a Place Called HOME

  (things revealed during the pandemic) It's been an interesting 6 months living pandemic life. The first thing that increased was my walking the dog.  It's amazing how nature and movement and a little sweat open me to some Universal Insights. Re-discovering my own "backyard" has me moving deeper into what's right in front of me; watching a tree move through the seasons, meeting other dedicated walkers on the trail, on what days other dogs are out (which causes a problem for Bailey), and other such oddities I may not have noticed had I not been gifted with this time: Speaking in generalities is dismissive...  I'm not sure if that's a period or a question mark because I'm still considering this. It does NOT honor an individual's own specific experience yet speaks to our connectedness as humans.  Thoughts? Walking is where I do ALL my thinking and not thinking (inspiration). Insights bubble up and they become images and writings and associations that...

  Have you noticed the odd places new growth can occur? Between a sidewalk crack, out of a stump, in an abandoned parking lot... in fact, the evacuated Chernobyl is bursting with new green growth and wildlife that assures us life continues.  Where in your own life have you noticed resilient growth? Perhaps after an illness, or a tragedy, or maybe even after a season in your life that was rocky. There is so much in the moment that seems overwhelming and insurrmountable, yet some how a flicker of hope reveals itself and invites you into new growth.   At times this growth can be very distinct from who you've been before or paths you've traveled previously.  Other times, it is a renewed excitement to engage in life fully; forging a new path that blooms out of a deeper part of you yearning for the light of day. How do you express this new growth? It may be a new job opportunity or an intimate discussion with a close friend.  It could be a vocational calling that lead...

“ No longer in a relational universe, can we study anything as separate from ourselves. Our acts of observation are part of the process that brings forth the manifestation of what we are observing." ~ Margaret J Wheatley I've been reflecting on my experience of being "out in the world" as highly transactional! I go out, get what I need, do what must be done, and come home.  All without a lot of fanfare.  I notice I back away from people who want to get closer.  I cut short my conversations so I can finish my errands quicker. I plan and consolidate my trips so I make less of them. I am efficient so that my exposure is limited. Businesses are just as transactional. Starbucks is barren and empty so as not to encourage anyone to stay.  Grocery stores are sectioned and separated by plexiglass and "stand here" dots on the floor. Car dealerships and service is sterile. And while I applaud the larger chain stores for mandating masks, it is just one more barrier bet...

Reimagining ENGAGEment⠀ ⠀(in the world) “In the rush to return to normal,  use this time to consider  which parts of normal are worth  rushing back to.” ~Dave Hollis⠀ 🌀  When we allow for a pause between our endings and our beginnings we invite the opportunity to reset. Whether it is a moment, a weekend, months, or years a pause provides a space in our life to breathe. It gives us the opportunity to reflect on what ended and reimagine how to engage our new beginning. ⠀ ⠀ 🌀  pick an ending you are currently experiencing. How do you feel about it? Where do you feel it in your body? ⠀ ⠀ 🌀  sit with the feelings. Is this an ending you chose? Are you mourning or celebrating? Take the time to BE WITH your emotions. ⠀ ⠀ 🌀  BREATHE. Meditate. Journal. Run. Practice YOGA. Hike - disengage before reengaging ⠀ ⠀ 🌀  now! Imagine a new beginning; a clean slate, a fresh palette, a white wall... What, if anything, provides a dark sense of doom or despair? W...

Defining HOME⠀ ⠀ 🌿  our HOME is a metaphor for how we inhabit this space of consciousness we call human life⠀ ⠀ 🌿  on a macro-level, it is the process of HOW we travel from birth to death; the beginning of our human form until it ends and we return to the Source of ALL⠀ ⠀ 🌿  on a micro-level, it is every change experience, threshold, and transition we have in living our life; how we inhabit & travel between endings and beginnings ⠀ ⠀ 🌿  are we able to hold & maintain a space to experience everything? ⠀ ⠀ 🌿  it is the techniques we employ, the lessons we learn, and the willingness to connect with the Source of ALL that keeps this space more open ⠀ ⠀ 🌿  this undefined journey between no longer and not yet is based on our connection to the Source of ALL ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ # spiritliveswithin   # theGRAYZone   # pause   # breathe   # engage   # aPlaceCalledHOME   # theRadicalAcceptanceofALL

HOPE "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing & rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there..." ~Rumi HOPE is emerging, not just as an intellectual exercise but as a LIGHT within me.   Uncertainty is an OPENING! Our rigid routines and strict schedules keep us unaware of the new possibilities that exist around us.   We sleep walk through our days and become numb to the boundless opportunities beyond our current knowing.  This pandemic has caused a seismic shift. Daily we wrestle with our fear and our FAITH; the darkness and our LIGHT! However, when Life shifts this dramatically, everything we know goes out the window which can be disorientating... or reorienting.  Yes! It opens up a space for...  EVERYTHING TO BE POSSIBLE! I am finding more HOPE each day, little-by-little.  HOPE for a new world.  HOPE for more Unity.  HOPE for more Compassion.  HOPE for a shared sense of Humanity. HOPE for more LOVE! H...

May we find PEACE May we BE calm May we know WE ARE ONE! Every day I am dancing with my balance between fear and FAITH. One day fear leads in all its anxiety and worry and stress. Then, FAITH show up in ALL her glory and brings HOPE and TRUST and LOVE!  Today I am calm. We are in a liminal time - a threshold between what we once knew and what will become as we travel through this unknown space.  We've all had transitions in our personal lives. This one is amplified because it's happening on a macro-level, all-of-us, together! All of us, TOGETHER! All of us, TOGETHER! All of us, TOGETHER! What if, it is simply this simple; we are a part of a larger collective organism where what we do affects another. No borders, no boundaries of race or country, no political boxes, etc. One collective body of humans, interrelated, interdependent, interconnected, breathing in (and breathing out) this LIFE TOGETHER. What thoughts can you find peace in? Where in your bo...