And do we listen to the still small voice? July 2023 The definition of the word listen from American-Heritage Dictionary via Google (because everything is via Google): 1) To make an effort to hear something. 2) To pay attention; heed. 3) To give close attention with the purpose of hearing; to give ear; to hearken; to attend. So listening is not just hearing. How many things do you hear (and subsequently block out) in a day? In a week? In a year? The Still Small Voice is not the TV news, the book club pick, or your Instagram and Facebook…
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“You should smile more!” & the relief of grey days June 2023 Leaving the woods after my walks, I am always jarred stepping back on the road and into “civilization.” I’ve had access to these woods for years but only found out/had the courage to explore about 4 years ago. And even though I have easy free access to them, I still don’t go back there as much as I want. Which is silly. Because there is never a bad walk in the woods. There is always a good walk in the woods. Why am I not stacking the deck…
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What an elementary school project taught me about life… June 2023 From The Enchanted Life, Sharon Blackie… “The messages are clear: sometimes, you have to step off the path you are so determinedly striding along and learn a few more skills. And learn them properly – through your own lived experience, not experience copied from others; and by continuing to learn for however long is necessary, from someone who really knows. These stories tell us that sometimes it’s okay to feel that you’re not progressing, because, as we’ve already seen, the myth of progress is another of those profoundly pernicious…
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There is this myth out there (and I’ve probably helped perpetuate it at times, I’m sorry.) June 2023 The myth is that listening and acting on your Still Small Voice will solve everything and it will all be easy. HAH! Usually, listening and acting on your Still Small voice causes frustration, sadness, anger, chaos, disruption and all around panic. (Aren’t you so excited now? Can’t wait?) We live in such times that it is easy to be buried in and overwhelmed by choices and ideas that we never consciously chose. Trying to be conscious can be by itself an overwhelming…
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December 2023 There has been much more talk and coverage about mental health, emotional health, “it’s okay to not be okay” than ever before. And yet, it still seems to be only the mild “unacceptable” emotions that have been accepted – sadness, depression, “not feeling okay.” I have yet to see a campaign showing anger, grief and despair being acceptable – though these are perfectly acceptable, healthy and sane emotions for anyone living here on planet Earth. I am always amused (ironically amused) that emotions heighten and get more insistent (ie: harder to hide) the closer we get to the…
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What you look for you find right? December 2023 All of a sudden, I’m listening to and reading all about visibility. Mostly the fears behind it, what we want it to look like, what it ACTUALLY looks like and the desire to essentially NOT be visible in the world. We want to go about living our lives and NOT partake in the crazy that usually comes out while living those said lives.. It usually goes something like this: If we are visible -> we get not so nice comments and not so nice people. To deal with it (or decide…
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December 2023 It’s the weird space after Christmas and between New Years. I used to work during this time. It was actually my busiest time of year since no one else wanted to work. This is the second year I’ve been off during this week’s holiday. And it is a LOT of space. I find myself discombobulated. I have plans, things to do, and I’m still “working” (on my own things.) It’s this weird space of “do all the things you can’t normally do while you are working FT” and “it’s a vacation not using your PTO days – make…
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And the sometimes not so positive consequences December 2023 “When we have the courage to let go of the dream we have now – the dream and drive and trance to accumulate more – then we have the space to envision and create the new dream, a dream that sees us engaged in respecting, preserving, honoring what we have.” – The Soul of Money Lynne Twist I am baffled that within 3 years EVERYTHING has gone back to the way it was in 2019. It’s like 2020 and 2021 never happened. Am I the only one that has whiplash? Am…
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This is a random post from my archives. Written in 2016 but still relevant today. Scarily relevant actually. With some updated tweaks of course. November 2023 In the midst of the decorating, cooking, cleaning and prepping for the holidays, in true marketing fashion, it’s also the time to figure out… “What amazing things (Lose weight! Get organized! Get your finances in order! Pay off debt!) What are YOU going to do in the new year?!” OR “Who do you want to BE this year?” (That wonderful “don’t think you have to DO anything” just decide to work on yourself and…
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(and why how we think and talk about it all matters) November 2023 Today is Thanksgiving day in the United States and I’m still ambivalent and frustrated…So today’s post comes from my pent up frustration and anger at the stories we tell ourselves that don’t serve us or the people around us. If the words “I am” are so important…(and they are) Why are we putting them before jobs, before roles, before hobbies, before things we prefer, when all of that can disappear in a heartbeat? We know that “I am” is so much bigger, so much larger and encompasses…