The Open Door of Missed Opportunity

Here Comes The Sun ... Sunrise in the Sangres

You contribute to the situation by what you say. Gregge Tiffen (Open Secrets: An Honest Performance – June, 2011)

There is no small thing in life. Antsand their hills hold the potential to teach us how to climb life’s mountains, including the peak of creating peace in our world.

In our world that needs all the kindness and compassion we can muster, I missed an opportunity to be compassionate yesterday. Although I’m not beating myself up, I’m aware that an opportunity to be more of who I am is a terrible thing to waste. In noticing the miss, the door to greater awareness opened.

In hindsight I observed that when I’ve made a decision and am on a mission, I loose awareness of all else (focus is good and, like everything, has its shadow). That’s especially true, I discovered, if my decision is at odds which what I value. In this case ‘non-violence and honoring all life’ is what I say I value.

Yet, my mission was to purchase a ‘natural’ product to destroy a colony of ants. On some level, I set aside the fact that I wanted to kill, and I rationalized that using a commercial chemical formula was worse than my ‘natural’ approach. In my heart – the heart I ignored – I know that is false. Killing is killing regardless of method.

Negotiation so far had failed (Yes! I talked to the ants) but my missed opportunity suggested to me that perhaps I’d given up too soon (or perhaps my ant-speak needed to be clearer). Why are the ants an issue? I don’t want to experience the pain of another bite (they aren’t called ‘fire’ ants for nothing). I want Luke to enjoy his favorite outdoor napping spots without being attacked. And, I want the same for all my visiting two- and four-legged friends. But is killing the only answer?

As I write this, I’m aware of my ants as metaphor for viewing others whom we fear as ‘pests’ that need to be controlled. We try to dominate or conquer that which is different from us and those who we don’t understand. Oh life’s ‘little’ challenges! They have so much to teach us if we dare to be aware. But, I digress from yesterday’s missed opportunity that opened the door to this awareness.

I’m grateful to the Buddhist nun whose presence while I was on my mission to the local market provided the gifts of this reflection and the missed opportunity for compassion. She too was on an ‘ant mission’, going for the same product as I. While I was navigating around her to grab a box and go, she was standing in the aisle thoughtfully inquiring whether the product would kill or just deter them. She was aiming for the later: harm no thing. I quickly shared that the information I had was that the product would kill them. My missed opportunity for compassion continued as I responded to her question about what would deter without death in a somewhat frustrated tone, “I don’t know” and walked away.

I didn’t like what my voice and its tone contributed to this encounter. In hindsight I see that I didn’t want to confront my internal conflict. Heck, I’d made up my mind, let me buy the box of Borax and get on with my mission. Oh what a different conversation we might have had if I’d been aware and willing to engage.

The missed opportunity though gave rise to a deeper insight, to a commitment to pause and go back to the drawing board of the internet for a non-lethal alternative, including reopening ‘negotiations’ with these industrious beings. That’s the gift of aiming to honor my values, of being willing and aware, and of taking time for quiet reflection.

There is indeed no small thing in life. As part of the natural world which has so much to share, ants symbolize industriousness, order, and discipline. ‘Why would I want to kill THAT?’ is perhaps a story for another day. For sure it has my attention.

Ants and their hills hold the potential to teach us how to climb life’s mountains, including the peak of creating peace in our world.

Sunset on a Smokey Day in the Valley

Smart Cells

Gentle Observation

The universe does not make ninnies. The universe has created you in Its image as strong, dependable, creative, self-assured, intelligent, harmonious, and complete. This is true for everyone. These qualities reside in every cell of everyone’s body!  Gregge Tiffen (Tax Time: Are You Taxing Yourself? – April, 2007)  

No, this isn’t a post about smart phones or any other ‘smart’ technology – other than the ‘technology’ of you and every other human being on the planet. You – yes YOU – are imbued with each and all of the qualities that are this universe! So are your family, your friends, those you love, and those whose behaviors you loathe.

