"It was only a sunny smile,

and little it cost in the giving,

But like morning light 

It scattered the night

and made the day worth living."

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Cheers

Jeanne

Language

 “I remember the words of Bill Tall Bull, a Cheyenne elder. As a young person, I spoke to him with a heavy heart, lamenting that I had no native language with which to speak to the plants and the places that I love. “They love to hear the old language,” he said, “it’s true.” “But,” he said, with fingers on his lips, “You don’t have to speak it here.” “If you speak it here,” he said, patting his chest, “They will hear you.”

Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

Thoughts: 

There is a language our hearts know

that is heard in a world we can only know when we let go of what we think we know

Letting go - April 18th

“Success does not lie in sticking to things. It lies in picking the right thing to stick to and quitting the rest.”

Annie Duke, Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away

Thoughts:

The decision is the difficult part. It seems that the more I focus on what I am giving up the more I want to keep it. If I have to make a decision about giving up something I love, or think is something I should do, or something that will take me in the direction of my dreams, because to keep going is no longer is wise, it feels like I'm giving up on a part of me and that not having or doing whatever it was will leave an empty, unfillable space inside. But the more decisions I make to moderate or eliminate things that I'm clinging to because of the fear of what letting go will mean to my life the more focus I can give to where I'm going and how to be who I want to be.

“In large part, we are what we do, and our identity is closely connected with whatever we’re focused on, including our careers, relationships, projects, and hobbies. When we quit any of those things, we have to deal with the prospect of quitting part of our identity. And that is painful.”

Annie Duke, Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away 

The Creative Act - April 4th & 11th 2024

 

April 4th quote

"Discipline and freedom seem like opposites. In reality they are partners. 

Discipline is not a lack of freedom, it is a harmonious relationship with time."

From: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin 

April 11th quote

"Listening opens possibilities. It allows you to see a bigger world. Many of our beliefs were learned before we had a choice in what we were taught. Some of them might go back generations and may no longer apply. Some many never have applied.

Listening, then, is not just awareness. It is freedom from accepted limitations."

Rick Rubin from The Creative Act: A Way of Being

Shy

 

Warrior March 14th

  "A warrior is not a person that carries a gun. The biggest war you ever go through is right between your own ears. It's in your mind. We're all going through a war in our mind, and we have to callous our mind to fight that war and to win that war."

David Goggins
Author of: "Can't Hurt Me" and "Never Finished"

Puff

 

Astronaut View - March 21st

 “My optimism and confidence come not from feeling I'm luckier than other mortals, and they sure don't come from visualizing victory. They're the result of a lifetime spent visualizing defeat and figuring out how to prevent it.

Like most astronauts, I'm pretty sure that I can deal with what life throws at me because I've thought about what to do if things go wrong, as well as right. That's the power of negative thinking.”
Chris Hadfield, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

Feeling Love

 

Complexity March 28th

 "Sometimes, I am also identified as a civil rights leader or a human rights activist. I would also like to be thought of as a complex, three-dimensional, flesh-and-blood human being with a rich storehouse of experiences, much like everyone else, yet unique in my own way, much like everyone else."

Coretta Scott King

Thoughts:
We are all complex and unique in our own ways, and every one of us would like to be seen that way and respected for it.

... and if we can't understand someone else and what they do and say, we could try to remember that they, as we, are a product of experience

And if we listen, we may learn something that will help us understand

... and if we don't listen, we will maintain our ignorance

"One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say."
Bryant H. McGill

"The belief that one's own view of reality is the only reality is the most dangerous of all delusions."
Paul Watzlawick

Modify, modify, modify - February 15th

 "The only thing that permits human beings to collaborate with one another in a truly open-ended way is their willingness to have their beliefs modified by new facts. Only openness to evidence and argument will secure a common world for us."

Sam Harris

Shark attacks - Feb 22nd

 “If you see lots of shark attacks in the news, you think, 'Gosh, sharks are out of control.' What you should think is 'Gosh, the news loves to cover shark attacks.”

David McRaney, You Are Not So Smart

“The more pessimistic your explanatory style, the easier it is to slip into learned helplessness.”
David McRaney, You Are Not So Smart

Extraordinary Generosity- February 29th

 “The forest itself is part of much larger cycles, the building of soil and migration of species and circulation of oceans. The source of clean air and pure water and good food. There is a necessary wisdom in the give-and-take of nature—its quiet agreements and search for balance. There is an extraordinary generosity.”

