Poetry and Prose by #1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow, Co-Author of #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women, and Jan/Feb 2022 Spillwords Press Author of the Month
Alright, so I’ve also been reflecting upon the miraculous and mundane this week. Yep. True. Why?
Well, there was a time when the mundane was all I really saw. Pretty cynical. Yep. Also truth.
And, it is important for me to keep this truth in my awareness.
You can at one moment see the mundane in the miraculous, just as you can see the miraculous in the mundane. Yep. It is really all about what we choose to see.
Meaning that it is all about how we know ourselves; know and feel our truth. Really.
When we know and love ourselves, we see the miraculous everywhere, and love in everything and everyone. It works that way. Fun and beautiful.
Alright, a poem, here we go.
The Miraculous and Mundane
Blade of grass, mundane in one moment And miraculous in another
Just as a crack
in the pavement, miraculous in one moment And mundane in another
The viewer views, the Creator creates, the Miraculous or the mundane
We view and see, yet what we see is not always all there is to be seen
Look closely within And ask the questions needed, to Set yourself free, upon, and within this life
You can view the miraculous everywhere, And in everything
Remember
The miraculous is always there awaiting your return, and inner-knowing
Though you may think it gone mundaneness everywhere look again with new eyes, and you shall see that which was always there and will always be
That was fun.
As you enjoy your weekend, be on the lookout for the miraculous. Take a look around and notice. Notice all of the miraculous within you, and around you. You are all, after all, miraculous human beings. Just as you are.
Right, so I was getting ready to write this post about something totally different. Namely, about Medium, the writing I’m working on this week, and one or two other topics. And, then?
Well, it occurred to me that I’ve not written about COVID-19 in a while, and I wanted to return, as if I’d ever really left, to the pandemic to discuss what some people are talking about, and some are not. Why? It’s hard.
Breakdowns, breakthroughs, and our emotional self. Hm. Alright, stay with me.
Because destigmatizing breakdowns is important. They happen to us all. Really. Even if we don’t have access to the language to know that we are in an emotional breakdown, for instance, they happen. And?
A Journey from Breakdown to Breakthrough
Acknowledging and accepting our breakdowns is important to fully understand what’s happening within ourselves; and, to get to that insight delivered via breakthrough that will come on the other side of our breakdown.
Example? Sure. It’s very present for me.
In conversation with the team yesterday, well, some of the team, I received feedback that I didn’t see coming. Not at all. And?
Well, the feedback was excellent, and was timely and needed, yet the due date for the work that is affected by this new information is this week.
Phew. Pressure.
Right, so I went into breakdown, and stayed there for a couple of hours. What did this look like? Well, it looked like I was doing the rest of my day, driving to physical therapy, then to the store, then finally home.
When I got home?
Well, I showered, and then sat for my evening meditation. And? On the other side of my meditation, many insights occurred, which I captured for the following morning, this morning, in fact. And?
Well, getting back into the conversation this morning with new insight, a new perspective, and an additional colleague created a new way forward.
Yep. Did I see that possibility while I was in breakdown last night? Nope, not at all.
Yet, the more breakdowns and breakthroughs I go through, the more inner-knowing I have that an insight, or a combination of insights and perspectives, will deliver a solution to the issue.
Meaning that, yes, the changes that will need to be made will take time and coordination, yet there is workability. There is a way forward. And, there always is.
And, when we are in breakdown, we can’t always see these possibilities. And, that’s okay. Yes, scary at times, yet perfectly normal.
That, for me anyway, is the essence of a breakdown. Being unable to see far enough, due to my entanglement, in those moments, within my own self.
Being in touch with our emotional self has never been more important than it is today.
The pandemic has ushered in many more unknowns. Really. Many more unknowns for all of us. Personally, familially, organizationally, nationally, culturally, at every level. Every level.
Tonight I am very present to the beauty in accepting and being with my breakdowns as they occur. Staying with them, going inside of myself to see what’s there, and to the knowing that insights will come. They always do.
When you are feeling overwhelmed and a breakdown is imminent, remember, you are not alone. They happen to us all, and in the long run they are beneficial.
They simply mean you are growing as a human being. Growing into yourself, through yourself. Beautiful.
Milarepa is an account of a great Yogi Sage, Jetsun Milarepa.