This week as I began my 68th sojourn around the sun has been a reflective one, looking back at the cycle just completed to celebrate victories and to acknowledge where I want to invest in growth this year. So, I wasn’t surprised when today’s quote leapt off the page both as a reminder of how blessed I am/we are and a way to identify growth areas for investment.

Like apps in technology, these universal qualities are in our cells available 24/7 for us to tap into and use. The key is to sync ourselves with our cells. We listen. We observe. We choose. We act.

Unlike those same apps, these gifts of the universe never go out of date. The only upgrades required are those we choose as our own individual understanding deepens, expands, and grows. These upgrades flow naturally as we call forth, experiment, and apply each quality. How we define and express them changes as we change.

As the world presents us with new opportunities to use our ‘apps’, we have the Free Will to apply them – or not.  We choose whether to be bound by the culture’s standards or to define each quality in a way that expresses our individual highest and best.  ‘What are the culture’s standards,’ I wondered. And, more important, what is my aim?

'Strong’ in much of our culture means physical strength and/or weaponry to show force. The strength I aim for is the internal strength to stand with courage in the face of force. ‘Dependable’ often means doing what society thinks you ‘should’ do. The dependability I aim for is the discipline to follow through on my commitments to myself and to others. Our culture tends to think of ‘creative’ as artistic or talented. The creative I aim for is remembering my status as co-creator with the universe of all my experiences; thus, recognizing in every moment that I am creating that moment.

‘Self-assured’ can look like ego driven self-aggrandizement. The self-confidence I aim for comes from within, from applying what I’ve learned about how the universe and the world work. It then manifests outwardly in calm clarity that is both intelligent and harmonious.

In the world ‘complete’ is often measured by how much we have, we do, leading to a sense of incompleteness, scarcity and never enough. The complete I aim for is comfort in knowing that there is always ‘enough’. Right where I am is the perfect place in this moment, and it will lead to the next and the next, infinitely.

This week I invite you to tap into the ‘apps’ granted you by the universe. Embrace them. Define and sync each to YOU. Then, step into the world each day as the unique and beautiful you that you are.

An Old Stump in the Woods -- What wisdom does it hold?

When The Roast Is Done

Finally, some snow on the peaks!

... consistency establishes a vortex, and that is your responsibility to yourself. Take the information in, and distill it into your own knowledgeable terms because it is your essence that makes the system work for you. You then become strong in your conviction of who you are and what you are doing. No matter what the world says, you stick to it. Gregge Tiffen (Earth and Second Earth, a volume in The Collected Works of Gregge Tiffen)

When the roast is done, take it out of the oven.

I wavered this week. As I moved toward implementing my decision to close my bed and breakfast business (yep, I made that decision since my last post!), I hesitated. ‘Well, maybe it would work if I …’ I thought. ‘That last insurance quote wasn’t too bad, perhaps I should …’ On the surface, each thought was a good idea worthy of consideration. But they didn’t fit with what I know deep inside: I’m done with this.

I recognized the thoughts as doubts sourced in the all too pervasive scarcity consciousness perpetuated to control using fear. Recognizing the source helped.

But what tipped the scales and moved me into action was a keen awareness based in self-observation over the past several months. My enjoyment of hosting was waning, despite the lovely people who visit. When I received a very expensive insurance quote that simply didn’t work financially, my soul cheered. Every cell in my body knew it was time to end this chapter. Yet my gut clinched at declining to accept reservations as I weighed the decision carefully. ‘Maybe I can find a better insurance option’ I thought. One did emerge that made a bit more financial sense. In the end that didn’t shake the knowing that I was done and the soft calling of some new focus.

Remembering the high cost of continuing when something is done helped. Whether it’s a roast in the oven, a job that no longer inspires (or is barely tolerable), a stale relationship, done is done. Keeping a roast in the oven not only burns the roast, it leaves no room for the chocolate cake that you yearn to be bake. And …

Pouring water in a full glass wastes water and makes a mess.

