) from a totally different perspective. > read more
acceptance
Published on 2011-01-12 20:56:00
My Mom has always had the softest hands in the world despite having been a cleaning lady a good chunk of her adult life. She always said it was her consistent application of hand cream. The other day I brought her some and put a dab on her hands. A s > read more
identity crisis
Published on 2011-01-05 20:51:00
It's not been a terrible few weeks...but neither have I felt my usual vigor and excitement about life. I suppose holiday periods are expected to be a bit off when relationships and traditions change. I find myself caught in the desire to be grat > read more
sustaning a change: check-ins
Published on 2010-12-08 14:20:00
Some teams tell me they experience a sense of hope and clarity after a retreat or facilitated meeting...and unfortunately that that hope dies quickly once everyone returns to the day to day operations of their work.Following through on our comm > read more
hurdle one
Published on 2010-12-01 19:43:00
Well I have finally begun the process of setting up this recording equipment I bought. Just opening the box and facing the computer was the first hurdle. Many hours later...I don't seem too far ahead. Lights are on but no idea how to get the sound to > read more
procrastination offerings
Published on 2010-11-24 11:49:00
I understand and have come to appreciate to some extent my procrastination tendencies around writing. I have learned to accept that "Procrastination's" purpose is to help me clarify who I'm writing for, ponder what I want to say and define what the b > read more
the paradox of vulnerability
Published on 2010-11-17 10:17:00
Most of us don't like uncertainty. We do a lot to try to make things 'certain', attempting to gain some control over a particular outcome, relationship, or habit. Living with uncertainty seems to conjure up fears - I'm vulnerable, this isn't sa > read more
back bends
Published on 2010-11-10 15:19:00
Last Sunday I experienced - consciously - the power of my own thoughts and the role of support.Our yoga instructor had us doing a back bend with the support of a partner. We were to hold onto their ankles as we pushed our pelvis up to the sky and the > read more
elephants on the table
Published on 2010-11-03 13:19:00
Last week I spent two days with a management team where I witnessed strength, vulnerability and incredible courage. Proverbial elephants were put on the table and real conversations about how to work better together ensued.It's easy to believe that i > read more
new beginning
Published on 2010-10-27 06:46:00
I've been carrying this poem by John O'Donohue with me for the past few weeks. I thought that you might find inspiration or comfort in these words as well. For a New BeginningIn out of the way places of the heart.Where your thoughts never think to wa > read more