OUR LIVES ARE FULL OF SHORTCUTS AND CAMEO APPEARANCES

LOL... BFF... LMAO... Our lives are full of shortcuts and cameo appearances. There is so much that we have to process in any given day, at any given moment, that our brain is forced to resort to shortcuts and abbreviated definitions and categorizations. 

Those faces that we see but don't really SEE; those conversations that we have, but don't really ENGAGE in - it seems the faster life goes the shallower the depth that we operate at. What would happen if we slowed our lives down? What would happen if we took the time to FEEL and EXPERIENCE our lives in deeper and more profound ways?

Are we so afraid that we might miss something in our doing and being that we end up missing most of it as we merely sample, touch upon, and give things a cursory pass? Are we so driven to taste everything that we don't savor anything?

What does it mean to live deeply and to connect with what we do have the opportunity to experience in a rooted and familiar way? Perhaps it's time to engage in a way that provides an opportunity to really connect us to our world and to move with it, not over it.

Day 61: Listening is a Magnetic and Strange Thing, a Creative Force

“Every person in this life has something to teach me--and as soon as I accept that, I open myself to truly listening.” Catherine Doucette

Isn't it interesting how much time we spend on gift giving - birthdays, special occasions, holidays.  What if?  What if instead of searching for that perfect gift we dedicated that time and energy to listening to that person?  What if we invited them give us a tour of their life?  What if we embraced their world, exactly as it is, without criticism, without judgement, without expectations - with the soul purpose of simply accepting them, as they are?

“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.”Dr. Karl Augustus Menninger

What amazing creations lie dormant in each of us...waiting...for someone to care...to ask...to share...to invite.  How much richness is still waiting to be discovered?  Listening to others, to their dreams, their hopes, their desires, their brilliance, their darkness...look inside yourself to discover the truth that lies in each of us.  Sometimes changing the world is simply about making time to listen, to care,and to connect.

Day 22

In working through the details of my WHY I continue to connect with people, places, and ideas that move me towards my living my dreams.  I am soooo grateful for all that is coming to me in help of what I am dreaming into being.

Day 19

I'm revisiting a photo, today that is near and dear to me.  I made a purposeful choice to put my daughter above all else and I have held to that promise for 21 years.  This past year I made a purposeful commitment to change, and reclaim the life I have had on hold.  I have been conceptualizing WHAT I want to do, and my first actual self focused step towards giving that dream legs was attending an AMAZING Write Yourelf Into Motion session with Alexandra Franzen and the "Athabasca 19".  I am still running on the "charge" I received through the guidance, Love, Celebration, and support that was packaged into an insightful and life changing experience.  I am eternally grateful for the "push" these DYNAMIC women have given me, and the encouragement they continue to give.  Ladies, I salute you and honor your journeys.  Thank you for helping me breath life into my future.  Love to you all!

Day 15

I drove up north Sunday for four hours.  It's good that I traveled on Sunday, as a foot of snow fell and I awoke to small drifts piled outside of the french door to my quarters.  I am about to teach the Culture of Service to a group of associates who work at one of our sister divisions.  It's a great offering and I'm excited to be here and able to exercise this opportunity to connect, yet again, with those who are exploring the potential of choosing to be more positively impactful within their circle of influence, and beyond.