Suzanne Simard, Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest

Thoughts: How beautiful is Extraordinary Generosity

Self Esteem - March 7th

 "There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness, and generosity"

Nathaniel Branden

Thoughts: to cultivate self-esteem is an act of generosity to ourselves and others. When we accept that we are deserving of our own respect and kindness we can give and receive with acceptance and grace.

Grace recognizes that it is an act of generosity to receive with gratitude as much as it is to give without expecting gratitude. A state where cultivating self-esteem is what allows us to be selfless in the most natural way. 

"Self-esteem is a powerful force within each of us... Self-esteem is the experience that we are appropriate to life and to the requirements of life."
Nathaniel Branden

Note: this musing was inspired by my friend Davee. An inspiring, generous and kind soul whom I respect! Thank you Davee for the gift of this time at Sun Peaks. 

January 4th 2024 - Including Booklist

"A person is a point of view. Every person you meet is a creative artist who takes the events of life and, over time, creates a very personal way of seeing the world."

David Brooks from his book: How to Know a Person

Thoughts: How could this not be so?? We can only interpret what we see from our own experience, what we are taught, what we put our attention on, what we observe and what we read. I think one of the biggest impacts to expanding our point of view comes from reading; reading anything that is beyond our experience and exposes us to other peoples experiences and perspectives.

Reading always seemed to me to be a leisure activity. In 2024 I am going to rewrite this 66 year old perspective and make reading a priority activity!

"People don't see the world with their eyes; they see it with their entire life."

"Each person actively constructs their own perception of reality."

David Brooks

I found this booklist of "Books everyone should read at least once" (from Katie Couric Wake-Up Call newsletter)

I've read about a quarter of the books on it already and agree with them being on this list so I'm adding the entire list to the bookclub books and random recommended reads from friends and other sources.

I do plan to do other things occasionally, but I am looking forward to changing my perspective

1. Heartwood: The art of living with the End in Mind by Barbara Becker

2. The Beauty of Dusk: On Vision Lost and Found by Frank Bruni

3. All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 

4. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou 

5. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

6. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

7. Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres

8. After This: When Life is Over, Where do we Go? By Claire Bidwell Smith

9. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

10. We Should Not be Friends: The Story of a Friendship by Will Schwalbe

11. The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams

12. Still Life by Sarah Winman 

13. Walden by Henry David Thoreau (Tried to read once but didn't get too far...)

14. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

15. Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O'Keeffe by Dawn Tripp 

16. Waking up White: Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving

17. The Mother of All Dilemmas: Dreams of Motherhood and the Internship that Changed Everything by Kathleen Guthrie Woods

18. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Read this, now reading Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe to find out more about how the opioid crisis came about)

19. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

20. Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction by David Sheff

21. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle (listened to this book on cd Walkman while pruning orchards about 20 years ago, over and over again. Maybe I will plan a long drive just to listen to it again) 

22. Option B: Facing Adversity: Building Resilience and Finding Joy, by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant

23. Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus 

24. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

25. The Lincoln Highway By Amor Towles

26. Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

27. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

28. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

29. Finding Me by Viola Davis

30. The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

31. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

32. The Push by Ashley Audrain

33. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

34. First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety by Sarah Wilson

35. The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivey League by Jeff Hobbs

36.Women Talking by Miriam Toews

37. Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski, Ph.D.

Peace, Health and New Worlds to all

Jeanne

Reacting - Jan 18th 2024

 "Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future."

Deepak Chopra 

Pooh wisdom - Jan 25th 2024

"If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear."

Winnie the Pooh 

Do what's hard - Feb 9th,2024

 

“The most practical skill in life is learning to do things when you don’t feel like doing them. Anyone can do it when it’s easy, but most people drop out the minute it gets hard. The key to life – Do what is hard, not what is easy; with passion, too, not begrudgingly.”

Shane Parrish

Resilience

 "Acceptance doesn't mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there's got to be a way through it."

Michael J. Fox

"A hero is someone who, in spite of weakness, doubt or not always knowing the answers, goes ahead and overcomes anyway."
Christopher Reeve

Thoughts: Resilience doesn't start with knowing where its going, it just starts, one small action begins the journey.

Creativity - Jan 11 2024

 "Creativity doesn't wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones."

