A creation
Like all others
Profound in nature, yet
Also a false identification
Of a created self
Which is of little help
As we navigate the world, and
Sometimes yelp
With worries and fears,
Which are part of an illusion,
And, yes
Also a mind in confusion, and oh
What an intrusion
Into the peace
We seek
Believe me,
Though
We are not meek, so
Take heart and
Continue to
Seek, and
Know
That all
Just
Is
As it is supposed to be
Because, friend
You are already
Ego free
One, two, three
I see
Flapping their wings
Symmetrically
A unified formation,
Heading towards
Their destination
Bound together
One and all
Whether
Close
Or, rather
Afar
Alas, their
Connection lasts
Through an affiliation,
An unseen web
Of great prostration
To that which is unseen
Yet can be felt
So definitely
A harmony felt
In flight, yes,
And
Everywhere else
A connection true
As
Their collective sense
Of direction
Blew
Away in the wind
Wings outstretched in kind
Tips almost touch
In midair
What a fantastical affair
A flight
Without fanfare
Only ever that which is there
The one, two, three,
Balancing themselves
As they fly through the air
In response to WDYS #59 from Keep it Alive, by Sadje.
Fall when we are raw
And are confused as
The battle near draws
One at a time
Raining down, and
Sometimes, yes,
In frustration
Of a common
Misinterpretation
We all make
As we take stock
Of what’s come before, and
We learn
How to move
Our knowledge
To the fore
Of tomorrow’s new dawn
Recentering our focus
As we are drawn
To the power
Seated
In the Center
Of all that’s come
Before, and, yes for
All that’s in store
For you, me, and everyone
Else, so please
Be patient
With yourself,
Breathe
And know that tears
Are part of everyone’s fears
Alone in your tears
You are not, rather,
Together, we are all
Very dear just as we appear
Well, like many places around the globe, cases in Oregon are approaching an all-time high. Difficult. Yet, it is the current reality. For now.
And, as I wrote about in a previous entry, the time I have to write is less today than it once was. Partly due to work, which continues to expand as we serve more and more people with remote education. Lovely.
Though there was less time, I did write quite a bit of poetry this past week. Even submitted a couple to two other national publications, just for fun! Right, so here’s what that looked like.
Wow, that was fun. Fun to think about, reflect upon, and write. So much Fun. And this coming week?
Well, I am currently working on three more poems, a new entry for the reflection series, the second installment in the leadership series, and a new developmental moment article. And, you all know that as new insights occur, well, those will also be considered and written about. Happens every week.
Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, by Sri Ramana Maharshi
What a powerful book. In fact, it is so powerful, I’ve purchased my own copy, which has arrived, so I can read it again. I also watched a great documentary about Ramana last week, called Arunachala Shiva, The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi, which I highly recommend. And, along the way?
Well, I fell in love with a mountain. Arunachala. My life coach spent 5 years at the Ashram at Arunachala, which I had no idea about until yesterday; and when we talked, we talked about how drawn I am to that mountain. I will find myself there in the future. That is known. The book?
I may have more on that in the future. Now? I am taking it all in, reflecting, and meditating upon it. That’s about it for now.
Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman
An excellent read. About? Yep. I believe the book is about compassion, and humanity’s resiliency. Meaning, whether we are aware of it or not, we know far less than is knowable, and, well, quite frankly, that can be painful.
Yet, inside an awareness that there is much more to know about, than we know, there is also beauty, and a joy that comes from this gift. Both pain and joy are possible. It really depends on which one we choose.
Wait, what?! Yep! WOW. I would just like to say two things. Ready? Good. Here we go.
I appreciate you. I appreciate you liking my work, commenting on posts, and supporting me on a regular basis. We’ve had some excellent engagements and conversations. Know that you are always appreciated. Always.
I also want to thank each of you for the lovely community that has developed, and that I have so graciously been welcomed into. Absolutely wonderful. I am so grateful for all of you. I love reading your work. You are all so inspirational and talented.