What I loved the most about the book, similar to the Bhagavad Gita, was the multiple connections to life today. Yep.
For instance, there is a part in the story where Milarepa is asked by his Guru to build a house on a particular piece of land. Well, Milarepa did as he was told. And?
Milarepa’s Guru came to inspect the work, and although the work was fine, the Guru said, hm, nope that’s not quite right. You’ll need to pull that entire structure down, and start again over yonder. Wow.
Well, this happened 9 times. Yep. 9. What’s the point? Hm.
Think about life. How many times has life said to you, nope, that’s not quite right, try again? Yep, of course. Me too.
That’s what life’s about. Creating, acting, learning, growing, and loving, with both our minds and hearts.
Milarepa’s Guru was teaching him persistence, discipline, and about the trials and tribulations of being a human being on this planet; and, the compassion and grace we all need, both for ourselves and for each other. Important.
The Dalai Lama
Right, so the next book is Dalai Lama, My Son: A Mother’s Autobiography. It is good so far. Very interesting, well written, and, of what I’ve reads thus far, a wonderful historical account of Diki Tsering, the Dalai Lama’s mother’s, upbringing.
Now, the reason I brought this book up is this, ready?
So, I start reading the book a couple of nights ago, and it occurs to me to watch a little television. And?
I turn on the television, and guess what show comes up first? Ha! Watch.
Anyway, so I watch the documentary, and it is wonderful. You can find it on Peace Jam. What’s it about?
Well, essentially, it is about conversations that scientists and the Dalai Lama have been conducting for over 30 years. It is a fun exploration and comparison of what is termed in the documentary as Western Science and as Buddhist Science.
I’ve always known, and have read quite a bit about the similarities between things that happen in laboratories experimenting with quantum physics, and the body-mind laboratory experimenting with deep meditation.
I have, however, developed a whole new level of experiential knowledge in the latter area over the past three years, so the documentary was even more fascinating.
What’s Next?
I had a blast writing the two social construction installments this week.
I had already planned on writing the social construction of reality, and then the social construction of time just showed up. Just like this post. Happens like that. Fun.
Right, well, I’m also almost done with the post on integrity. Has been fun. And, I’m also working on a post about servant leadership, and I have a few more ideas, we will see.
Alright, that’s it for now.
Here is to each of you. For being the human beings you are, just as you are, right now. You are just so.
I appreciate each of you. I have tremendously enjoyed all of the wonderful posts and conversations we’ve had this year, both on your blogs and on mine. So much fun.
I look forward to many more conversations in the weeks, months, and years to come.
You are love and light.
Be well and have a wonderful Sunday, and week ahead.
Now I’m working on a third; the social construction of reality. Yep. And, why is understanding the social construction of reality important? Hm. Power.
As we discussed in 4 Reasons Why Language Is Power, how we describe our reality in language, whether we are describing something internal or external to ourselves, is powerful. It is in essence the reality that we know.
Writing the piece on the social construction of reality is really fun; and, I hope you will all enjoy it.
Right, so integrity. What’s the deal with integrity? Important, yes? I’ve actually read a couple of posts in the past couple of weeks that have mentioned integrity, and I am excited to add my lens to the mix this week.
I think about integrity a little differently, which simply means I conceptualize, internalize, and practice integrity in a way that pushes on the traditional notions of integrity.
It is important to investigate definitions, to push on them when needed, and to conceptualize them differently when they don’t work as intended.
The definition of reality and truth, as we will discuss in the social construction of reality is a good example of this notion, as is the post I am writing on integrity. Will be fun.
Maintaining a growth mindset, which I will also write more about in the next couple of weeks, by remaining curious means that we get to take in all of the wonder that surrounds us.
That’s important right now. Maybe more important than ever before.
Remaining curious means taking time for yourself. Taking time to be quiet, to walk by yourself, for yourself, to reflect, to question, to contemplate, and to discover.
When we take time for ourselves, we get back so much more. It is a paradox. Often people think that being continuously busy is the way to get back more, or to progress more, or to move themselves forward more.
And, being active, actively creating the life you want to manifest for yourself is important, yet, not at the expense of your own internal contemplation, reflection, and discovery time.
Example? Sure.
Yesterday, I came home from a very busy day, and immediately took a nap. Yep, been doing that more often. Feels good. Refreshing.