Operating the B&B had become a ‘full glass’. Observing the energy I expended with a guest here recently confirmed that. This roast is done. To continue wouldn’t serve me or future guests. And, I’ve ridden in this ‘rodeo’ before, ending chapters (jobs, partnerships, relationships, housing, etc.) not knowing what the next would bring. Without exception each brought what I needed and, they’ve all turned out just fine.

As with changes past, I discovered that I changed, grew, expanded from the B&B experience. My future growth requires something new, and that’s not yet clearly defined. After a fantastic four year ride, that ‘something’ is calling for my focus, my energy, my interest and attention. I’m closing with much gratitude and the conviction that my decision to do so is as ‘right’ as the decision to dive in four years ago. That time too was one of questioning, not knowing, and being open to what’s next. Guidance and clarity brought the path. I stepped on it and began the walk, step by step. What a journey!

Each step (and the missteps too!) brought learning. With learning, a deepened understanding of who I am continues to emerge.

So, let the next chapter begin! And, let me stick to living life confident in what I know and in learning even more.

What about you? Is there a ‘roast’ in your oven that’s done? A chocolate cake yearning to be baked? This week, I invite you to take a look inside. Discover what may be complete. And, bake a new cake!

End of the Bed & Breakfast Chapter of the Dragonfly House

Coming To My Senses

A little cone that caught my eye on a branch in the woods out back.

We progress by experiencing what is happening with our full awareness. We should never go through any condition or event without perceiving the full essence of that experience through our own senses. (Gregge Tiffen – a selection from Life in the World Hereafter: The Journey Continues found in The Journey Continues: The Legacy for Generations – November, 2010)

This post could just as easily be titled ‘What the World Series & Two Lovely Brits Taught Me About Life’.  Beyond being extremely happy that the Houston Astros won (5-1 in Game 7 of a history making series – in case you haven’t read anything but The Zone), I learned and was reminded of how much our senses have to tell us.  I also learned about grace and embracing life. Who knew that the World Series and two British women guests could do that?

Beyond signaling that something may be amiss (food tasting spoiled, smelling fire where there should be none, seeing a car coming before we cross the road) it is through our senses that we experience life. We choose whether to experience it fully, noticing sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and how something feels to our touch, or to move through life doing one thing after another without that awareness.

There are times when we move through life mostly unaware of what our senses are telling us. We operate robotically through much of daily life.  The World Series reminded me of just how often I do so.  That started last week when I turned off the sound for  game 2 and noticed the effects on my other senses (http://cindyreinhardt.com/blog/turn-off-the-sound).

I was curious to continue the experiment in the games that followed – not just having the sound off, but rather intentionally being aware of the sensory experience while at the same time simply enjoying that ‘my’ Astros were playing in the Series (and trying not to obsess over the possibility that they might not win). Watching several games with different levels of sound (or no sound at all) and having B&B guests here for some games and not for others made for interesting self-observation and awareness.  As the series continued on, I was aware that the emotional roller coaster and tension was heightened with sound just as I noticed last week.  And, I noticed other senses as well.

During the final two games with the Championship on the line, I had the added bonus of two lovely British guests here at the Dragonfly House. I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to watch the games here (yes I had a plan b!), as these guests had come early to prepare for going into a two-week spiritual retreat at a nearby center. I explained my interest in the games and asked if they would mind quiet TV in the background. They graciously said ‘yes, of course’ and became curious about this thing called baseball. Their grace had me wonder if I would be the same were the roles reversed and I was preparing for a spiritual retreat.

They joined me to watch, and one was especially curious about the game and how it’s played. Responding provided a direction for my energy, dissipating some of my tension. And, it was a joy to share.