This past week, I’ve been very present to connection and communication. Yep, first with the connection and communication I have with myself, and then with everyone else. and then? Yep. The connection and communication I see that everyone else has with everyone else. Does that make sense? Good.
We can in fact call this the connection and communication system, which I’ve also called the relationship system. They are one and the same. It looks like this.
Why am I present to connection and communication this week? Good question.
Mainly because connecting and communicating is harder today. Yet, it is a paradox though. Watch.
Though you may be thinking, well, that doesn’t make sense because technology bridges connection and communication. Yes, this is true. However, what’s often missing is the feeling part.
Let us say that we are also a system made up of the following. Thinking, feeling, speaking, and acting. Well, when you are connecting and communicating almost exclusively through technology, not in-person, the feeling part of connecting and communicating is much harder to manage. It just is. And?
Well, if we are unaware, the connection you have with that person, or people, may become disconnected. Or, rather, less connected. Meaning that connection and communication live along a spectrum, so it’s not connected or disconnected, there are subtle variations.
And, knowing about these variations is important. Sensing them, knowing about them, and then creating contexts to talk about them. Important for our friendships, familial relationships, work relationships, and, well, all relationships. Important.
Alright, before I go, one question.
I wish you a lovely coming week. Please stay healthy and well.
You’re me,
So please let it be
As it is all relative,
So why try to flee
From that which you see
A mirrored reflection
No matter the direction
You take, or upon
Which road your fate may lay
It depends not on the fray
Or the delay which you see,
Only on the scene, which will
Play out as a matter of destiny
Hidden
And yet it’s view plain
For all to see
A matter of course
And miracle to most, so
Celebrate each moment
With a true sense of devotion
For the Host, and
Run if you must, yet
Know that when you run,
You are never alone,
As you are a miracle born
With a purpose all your own
Have a lovely weekend, everyone.
In the article, The Leadership Series Part 1: What is Leadership, and Why is it so Important?, we discussed several leadership characteristics. And, it is these characteristics, which, by the way, are applicable to every aspect of our lives, that we will cover, one at a time, in this new series. Where to start? Let’s see.
Well, let’s start with this past week’s reflections, shall we? Good. Here we go.
Alright, so this past week, I’ve been reflecting a lot upon inspiration. What is inspiration, where does it come from, how can we get more of it, and what do we do if we run out of it. Very important questions. And?
Well, this week I’ve also been reflecting upon the creation of a new series. A series that can encompass a multitude of topics, and, yep, this is it, and inspiration will be the first topic.
Some of these developmental discussions will be longer, and some will be shorter. It will depend.
Alright, for this entry, let’s tackle the first question on inspiration. Ready? Good. Let’s go.
I really do love this topic, as it seems so simple, right? Inspiration, well, it’s all around us. Some people say they find nature inspirational, or other people in their lives, such as their friends and family, or coworkers. And, that is beautiful. Truely. Yet, there is something missing here. Do you know what it is? Hm.
It is the viewpoint. Meaning?
That inspiration does not live outside of you. Nope. It lives inside of you. We look outward and place inspiration onto other things and people, yet that inspiration comes from within. Always has come from within, and always will come from within.
Why does this matter to your development? Good question. Here is one, of many, reasons why.
Well, we know that change is inevitable. It is part of life. Yep. And, when we get clear on the fact that inspiration does not live in the changing world, that, in fact, it can be developed, and maintained, regardless of external circumstances, we become more powerful. Really.
Does that mean that we don’t ever feel down, or stressed, or sad? No, it does not. We are meant to feel all of our emotions; to feel them, know them, and learn how to talk about them.
And, yet, we can still find our inspiration even during the most stressful times. Why? Because even though we may consider a situation stressful, we know that our inspiration is always there. Waiting for us.