I then got up, had a little something to eat, and started working again. And, guess what? I became frustrated? Why?
Because I had essentially gone from work, to sleep, and back to work. What did I do?
I stopped, turned out the light, and meditated for 30-minutes. And?
Inside of that meditation I had a couple of really nice insights, which then fueled the rest of my evening. Meaning that I switched from work, to writing, and developed this week’s ideas for my blog.
My invitation to you on this wonderful Tuesday evening is to remember to take time for yourself. Unplug, go for a walk, meditate, just sit. Do whatever it is that you do to refresh your inner-self.
It is in this space where curiosity and everything else in life for that matter lives; and, where you will find the answers to the questions you are asking yourself right now.
It’s almost the rainy season in the Pac Northwest, so getting out in the sunshine today was a must. Was gorgeous out today, as you will see in the pics below.
While I was hiking this poem occured to me. 🙂
Nature’s bounty Human failings
Separate though They seem
Inextricably connected They are one
A mirror
Of both bounty And failing
One in breath One in mind
Two inseparable Joined in A hindered hearted delight
Every time I write an entry in this series, I usually write something like, phew, what a busy week. See, I did it again. Well, it is busy and also quite wonderful. 🙂
Alright, here’s what I’ve been up to the past two weeks.
Writing
This past week, I wrote a couple of articles. In case you missed them they were as follows:
Well, I am currently working on a couple of new pieces, which include an article on the mind, one on being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), and one on writing. Fun.
I am also considering writing something for a periodical publication. It’s been a while since I’ve submitted anything like this, and am wondering about the periodicals to send to. If you’ve got an insight for me here, I would greatly appreciate it.
Strategy
This week is my strategy week at work. Meaning that I don’t take meetings unless absolutely necessary, and I work on creating the next couple of years of work for the team I work on.
Of course, these are drafts we are talking about here, as the team I work on is highly collaborative, and will have tons of input for me on anything created this week.
It is a nice time to reflect upon where we’ve come as a team, remember where we are going, and begin to fill in all of the work needed to be completed for us to get there. It’s fun.
About two years ago I learned about High Sensitivity. At that time, I had never heard about it before, and was sort of stunned. Meaning that I could see myself in all that was being talked about, and yet, was in some ways resistant to the idea that I might be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).
Upon reflection, and a little reading, I came to the, not hard to make, determination that I was an HSP, and had always been.
Certain feelings I always had, and things I felt more in my environment than other people, made more sense to me than ever before. Was truly a transformative moment for me.
I am reflecting upon my HSP’ness now in preparation for the article I will be writing later this week.
If you’d like to learn more about being a Highly Sensitive Person, here are a couple of books I highly recommend.
If you are still interested, here is a cool questionnaire you can take to see how you rate on the sensitivity scale. I just took it again for fun, and rated a 19. Definitely highly sensitive. 🙂
Both of the books are wonderful, and I highly recommend them if you are interested in Leadership and or Eastern Spirituality. Funny, they are both very alike in that regard. Interesting how that works.
Not sure what the next book will be, yet, this past week I did create a new possibility. What, you ask? Of creating a local remote book club. Yep. There are two other people interested at this time. I’m hopeful to get 2 or 3 more people.
As I was pursuing the book club idea, sending out invitations, it got me thinking about a blogger book club. That might be kind of fun. What do you think?
Anyone can create a why, right? You get a prompt, why do you do what you do? You answer. Yet, that’s not quite it. If your why is disconnected from your authentic-self, people will not be attracted to it; why?
Because they will know/feel that you are being inauthentic.
It is, then, super important when creating our whys to be the authentic human being you know yourself to be. Let go of preconceived notions of who you think other people believe you are, and write your why from the space of who you know yourself to be. Important.
See, creating a why, or a purpose statement, is not about pleasing someone else, it’s about you. About the person you are today, the person you are creating yourself to be tomorrow.
When you get clear on your purpose, and convey your why from a place of authenticity, people will be attracted to it. They will see themselves in you. And, when someone shares their why with you, you’ll know if they’re being authentic, and, if they are, you will probably be attracted to them.
I’ve been following more and more sites the past couple of weeks, and have been truly inspired by all that I’ve read. From food recipes to articles on grief and trauma.