Despite my intention, I’m aware that I didn’t taste much of the dinner I’d prepared and ate as game 7 began. But, I do believe that I tasted victory in the chocolate consumed as the game neared the end and the win seemed certain. I definitely felt the tingling in my body as the tension released and I reveled in the celebration unfolding on the screen. My British guests retired before game’s end, but one came out this morning with her ipad to show me the British newspaper Guardian headline ‘Astros Win World Series’ and noted that she probably wouldn’t have noticed or had a clue what it meant.

Their curiosity and grace highlights for me the importance of embracing what life brings as these lovely women did. Combined with coming to greater awareness of my senses, I opened the door to gratitude, not just for the Astros victory, but for my heightened awareness of how much our senses have to offer and a newfound commitment to sustain that awareness as I navigate through this journey of life.

Color me grateful!

Patterns in life

Turn OFF The Sound

Aspen Grove

One of the greatest areas of breakdowns in our society, individually and collectively, is our communication process. We honestly do not understand the basic communication procedure. … We have a way of communicating that does not communicate. We talk but we do not say what we mean. … It is true, we talk a lot and say nothing. Gregge Tiffen (Deeds Are Fruit, Words Are Leaves – October, 2008)

An unintended experiment this week has me reflecting on all the noise in our world, especially the empty words we all hear and that, sadly, most of us speak from time to time just to fill space.

Nowhere is this more evident to me than in television. Even though I mute most commercials, I find myself mindlessly watching pundits blather endlessly often making no sense. Sportscasters do the same, mixing statics, history and their biases into nonsensical run-on sentences. Noise, peace disrupting noise, (and a reason I watch so little TV).

But this week finds my beloved Houston Astros in the World Series. At the same time, I have guests here at the Dragonfly House (lovely, interesting poets from Wisconsin) who don’t share my passion for the team I once followed closely.  How could I fulfill my desire to watch the games and honor that my guests were here in part for the quiet beauty of the southern Rockies?  The obvious solution: watch without sound AND keep my cheering (and jeering) to myself.

In doing so, I discovered a most enjoyable experience (well, except for not cheering wildly when the ‘stros scored and won game 2). Turning off the sound required that I watch the screen to see what was happening. And, as the game unfolded that framed how I felt and how my body responded. I discovered a much lower, calmer level of intensity. Without the babble of the commentators to incite my nervous system, I could simply watch the game and observe my reactions to what I was seeing.

Late in the game messaging on Facebook with a Houston friend who was watching there, didn’t ramp up my adrenaline flow, even as Houston took then lost the lead and finally won the game. With this lower level of intensity, I found that I could truly enjoy watching these men perform their craft. I also happily discovered that it was relatively easy to get to sleep when the game was finally over.

My unintended experiment opened my eyes to the high cost of over-reliance on sound and demonstrated for me in a new way just how distracting the noise of the world can be.  It reminded me that some things are best enjoyed with a single sensory focus. In not allowing myself to be over-stimulated, the peace and satisfaction of the quiet hike in the mountains stayed intact as the highlight of my day.

In these days when we seem to be swimming in a sea of intense events, the experiment also offered a reminder to be self-observant and to choose carefully the quantity, quality, and sources of input and types of stimlus we allow in.  And, for all of that, I am most grateful.

Creek Flow Contrasts

Influencers Revisited

Cool Hand Luke Skywalker & A Hike to the Zigurat - Influencers That Remind Me of My Path

The degree that you allow someone or something to affect your thinking and therefore your life is the degree to which you are influenced. Gregge Tiffen (Open Secrets: One Original Thought – September, 2011)

On its surface, Gregge’s quote seems simple, obvious, and perhaps, even superficial. That’s the way with truth ‘simple but not easy’ and always, in all ways inviting us to be aware right now, in the present moment.  

When I first shared about influencers in a post (http://cindyreinhardt.com/blog/influencers), I wrote about the people who’ve most influenced me in life. I found a common thread among them: they did not follow the pack. Each in their own way lived life on their terms.  They didn’t choose a path that the world suggested was what they should do. 

