Thanks to Bonnie for the gift of Richard Rohr’s “Falling Upwards” about spirituality for the second half of life. Likely it is great at all ages but seems to have lots of relevance here at what may be just past middle age if we are lucky…
Rendering me inarticulate… wow. See her TED talk. http://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_kay_if_i_should_have_a_daughter.html
So enjoyed Nina Wise’s book a big new free happy unusual life – see ninawise.com. I met Nina this summer and she is very genuine, and her book full of suggestions around creating moments of aliveness and connection. I’ve been experimenting a little with her invitations and amazed by some of the unexpectedly rich results. Some of her writing on community and relationships is just so articulate and direct, it really makes me feel the deep relief of not needing to find my own words, just sinking into a quiet happy kinship. Wish I had read it at 18 years old, and may start handing it out as graduation gifts! Thank you Nina.
Bubbling thanks to Jill Pangman and Jennifer Berezan and all the women who journeyed with them on the recent retreat at Primrose Lake… any women searching for more depth and joy in their lives are encouraged to consider one of Jill’s gatherings! www.silasojourns.com
I went to a bookstore sale in February 2012 and treated myself to a book by Mark Nepo, thinking how much I liked some of his articles and poems. When I got home, I had a moment of shock, anger and disappointment to find I had bought a “daybook” requiring me to read slowly, one item a day. A whole year!! How could he expect me to do that? And then the humour kicked in (a beat or two late, as usual) and I have treasured this book every day so far. Sometimes the connections are surreal, where I begin journalling on a topic in the morning before I do the “Nepo reading” and find that the ideas are intertwining. I have no idea whether this book is useful to others, but have deep gratitude to Mark for writing it.
I am really enjoying – and being challenged by – a series of free podcasts on a range of life and spirituality topics.
If you have read this far in these postings, then you have probably already discovered the audio wisdom at www.soundstrue.com
My thanks to Tami Simon and all the wonderful voices she has collected there.
This magazine has been a regular source of inspiration for me over the past few years and I want to thank Kristina Craig for her gift… with her usual sensitivity, she stepped outside her own worldview to offer me something I didn’t know I needed!
Check it out at Shambala Sun.
In January I re-read a book that I savoured more than 20 years ago and have read small snatches of since then. It was fascinating to see how much I had changed in two decades, to experience some regret that I had glossed over huge chunks the first time – chunks that could have saved me some heartache along the way!
The book is Grace and Grit by Ken Wilber, about the life and death of his soulmate. It’s a woven tapestry of theories about transpersonal spirituality, cancer care experiences, human relationships and journalling. It added new shape to my worldview in the early 1990s and it is interesting to see how many seeds it planted for me that are now bearing fruit. Thanks to Susan Hubbard for giving me the book and for all the rest of the journeying that she has accompanied.
Here’s one website on Ken Wilber.
I feel compelled to publicly offer thanks to Jennifer Berezan and don benedictson for crafting the beautiful CD “In These Arms.” It is wonderful as a longer meditation or for creating moments of peace in a minivan with kids, connecting us all to broader circles of compassion. Thanks too to Bonnie Macdonald and Jill Pangman for allowing me to connect with Jennifer’s music. Here’s the link to her website.
Thinking about my own sources of inspiration and what I would pass on to my kids as choices for carrying with them. Like a coin for tossing when decisions are required, I have carried the warm guidance of a quote from St. Augustine over the years, a touchstone that helps when the next step is unclear. “Love is the weight by which I fall.” I savour this image of tumbling into the next place using love (compassion) as the impetus for movement. Which way to go? Pick the faltering step that seems to generate more compassion, fall into the right action of responding to love’s call.