In the event someone hasn’t told you recently, you are making a difference in the world. Each one of you.
Human connection is such a wonderful experience, and to connect with each of you, though distanced we are, is such a joy, and honor.
My cousin literally just sent me a new message via LinkedIn, and shared with me a beautiful story about the Good Night Lights. Have you ever heard of this? I hadn’t. Take a look. Beautiful, and moving.
Good Night Lights
I went to the site and was moved to tears. Why? Well, it is, yes, a beautiful story. And, then, it got me thinking about each of you, and the work you continue to do on your individual websites.
See, it isn’t about moving an entire population of people, or providing them access to you and your ideas, all at the same time. It’s about touching one person at a time.
One person, then becomes two people, which eventually becomes thousands, as many of you can attest to; and, thousands can become millions.
You are an inspiration, and I thank you for the opportunity to know you in the way I do today.
Here are three quotes on authenticity that I love.
A Quote
“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.” Brene Brown
“As I began to love myself. I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living my own truth. Today I know this is authenticity.” Charlie Chaplin
Alright, so I’m driving home from the store about an hour ago, and it occurs to me that music, like many things in life, is a paradox. Well, that is, the music that one likes and listens to may be seen as a paradox. Do you know what I mean? No. Hm. Okay, let me try it this way.
What I actually mean is that human beings are paradoxical; and, that the things we think, feel, and do can be seen as paradoxes, which includes the music we like, and the music we listen to.
Let me show you.
Here is a band I’ve loved all of my life. As I’ve written about before, I was scheduled to see them play the month that my dad passed away unexpectedly. A difficult time.
Well, I recreated that possibility about 6 months later, so got to see them play in Santa Ana, California last fall. I love all of their albums, and songs, yet this one is more present for me today.
Bad Religion
Ah, yep, Bad Religion. I hadn’t seen them in, oh, should I say? Alright. It had been 20 years. That is a story for another day.
Anyway, as much as I love Bad Religion, I also love this.
Billie Holiday
Mm. Billie Holiday. Love that. Beautiful. And, let’s not forget about this.
Le Miserables
Oh, and then this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-JoG9GFNPM
Hamilton
Alright, alright, though there is so much more to add, I’ll stop now. 🙂
What I am writing about to you today, is to listen to what you love. Especially when it seems like a paradox. It’s for you, no one else.
Likewise, do what you love to do, be who you want to be, and cherish all the apparent paradoxes that you know and feel about yourself. They are a part of you. And, guess what?
They aren’t really paradoxes. Not really. Because they are a part of you, those things that you love, that inspire you, that move you, that touch you, they are one. They are you.
And, when you are inspired, everyone around you will also be inspired. It works like that, and is fun like that.
What are some of the apparent paradoxes that make you the human being you are today?
I feel like each week I write the words, phew, what a busy week. Well, this week was no different than the previous. Phew, busy, busy, busy.
Open registration began this past week, and our enrollments are up from the past two terms, which is exciting. As I’ve written about in previous posts, COVID-19 has made creating and delivering experiential classes, workshops, and training, precarious.
Yet, we’ve persisted, and not resisted; and have over 150 remote classes on offer this fall term. Pretty cool.
This past week, I’ve been reflecting upon the need for adequate sleep. Yes, sleep. Really. I’ve spent the past 20 years being a, well, not very good sleeper. Yet, I’m getting better.
And, adequate sleep is needed more now than ever. More than ever.
How do you sleep?
One insight into sleeping adequately I’ve had the past two weeks is this: when you’re sleepy, sleep. Often, I think we resist. I did, for many years. Not helpful. Sleep when you are tired.
Then, I got a message that curious, which is a subsidiary of medium wanted to publish it. Exciting. Of course you can find the article on my site, or you can check it out on curious.
I am now working on the social construction of knowledge. Fun. I will have it completed sometime this weekend.
Alright, that’s it for this submission.
Remember, sleep when you are tired. Really. When we resist, which I did for a long time, it does not help. In fact, it makes us more tired, less productive, and easily agitated.
Here are a couple quotes I like on sleep.
“The minute anyone’s getting anxious I say, you must eat and you must sleep. They’re the two vital elements for a healthy life.” Francesca Annis
Develop. Inspire. Transform. 