And, that is what we are each here to do: discover and follow our individual path, despite the pulls and prompts of family, friends, gurus, politicians, corporations and many other things competing to influence us.  To do so demands that we sharpen our awareness of external influences and that we make choices that affirm our path.

Stop for a moment. Inquire and notice who or what is influencing you right now?   Then explore. Are those influences supporting you, blocking you, or thwarting you in what you are aiming to accomplish? Did you consciously choose to allow it, or did it creep in without you choosing?

Our challenge is to be mindful and at choice about who and what we allow to affect us.

I love being under the influence of the visual and audible beauty of a mountain stream ... 

As I’ve aimed to rise to that challenge, I’ve worked at being able to stay informed of news events without getting caught up in the drama and negative pull that so many in the media tend to project.  I’ve explored various media and observed how each impact me. When I overload or discover that I’m influenced in ways that go beyond being informed, I stop and turn to nature (including Cool Hand Luke) to remind me to be at choice.

This week as I’ve experienced a number of breakdowns – appliances stopping in the middle of a project, repair folks not responding to my calls – I’ve aimed to simply handle what needed to be handled, to take the next step, and to let it go. Rather than relying on the world, I’m engaging my trust in the unfolding of life to influence and guide me.  Simple, but not always easy.

In the midst of those, a friend called to tell me about something that they want to change in our community.  As I listened to the concern and noticed the intensity with which it was being shared, I was grateful for the awareness that I could choose whether to engage AND whether the conversation would influence me after the call ended.  I chose ‘no’ on both.

I’ve also experienced calls to ‘come out and play’.  A frequent guest at the Dragonfly House who’s in town for a house sitting gig elsewhere invited me to lunch at a time when I was thinking about emailing him to inquire if he would house-sit for me later in the fall.  That’s an influence to say ‘yes’ to!

This week I invite you to notice external influences and to make conscious choices about who and what you allow in – moment by moment, day to day, and beyond.

... and the influence of the profound beauty of nature ...

... and the sound of music from amazing artists (Yes, that IS Carlos Nakai!)

52 x 4

The Joy of Breakfast!

“Speak what you think today in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said today.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson’s quote and “Welcome” were the first words of The Zone written four years ago, August 15, 2013. Hence, today marks the 208th issue. A bit of celebration and reflection are in order.

That I’ve honored my commitment to write and share each week is personally satisfying and rewarding. That you read and respond is humbling. I’m grateful for both.

In that first post, I promised to “share what I think today; offer a quote for your muse to both muse and use; and propose an experiment designed to support your journey.”  I’m batting 1000 on the first promise, quite a bit less on the weekly experiment. 

I promised to be eclectic and to share from a variety of sources, systems and doctrines. Then, somewhere along the way, I felt drawn to mostly share the work and words of Gregge Tiffen. Instead of writing, then searching for a quote to fit, I found myself reflecting on what I was observing and/or experiencing at the time. Once I found a quote that deepened my reflection or understanding, I began to use that as a starting point for the week’s message.  You can read more about Gregge and my work with him here - http://cindyreinhardt.com/blog/who-in-the-world-is-gregge-tiffen?rq=Gregge%20Ti

In that first post, I declared The Zone would be “a place to explore what success means; how its meaning fits with dreams and values; what shifts may be called for; approaches for creating your personal Success Zone; and an assortment of resources for the journey.” And, that the focus was intended to be “individually and collectively reclaiming personal power, a right and responsibility that we aren’t very well prepared for in our culture … look at where we’ve abdicated power and how to gain it back through the lens of ancient mysticism, brought forward to practical application in today’s world.”  It’s in these areas that Gregge’s work shines and continues to offer guidance on my own personal journey.

These four years and ‘52 x 4’ posts have deepened my understanding of life, of nature, and of my piece of the universal puzzle. While I continue to experiment and search for the ‘hows’, I’m clear that my focus and intention in the world is as it was when I began “… supporting a shift from the ‘more is better’/’win-loose’ paradigm to the paradigm of care, compassion, cooperation, collaboration, community with abundance for all.”