Bruce Garrabrandt (a self taught artist who began with no talent for drawing-  his words)

Thoughts: 

Yay!! The big picture is not so important when we start a project. One little line may seem ordinary by itself, but compounded little lines can become Big Pictures:-)

And if we can accept there is no judgement over what is 'perfect', anything we put effort into can be rewarding, even if we never finish it (thinking of the many projects I have left in various stages)

I watch my grandson building blocks and it always starts with one. And it is always 'perfect' until the crash. And then he laughs and starts over... a lesson for living.

"Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought."
Albert Einstein

"Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity."
Charles Mingus ( an American jazz upright bassist, composer, bandleader, pianist, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians)

Just start - December 8th 2022

 "You have exactly one life in which to do everything you'll ever do. Act accordingly."

Colin Wright

Thoughts today: 

the closer I get to 65 the more frequently I think about the temporality of me in this life. Lying awake last night I had a fleeting visit from an older me, wondering why I was wasting so much time. Minutes will never come back, each breath is the only one, the next will be another one. Looking for something to distract my thoughts I scrolled through Youtube lists of sleepy time music, Tibetan bells, meditations, until, randomly, a Ted Talk by Mel Robbins: "How to stop screwing yourself" drew me in.

Chief message takeaway:

"Start before you’re ready. Don’t prepare, begin!"

Mel Robbins

Cheers

Jeanne

Fleas - December 15th 2022

 "Exploring the unknown requires tolerating uncertainty." Professor Brian Greene, Physicist

“Sometimes attaining the deepest familiarity with a question is our best substitute for actually having the answer.”
Brian Greene, The Elegant Universe

“The overarching lesson that has emerged from scientific inquiry over the last century is that human experience is often a misleading guide to the true nature of reality.”
Brian Greene, The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality

The storm today must have addled my brains. Is it Thursday?

Beyond the ice covered trees and the wind and the rain is a universe full of questions. Is there anything else that matters in time? Tonight it is easy to believe that our petty squabbles and greed are as puny as a flea bite on an elephant.

Cheers

Jeanne

Where to start - December 29th 2022

"Every habit and faculty is formed or strengthened by the corresponding act – walking makes you walk better, running makes you a better runner. If you want to be literate, read, if you want to be a painter, paint…So if you like doing something, do it regularly; if you don’t like doing something, make a habit of doing something different."

Epictetus

"Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start."
Nido Qubein

I wish you all the Best for 2023!

Cheers

Jeanne

Spiritual Exercises - Dec 22nd 2022

 "The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises."

Leo Buscaglia

May your Christmas and the New Year overflow with Spiritual Exercises!

Cheers

Jeanne

Messy - January 5th 2023

 "Don't use all-or-nothing thinking. Take each day as its own day, and don't worry about it if you mess up one day. The most important thing you can do is just get back up on the horse."

Henry Cloud

Thoughts:

I didn't expect to be sending a message about messing up this early in the new year. I'm trying to let go of my desire to do everything right and focus on getting back up and remembering what I did so as to not make the same mess again. What I know is the messes happen when I don't know what I'm doing and it seems to be the way I learn to do things so I guess the good part is I'm doing things. Happy learning 2023 

Cheers Jeanne

“You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” 

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata

Radiate - December 1st 2022

"You walk into the world you make
You lose yourself but you find your way"

Jack Johnson from the song Radiate

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service of others.”
Mahatma Gandhi

“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems.”  Mahatma Gandhi

Radiate 

You walk into the world you make

You lose yourself but you find your way
I'm gonna watch you
Radiate

We turn so slow I know it's hard to wait
Take your time, sun is yours to take
I'm gonna watch you
Radiate

These rocks they hold heat
Pools of water cool your feet
As you walk you believe
Every part of the dream

I see you lost in what you create
All of time in this one single day
You take it in and you
Radiate

Follow your hands as they build
As they shape, as they follow your mind
And rose like a wave
Take it and you radiate
Radiate, gonna watch you radiate, radiate

These rocks they hold heat
Pools of water cool your feet
As you walk you believe
Every part of the dream

Lyrics by Jack Johnson

Willow Being

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

Spoken by Dumbledore from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Author JKRowling

“The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed.”

Dumbledore

“Frodo: I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

My thoughts:

Everything always circles back to our choices. Is today a day like every other day and is every other day the same as today? Of what use is it to wish things were different?? Of what use is it to feel futile??