Alright, so what can we do to connect, or reconnect, to our own inspiration? I think there is one thing we can all do that will assist in making our connection, or reconnection, to our inspiration stronger. What’s that?
When we create time for ourselves, to be with ourselves, just for ourselves, we get to know ourselves better. And, the more we know ourselves, the more clear on our own inspiration we become. Really.
Next time, then, when things are really hectic, and you are feeling overwhelmed, stop. Stop doing what you are doing, and go for a walk, sit down under a tree and look around, or look up at the beautiful stars in the sky. Stop and just be.
For it is in this space, where your inspiration will find you.
Some call it a weakness,
A true message of bleakness
Or even a partial meekness
And, yet, what the some fail
To witness,
Is the strength of character
Built upon a true fitness
Of Mind
Balancing the worlds
Shadow
With it’s naturally occurring
And prominent hallow
Born over time
Within each of us
Not covered up, rather
Brought to the light of
The senses, and, yes
There are consequences
Of a raw and pure beauty
Never flailing or failing
Only ever unveiling more gifts of awe
For it is these gifts of feeling, and
Seeing, always ever believing
In that which is there
A true revealing
Of a most precious healing
Which begins
With each of of us, and thus
A natural trust develops
From within you, me, and,
Well, everyone of us, which
Some may call compensative
Surely not pensative, and
Yet my friend,
I simply call it part of being, having,
And holding a life that is sensitive
When we are fixed
In place
Without a trace
Of imagination
or contemplation
The consideration
Of more
Isn’t something
We really explore
Rigid and timid
Become more
Than happenstance
As we close ourselves
To the very truth
Of our existence
Which is more
Than we can possible implore
Ourselves to know, yet
When we are flexible
And bendable
Like a green sapling
We let go of our grappling
For more,
As we begin to explore
The more we implore
Ourselves to know,
Which is a becoming
Of something already there,
Done without any fanfare
Only our Source of prayer
As we become
That which
We’ve always already known
An uncovering
Of Truth, and
A sublime recovering
Of that which
We’ve always been becoming
Sometimes we borrow
From tomorrow
To forget our sorrow
Covered up
And forgotten,
Unlike something
Begotten
Yet, what we miss, and
Let us not be remiss
Is the joy that comes
When we stop borrowing
From the morrow
To cover up our sorrow
Facing it instead
Is the only real way
To live
A life filled with peace and love
Instead of dread
Let the tears come,
I say
As we face things
We once ran from
In the end,
Running
Never really gets you far,
As the sorrow buried deep inside
Of you, is, yes,
A part of you,
And is also looking for
Release
From the cage
Full of bars, which
We created
under different stars
It’s now time to play, so
Release the sorrow friend,
And welcome
The dawn of a new day
Filled with peace and love
Awaiting your caress,
Yet first
We must face our sorrow,
By always paying back what we borrow
They come,
And sometimes
We run away
Looking for a bright
And shiny nether day
Or return
To our birth, which is
A place of renewal
Created
With all the splendor
And accrual of a
Very fine mural
Where we see
All that was before, and
What’s to come, displayed
At the door, present
To the very eyes we adore
A history of a life lived
In kind, not rewind,
And yet we sometimes
Anxiously await a return
To the past
Even though we know
The moment won’t last
We still envy that space
Delivered, and
Yes, we even sometimes
Quiver with anticipation
An emancipation
From times
That can feel scary, and
Even withdrawn where
We may become quite wary
Remember that life
Is but a dream, lived
A gift and true sublime trist
With all that we see and feel
Both we may call real
Sometimes it may be easy, and
It may also make us feel
Quite queasy, and unsure
Yet please be reassured
That both
Are at opposite ends
Of a single spectrum
A dream, I reckon, yes,
And shall I progress?
Alas, I’ll digress
For the moment, and
Finally say
To let come what may
Because in the end
All is needed
Even when
We can’t quite concede it
Develop. Inspire. Transform. 