Next week begins year five.  While, I can’t say what the next four years or even four weeks of posts will look like, these weekly explorations will continue with these intentions intact.

As I said at the beginning, “I want to challenge your thinking (and mine!), to poke around the edges of what’s possible, explore how nature and ancient wisdom define and guide us to success. As Emerson suggests this eclectic approach may sometimes be contradictory. Yet, that represents the diversity and flow of life.  Things change. We change.  We can reconsider and adapt. Or resist and be left behind. Always there is choice.”

Thank you for the privilege of sharing my journey with you.  Seriously, it is a privilege to land in your in-box each week. 

Experiment for the Week: Notice your energy flow. What energizes you? What drains your energy? What new choice(s) are you invited to make?

Another Beautiful Day Dawns in the Sangres

Front and Center

Oh what a beautiful morning!

Whatever you have in front of you is what you have in front of you. That’s it! Gregge Tiffen (Open Secrets: Creative Power Released – July, 2011)

The simplicity of this statement struck me as I woke from a nap and reached for one of Gregge’s booklets in search of my focus for this week’s post.  Life truly is as simple as living in the now, focused on what is in front of us – front and center.

From ancient spiritual traditions to best-selling self-help books today, this teaching is found throughout. Yet simple does not mean easy. And, hey, it seems we humans have been working on this for a very long time.

We make life complex by layering past experiences or concerns about the future (and sometimes both at the same time) onto whatever is in front of us. Over time I’ve noticed that quite often whatever I’m fretting about in my head has nothing to do with what’s in front of me at that moment.

In its infinite wisdom, the Universe does not engage in the past or the future. It doesn’t worry over what it did yesterday or even billions of years ago. Done is done. And, the Universe doesn’t fret about tomorrow or the next election. What will be, will be.

 This doesn’t mean that we don’t reflect on and learn from our past. That’s a natural and necessary ingredient for our growth and development. Likewise, it doesn’t mean that we don’t care about and put attention on the direction of our future. We give each their time. We learn. We make adjustments. At their time, each is front and center. Then we move to what’s next. With discipline and practice, we do so without the past or future successfully claiming bit parts in our present.

Pure and simple, no matter how great or how small (but, who cares about size?), the opportunity before you IS. That’s it. With full attention on THAT, take a step, then another. Leave the past in its place. Let the future unfold as it is sure to do.

P.S. In the three short hours since I penned this post, I’ve been humbled (yet again) by how easily my thoughts wander and by the vast range of that wandering. On our morning walk I caught myself revisiting an old conflict rather than fully taking in the beauty of the mountains and the sky as the sun made its way to the top of the ridge. I chuckled as I put my attention on that and bid the past adieu. A short while later as I watered the garden I noticed myself being annoyed by what needed to be done there later rather than putting attention on the water falling on the bounty.  What’s in front of me is simple. Putting my full attention there requires commitment, awareness, and vigilance. Step by step may I rise to what is front and center NOW.

When I'm present, I notice the subtle beauty of first light filtering through the woods.

The Spiritual Cost of Disposability

Cool Hand Luke on our Solstice Trek to the Ziggurat

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi

We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. Immanuel Kant

Because it is inherent within nature to stay in balance with the harmonious frequency of the Universe, when we do something that sets things off balance, nature must respond by trying to put things back in balance. Our disharmonious administration of the planet causes us all – humans and the rest of the earth – to lose that balance. And nature ever operates to put things right. Gregge Tiffen (Life In The World Hereafter: The Journey Continues)

Earlier this week two viral posts crossed my path and made my heart ache.  The first was a short clip from a surveillance camera showing a puppy being abandoned by his family. The second was an article saying that pet abandonment is highest with the approach of holidays and vacation time. An accompanying photo showed a long line of people and their pets outside of a shelter where the people were about to “surrender” their pets. (Note: I’ve not verified the veracity of either, but a quick check of statistics on the number of pets arriving in shelters nationwide it heart wrenching in and of itself.)

