My Arrow

Rumi crossed my path this morning to remind me about the push and pull of wanting something elusive.  He said,

"A man searching for spirit-treasure

cannot find it, so he is praying.

A voice inside says, You were given

the intuition to shoot an arrow

and then to dig where it landed,

but you shot with all your archery skill.

You were told to draw the bow

with only a fraction of your ability.

What you are looking for

is nearer than the big vein

on your neck. Let the arrow drop.

Do not exhaust yourself

like the philosophers who strain to shoot

the high arcs of their thought-arrows.

The more skill you use,

the farther you will be

from what your deepest love wants."

Random Thoughts and Inspirations

I had a head-slapping moment of "oh yes, me too" reading Lisa's Doorways Traveler blog this morning about being "true, transparent, real and human".  Everything she said was me and what a sense of comfort to know there is someone else in the world who can put words to my experience.  I urge you to go and read it for yourself, it is poetry and her photos are stunning and it made me feel as if everything was going to turn out alright after all.

Then I turned to the Queen of Arts blog and found an excerpt from Mary Oliver's, "When Death Comes" and felt completely gob-smacked.

You see, yesterday I experienced a little miracle and all of a sudden I feel like I am walking on a different planet Earth.

What I am acutely aware of today is that I have line-dried sheets

and a beautiful turquoise bathroom with white, white shower curtains.

I have friends who listen and iced tea that is golden in the sun.

I don't feel silly when I laugh at hearing women's breasts called "ta-tas".

I recently came home with a full moon drum

and had my first Skype conversation with my friend Kate, who helped me iron out my audio (or lack thereof).

Where I live, backyard composting means I put this in my bin

and provide tasty breakfasts, lunches and suppers for these guys

and I'm OK with that.

More often than not I feel a lot like Popeye - I yam who I yam.

and this is my world.

Wordless Wednesday

Pinkie & Peewee, a long awaited dream realized.

Time

I was recently gifted two books that have a common thread despite their different subject matter.

I took my time going through Donald Altman's, "One Minute Mindfulness" which, synchronistically came to me about the same time that Lisa Wilson started her own weekly mindfulness exercises and invited everyone to come along.  Mr. Altman's book offers 50 simple, short exercises that are easy to incorporate into your day each really only taking one minute or less.  From eating and walking to interactions with people, he suggests subtle shifts in our way of looking at and experiencing ourselves, encouraging us to let go of much, including our expectations.

From Chapter 26, he says, "  ...strive to let go of your expectations about the way people should act.  Instead of getting frustrated, accept that all individuals are imperfect and subject to ignorance, confusion, and delusion.  Then give as much as you feel capable of giving from your heart, without demanding anything in return."

Sweet, n'est-ce pas?  And he offers this form of prayer in transitioning from work to home: "With each unfolding minute upon entering my home, may I discharge negative emotions.  May I cultivate patience.  May I wisely transition in order to bring love, understanding, and tranquility into my home".

And on creativity, which was like a big 'oh yes', to me he says, "Creativity flourishes in an atmosphere of support and enthusiasm...most importantly, be your own creative best friend...call upon patience and faith to be your creative friends too."

Which lets me segue neatly into the second book, "Creating Time," by Marney K. Makridakis.

Not having, finding or making "the time" has been my biggest bugaboo about my personal work since I became a mother.  There just doesn't seem to be enough of my time to go around and I fall into that common category of failing to put myself first.  Ms. Makridakis' book is full of exercises to help you find and make the time for your own creativity.  What she calls ARTsignments, she inspires us to use the concept of time by exploring themes such as Creating Time through Gratitude (one of my favourites), Creating Time through Metaphor, Creating Time through Stillness, and I can't forget to mention starting each chapter off with a haiku, echoing the natural simplicity of some of her subjects.  With beautiful artwork on just about every page and quotes from some of my favourite sources of inspiration like SARK and Terri St. Cloud, I am appreciative for receiving this gift.

Wordless Wednesday

Oh, who am I kidding - me, wordless?  A shot of the "Super Moon" taken from the rental car window, 36 hours after its peak over the mountains in Arizona.

My new point and shoot 

arrived just in time for my next adventure - a weekend retreat with Penelope Smith at her place in Arizona.  Stay tuned for more....