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 17

I have a wagon wheel in my room, which by the way, is a very nice room.  The Culture of Service class, today, was great.  As I'm working through this material, I find myself challenged to step up my own game in engaging in the act of service in ever increasing purposeful and meaningful ways.  Each day is ripe with opportunities to move life towards what I envision:

I want to live in a world where service to each other is like breathing.  Where we DO understand that the world IS round - and that what goes around comes around, and we INTENTIONALLY plant the seeds of service KNOWING that, like the pebble in the pond, our actions will send ripples out, reverberating through our world, and around the world.  I'm so tired of people who are fearful:  fearful of being taken advantage of, fearful of being made a fool of, fearful of ending up on the short end of the stick, or being "found out" in some way.  I want you to connect with others in meaningful ways and to come to understand how AMAZINGLY important you are; how IRREPLACEABLE you are in the lives of those you touch, even though, for many of those lives, you will never know the impact you have made, and I want you to know how important THEY are to you, the shoulders upon which you stand today are those who CHOSE to serve you.  So, I facilitate this class with the intention of being a part of this EXTRAORDINARY opportunity to help you help us.  It's about caring and moving us, collectively towards a heart of service that truly honors our humanity and enriches the interdependent world THAT LIES AT THE HEART of what we have built, as individuals, as families, as communities, as cultures, as HUMANITY.  For you, it all begins with the realization that ANYONE becomes your customer the moment you have the opportunity to serve, and that SERVICE is meeting the needs of someone else.  You can change lives through your opportunities to serve - you have the potential for GREATNESS.

Day 11

As I plan and formulate what the Awake to Your Dreams offering is about.  I am finding that reaching out and asking for help is a big part of working through the details and the "appeal" of the offering.  Bailey is someone I truly admire for her enthusiasm, positiveness, and strong faith.  I am honored that she has agreed to be part of my Beta group in working through the material and shaping my message and offering.  Today, I also realized that asking for help includes engaging those around me to help with the daily photos that chronicle 7, 300 Moments in the Life of Betsy McDowell.  This is the most I have asked for help in a long time!