In the midst of my anger and sadness, I wondered how it is that we came to this. How is it that so often our convenience beats our care? Up close and personal, what habits do I practice and beliefs do I hold that contribute to this darker side of our culture?

It dawned on me as I took out the trash this morning that we’ve created a culture of disposability. Despite my best efforts to reduce, recycle and reuse, I generate waste (hopefully far below the national average, but waste none-the-less).  That waste needs to be disposed of for practical reasons. But as we generate more waste and accept disposability of ‘stuff’ more, is it a leap to think that disposing of life could become more acceptable? Is it possible that our all too frequent disregard for life can be traced back to the boom in creating things that are ‘convenient’, thus disposable?  If so, how did we make that leap? And, more importantly, how can we restore our understanding that all of life is sacred? How can I conspire with nature to improve life on the planet rather than working against her (and, therefore, against myself)?

I don’t know. But this week I’m going to sit with these questions. I have a hunch that I won’t like everything I discover. I have a hunch that there will be some new possibilities, new choices, along with opportunities to reconcile past and future choices with my understanding of the dominion over the planet we humans were granted.

I invite you to reflect and adjust with me.

The sun is ready to peek over the peaks.

A Locomotive Goes In Only One Direction At A Time

Warm weather brings the snow melt to Cottonwood Creek on our Solstice hike.

Everything in metaphysics is like a train. Choose to be a locomotive, the cars will follow. Gregge Tiffen (Father Time – June, 2007)

Happy Summer!  This week we celebrated the Summer Solstice and experienced the longest daylight of the year. That daylight which has been increasing since the Winter Solstice will now begin its subtle retreat. We can count on nature and her cycles to remind us of consistency.

Several weeks back (just about the time that busy season for the bed & breakfast was about to begin), I decided to take a course designed to help me expand the readership of this weekly post. There were some other benefits that sounded quite useful as well so, despite the timing, I signed up.

About the same time, guests and reservations at the Dragonfly House began to trickle in. And, like the creek’s springtime thaw, the flow increased. I’m grateful. I love sharing my home and meeting amazing people from all over the world. It’s a means of creative expression that I would never have imagined. I’ve even come to enjoy the ‘darn dailies’, tasks that were once chores, but now are simply part of that expression.

I also love my walks with Luke and my quiet time in nature, with a book, or taking a nap. I love sharing this weekly muse. I no longer want to juggle a dozen glass balls in the air, making sure that one doesn’t drop.

I also love courses and learning conversations. That’s why I was surprised to find myself struggling and resisting in this course. I pushed through the barrier that the issue was one of not enough time, and slogged ahead. After a bit more suffering, it finally dawned on me that the issue wasn’t about time.

I discovered that my resistance was two-fold. First, I can only go in one direction at a time if I want to be, to give, and to express my best (I do!).

A locomotive goes in only one direction at a time. And, it stays on track!

Second, learning that tells me ‘there’s a right way and to be successful you must follow that way’ simply doesn’t resonate with my understanding of how the Universe works.

Authenticity, being true to who I understand me to be, resonates. Doing market research to tell me what and how to write doesn’t. Not to compare myself with great writers and artists, but can you imagine (fill in your own favorite artists of any type or era) doing market research then penning or painting their innermost thoughts? Who comes to mind? Rumi? Georgia O’Keefe? Beethoven?

At a whole new level, I understand why most every marketing related course or activity I’ve engaged in over several decades didn’t resonate or produce the intended results. These courses weren’t bad (in fact many are excellent). But, they aren’t my path. Okay. I think I’ve received and recorded the message this time. I’m the locomotive, on my track … Onward!

An early morning Solstice hike to the Ziggurat.