"Be the Change you want to see in this World"

Matahtma Ghandi

Cheers

Jeanne

Deep Listening - November 3 2022

 “It is only through dialogue, deep listening, and passionate disagreement that we find our way to something larger than a singular and isolated point of view.”

Henry Kimsey-House, Co-Active Leadership: Five Ways to Lead

“deep listening, shared commitment, and empowered learning are critical.”

Henry Kimsey-House, Co-Active Coaching: The proven framework for transformative conversations at work and in life

My thoughts:

I believe you Henry; I KNOW these have to happen to begin to make effective change. But it seems so hard to keep dialogue and listening active.... passionate disagreement, well that's easy

Trees listen deeply, when I get lost, I can look to the trees

Cheers

Jeanne

Water by Margaret Atwood November 10th 2022

 “Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.”

Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad

Not much I can add to Margaret Atwood!

Cheers

Jeanne

I am Old now

 

Zeno Quotes 1 November 17th 2022

 “Well-being is attained little by little, and nevertheless is no little thing itself.”

“Man conquers the world by conquering himself.”

“Nothing is more hostile to a firm grasp on knowledge than self-deception.”
Zeno of Citium

Thoughts from today's quotes:

It is important to define and continually refine specifically what "well-being" means to me before I can attain it, because if it is one thing one day and another thing the next, I will never get there lol. 

It is important to keep bringing myself back to who I want to be to enable myself to conquer myself, and if I can't do it, I'm going to be continually buffeted by what happens to me from the world outside me.

And if I continually fool myself that tomorrow everything will work out without me doing the work on myself today 

then I am a fool.

Cheers

Jeanne

Zeno of Citium is known to be an ancient Hellenistic philosopher from Phoenicia who was the founder of the Stoic school of philosophy around the early third century, BCE. This philosophy was designed to shape the human spirit so that it becomes resilient, happy, virtuous, and wise, as a consequence of which they evolve into better individuals possessing great strength of mind and soul. Stoicism and its principles equip human beings to wade through the otherwise ugly and most challenging river of life with a composed mind and a calm heart. It is believed that Zeno’s teachings had a major influence in paving the way for the evolution of Christianity.

Blithering Idiot - Oct 20th 2022

 "In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you." 

Buddha

"If it is important to you you will find a way. If not, you'll find an excuse."

Anonymous

My thoughts today: I am struggling with a responsibility I  voluntarily undertook that is turning me into someone I do not want to be. 

(Recently I watched a scene between Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau and Commissioner Dreyfuss on Youtube and thought GAK!!  - I'm turning into Commissioner Dreyfuss 

Alternatively I find myself singing Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire

I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down
And the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire, the ring of fire

You might say I am allowing myself to get sucked into some weird vortex of darkness

None of this sounds like living gently... Sometimes Buddha just got it wrong (I think) 

And I don't seem to be letting go gracefully cause I'm still in this...

And somehow I haven't found an excuse that will allow me to wake up in the morning without feeling I've not given it my best try... I know I know, we learn from failure and it is important to know when to fold the cards...

Sadly I am not there yet.

So off I go on this journey, limping, burning, confused, and tired..

Time to stop doing the same things over and over and expecting different results!! (quotes of the past 15 years mingle in my mind)

I have made a couple asks for help in different directions recently and now I have to trust that people are creative, resourceful and whole enough to say no if they are overwhelmed too because I realize my excuse for not asking is that I worry about things beyond my control and also because I didn't have the questions before.

Need to be specific on direction before the questions are specific enough for people to do anything other than be confused about what i'm asking...

Paradox city is where I reside 

There you go folks... today's rant

Cheers

Jeanne

When will we ever learn - March 10th 2022

 “You may conquer an army with superior tactics and men, but you can conquer a nation only by conquering the hearts of the people.”

Jack Weatherford, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

When will we ever learn?

“How differently would we see our time on Earth if we wrote the date as January 26, 4.543 billion?”
Ziya Tong, The Reality Bubble: Blind Spots, Hidden Truths and the Dangerous Illusions that Shape Our World

Cheers

Jeanne

Trails - March 17th 2022

 “May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.”

Edward Abbey

Edward Abbey | Americans Who Tell The Truth

Cheers

Jeanne

Humility rocks! March 24th 2022

 “True will is quiet humility, resilience, and flexibility; the other kind of will is weakness disguised by bluster and ambition. See which lasts longer under the hardest of obstacles.”

Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Adversity to Advantage

My thoughts:

Everywhere I look around I see examples of the best and the worst of what people choose to be. The best give us a reason to believe in humanity and inspire us to become better. Those are real leaders.

Cheers

Jeanne

Choose Hope - March 31st 2022

 “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.”  Christopher Reeve

“In spite of the knowledge that there were many ways in which I could fail, I had taken the first step.”
Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage

Cheers

Jeanne

Prepare for Adversity - April 7th 2022

 “It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

My thoughts; There are many life stories being determined right now under extreme circumstances. We, who are not faced with extremes at this time, have the opportunity to think about how we would like our life story to be, who we want to be and how we would want to react if faced with war and very tough choices. I think about living with integrity and how could I live with myself if I sacrificed that integrity, no matter what alternative was threatened? I hope thinking about this now might help me better know who I am and make future decisions based on that knowledge when faced with a desperate situation.

Cheers

Jeanne

You deserve your love - April 14th 2022

 “Be kind to your body, gentle with your mind and patient with your heart. Stay true to your spirit, cherish your soul and never doubt yourself. You are still becoming, my love, and there is no one more deserving of the nurturing grace of your love.”

Becca Lee

Cheers

Jeanne

Ghost on a lost Highway / Let it be - April 21st 2022

"All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us"

J.R.R.Tolkien

My thoughts: 

We all lose our path sometimes. Our moral and spiritual compass are guideposts  that can steer us in to discover what it is we want to do with our finite time on earth. There are songs for this. I find it comforting to listen to them and know I'm not the only one. 

These are two of the songs:

Let It Be

The Beatles

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be

For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Yeah, there will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Ah, let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be

I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, yeah, let it be
Oh, there will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, yeah, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Ah, let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Songwriters: Lennon John Winston, Mccartney Paul James

For non-commercial use only. 

"It will not break you. Dust yourself off, take a step forward, don't let them see you despair. You are more than a ghost on a lost highway. You are the morning, the river, every breath of fresh air."

Courtney Peppernell

Cheers

Jeanne

Define you to help them - April 28th 2022

 "No one, no relationship, no role, no thing, NOTHING, outside of you defines you. You have to define yourself and then everyone around you reaps the benefit of that"

Julie Horton

Cheers

Jeanne

Cancer to live - May 5th 2022

 "It took cancer to realize that being self–centered is not the way to live. The answer is to try and help others."

Terry Fox

“Courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes it’s the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering ‘I will try again tomorrow’.” 

 Mary Anne Radmacher

Cheers

Jeanne

from here to Impossible - May 12th 2022

 “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” –  Arthur Ashe

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – Francis of Assisi

Not that anything is that easy, choosing the direction can be the hardest...  but what feeling of accomplishment or growth and learning comes from doing the easy things? When we attempt what seems impossible, alchemy has room to make things happen!

Cheers

Jeanne

the Four Agreements - May 19th 2022

 "But it is not what I am saying that is hurting you; it is that you have wounds that I touch by what I have said. You are hurting yourself. There is no way I can take this personally.”

Don Miguel Ruiz

From the book: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

The Four Agreements are

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word.
2. Don't Take Anything Personally.
3. Don't Make Assumptions.
4. Always Do Your Best.

“If you don’t understand something, it is better for you to ask and be clear, instead of making an assumption. The day you stop making assumptions you will communicate cleanly and clearly, free of emotional poison. Without making assumptions your word becomes impeccable.”
Don Miguel Ruiz

Cheers

Jeanne

Spread the light - May 26th 2022

 “There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” 

Edith Wharton

My thoughts:

This past week has been difficult as I heard sad news about two friends who are and always will be bright lights in my life. Two people who inspire and challenge me. Two people who I learned to love, respect and trust through countless moments of shared laughter and tears, through discussions and arguments, through meals, travelling, and living full on adventures. Two different people who exemplified that living is to explore, learn and do new things, to face fear and not hide, to work hard and play hard, to love generously and dance with joy and through pain. Their candles will never dim, no matter how distant. Their light will always be reflecting in my light, growing in my heart and spilling over with all the light it cannot contain and needs to share.

Cheers

Jeanne

"Your heart is where your inner light resides. It is part of every sacred journey to reconnect with your inner light, step into your divinity, spread the light of love before you, return to the essence of love, and inspire others to do the same.”

Molly Friedenfeld